Taking screenshots on your Mac is a fundamental skill, just liketaking a screenshot on Android devices. What if you want to share an interesting article? You’ll need a screenshot. If you’re documenting your workflow, for example, to create a tutorial that shows how to pairSamsung Galaxy Budswith macOS, it’s the same. You’ll need screenshots. macOS offers several built-in tools to capture your screen with ease.
you may use keyboard shortcuts to capture your entire screen in a macOS-friendly PNG format, the default for screenshots. Plus, the operating system includes a tool named “Screenshot,” and we guide you through its functions.
How to use the keyboard shortcuts
Capturing the entire screen is a three-button task. PressCommand + Shift + 3. This shortcut is well-established, as it worked on macOS High Sierra systems. Modern Macs still employ this combination, so there isn’t a new shortcut to learn.
How to keyboard capture part of the screen
Unlike the keyboard shortcut to create a static shot of the entire screen, you may only need a specific section of screen content. Here’s the shortcut to target a specific part of your Mac’s display.
How to target screen elements with keyboard shortcuts
This action lies between “screenshotting” the whole screen and capturing part of your display’s contents. It snaps static images of windows or the menu bar at the top of the screen.
How to capture a menu
Similar to screen element capturing, theCommand + Shift + 4keyboard combination is applied after a menu has been highlighted and opened.
Alternatively, the drag crosshair method can be applied. This method is useful when the menu title needs to be captured as part of the shot.
How to call upon the Screenshot menu
As of macOS Mojave, Screenshot has been the default Launchpad utility for capturing your desktop’s contents. It mirrors the keyboard shortcuts listed above, adding a graphical interface that visually oriented users will find more intuitive.
Keyboard shortcuts are quick and easy to apply but are just as quickly forgotten. Although on-screen menus add an extra step to the process, they are better if you prefer the visual approach. To get started, access Launchpad.
Already adding several time-consuming steps to the screenshot operation, one of these steps can be skipped using a keyboard shortcut. Rather than navigating to the Launchpad, pressCommand + Shift + 5to access Screenshot and its functions.
How to record video captures
So far, the media grabbed by the utility or keyboard shortcuts has been static. They’re shot as PNG files, as pictures. What if you want to record a video? This task is as easy as grabbing a screen image, thanks to intelligent interface management.
Option two involves navigating to Quicktime Player. It does the same thing. Take this route if you access the media player often.
How to access extra options
There’s another advantage to using the Screenshot tool. After navigating past the five screen capture icons, there’s a drop-down submenu. Hovering over it, a click unrolls several choices to extend Screenshot’s functionality. If you don’t want to save the captured images to your desktop, follow the instructions below:
Other options include a video recording timer and making a video with or without microphone audio. There’s a checkmark beside Show Floating Thumbnail at the bottom of this submenu, which grabs a screen image and renders it as a floating thumbnail.
Elevate your Mac screenshot game
The macOS tools are simple to use, but an element of under-the-hood complexity is accessible. Keyboard shortcuts are fast but easy to forget. For visually oriented people, the Screenshot utility can be found with one shortcut. Write it down if it gives you trouble. Armed with these five icons, all sorts of image grabby tricks can be applied, with the results saved to your desktop or elsewhere.
Options are available, and there are the last two icons before the Options submenu. They make it a breeze to record video clips of the whole display or a highlighted section, as chosen by a resizable selection box.
Now that you know how to take screenshots on your Mac, explore the world of screen capturing on your Mac, and never miss a moment again.
