How To Take Snippet On Mac

macOS has excellent in-built screenshot support. If you are in a hurry, let me tell you straight up that to take a screenshot on your Mac, press together Command + Shift + 3. However, if your job demands to take screenshots frequently, learn more options to become super productive at this.

Note: The keyboard shortcuts to do screenshots work the same way on MacBook Pro, Macbook Air, iMac, Mac Mini, or any other Mac.

So, that's how you can use the snipping tool to take screenshots on any Windows PC. How to Screenshot Using Print Screen on Windows 10. The only thing you need to do to take a PC screenshot on Windows 10, is the Print Screen button. Sadly, it does not work on Mac OS X. But Apple also has a number of tools which help you create screenshots on your Mac or Macbook. So the next question resulting from this is: What is equivalent to Snipping Tool on a Mac? Without installing another tool you can always take a screenshot on your Mac by pressing CMD +Shift +4. Well, unlike Windows, Mac doesn't include a native snipping app. Instead, you might need to download a third-party app to take screenshots on Mac. So, let's delve in and discuss some excellent ways to take a snip on Mac effortlessly. How to Snip on Mac Using Keyboard Shortcuts; Part 2. Top 10 Snipping Tool on Mac You Can't-Miss; Part 1. You can use CMD+SHIFT+4 to capture a screenshot anytime. Screen Capture utilities are dime-a-dozen in the App Store, a simple search will yield you plenty of them to consider. If you wish to annotate or edit the screenshot, then you’re looking at additional softwares that you’ll have to install. Free (good enough features) - Skitch.

4 Keyboard Shortcuts to Take Screenshots on Mac

Capture the Full Screen

To take a screenshot of the full Mac screen, including the Dock, top menu bar and everything else: Press together Command + Shift + 3.

Capture Selected Portion of Screen

To take a screenshot of a selected portion: Press together Command + Shift + 4. You may leave the keys when you see the crosshair. Next, drag it to select a portion of the screen. When you are done with the selection, release the mouse key or trackpad touch. The Mac captures a screenshot and saves it.

Pro Tip: Suppose you make a selection of the wrong portion. You do not press the esc button and restart. Press and hold the Space bar to move the selection. Press and hold Shift to change the selection area only in one direction. And, press the Option key to increase or decrease the sides in proportion. Try it! You will love these.

Capture Any Open Window

To capture only an open window on Mac: Press together Command + Shift + 4. Leave the keys when you get the selection cursor.

Now, press the Space bar once.

Next, take the camera icon on any open window and click. Using this, you can even do a screenshot of just the Dock or the menu bar and so on. These screenshot files have a nice grey shading on their edges that look great.

Using Screenshot Tools

One button for all: Can not remember all the above keys? Just remember one set, and then you can use the tools you see to take a screenshot or even screen recording on Mac running macOS Mojave or later. For this, press together Command + Shift + 5.

After you take a screenshot using any method, you might see its thumbnail in the lower right corner. It will automatically disappear after a few seconds and get saved. Or, you may also click on it to make edits like crop, markup, share, etc.

How to Use Preview App to Take a Screenshot on Mac

  1. Use Launchpad or go to FinderApplications and open the Preview app.
  2. Click on File from the top menu bar.
  3. Choose Take Screenshot and then select one of the options.

Note: Suppose you want to take a screenshot of Chrome using Preview. For this, open the Preview app from the Dock or Launchpad. Then you will see the menu for Preview in the top bar. Do not click on the Chrome window. If you click on it or any other app window, its menu will take the place on the top bar.

How to Save Screenshots Directly to the Clipboard on Mac

When you do a screenshot, it is saved to the desktop or place decided by you. However, there is an additional throwaway method to grab a screenshot and get it copied automatically to the clipboard. This won’t save the actual file. You can paste the screenshot in apps like Notes, Word, Google Docs, etc. or even paste it on your other Apple devices courtesy of Universal Clipboard.

For this, press and hold the Controlkey when you take a screenshot using the above methods. For example,

    • To take a full-screen grab and have it copied to the clipboard: Command + Shift + Control + 3.
    • To take a screenshot of a selected portion and have it copied to the clipboard: Command + Shift + Control + 4.
    • You can also use Command + Shift + 5, then press the Control button, and take the screenshot.

How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook Pro Using Touch Bar

You can also print screenshots using the TouchBar on MacBook. But first, you need to add the screenshot button to it. For this:

  1. Click on the Apple logoSystem Preferences.
  2. Next, click on ExtensionsTouch Bar.
  3. Click on Customize Control Strip → drag the Screenshot icon down to the TouchBar. When you see the icon on the TouchBar, you may drag it left or right at the desired position. Finally, click on Done.

Now onwards, tap on the Camera icon in the TouchBar to open the screenshot tools and take a screen capture.

Pro Tip: Wondered how to take the screenshot of the TouchBar itself? Press Command + Shift + 6

How to Take a Screenshot of Login Screen on Mac

Just like any other full screenshot! That is, after you power on your Mac, or are at any login window, or locked user authentication screen, press Command + Shift + 3 to take a screenshot.

This method works if you are running OS X 10.10 (Yosemite, released in 2014) and above.

Note: The screenshot file starts with LWScreenshot if it is of the main login screen (after you just power on or log out of the current user). Rest other login screenshots have the normal file name (Screen Shot Year-Month-Date and Time)

Where to Find Screenshots on Mac?

By default, screenshots are saved on desktop. You will find all of them here.

Pro Tips:

    • If you have several screenshots, select them all, right-click and then choose New Folder with Selection.
    • You can also drag the screenshot thumbnail to any folder.

How to Change Default Location of Saved Screenshots on Mac

  1. Press Command + Shift + 5.
  2. Click on Options.
  3. From under Save to, choose a predefined location. Or click on Other Location.

All future screenshots will save on the selected location. This setting will stay in effect even if you restart the Mac.

How to Change Keyboard Shortcuts to Take Screenshots on Mac

The default keys are great. However, you may modify them to any key you like. For this:

  1. Click on the Apple logo from the Menu bar and choose System Preferences.
  2. Now, click on KeyboardShortcuts.
  3. Click on Screenshots.
  4. Select a shortcut and then press the enter key.
  5. Now, press the desired new key or multiple keys combination.

How to Print Screen on Mac Using Windows Keyboard

If you use a Windows keyboard with Mac, the steps to take a screenshot remains the same. However, you have to use Windows keyboard equivalents.

Mac KeyWindows Key
ControlCtrl
OptionAlt
CommandWindows
DeleteBackspace
ReturnEnter

So, to take a full screenshot on Mac using Windows Keyboard, press: Windows + Shift + 3.

To capture a selected part, press: Windows + Shift + 4 and so on…

How to Change Screenshot File Format on Mac

By default, the screenshots on Mac are taken in .PNG format. But, you can change it to JPG (or even TIFF/ PDF/ GIF). The process involves using the Terminal. But it is straightforward. We have an easy guide that tells you how to do this.

How to Disable Screenshot Thumbnail Preview on Mac

When you take a screenshot on modern Macs, you see its thumbnail for a few seconds. You can click on it to edit it or share it via AirDrop, Mail, Messages, etc. But, if you do not fancy this and think of it as an unnecessary intrusion, here is how to turn it off.

  1. Press Command + Shift + 5.
  2. Click on Options.
  3. Under Options, click on Show Floating Thumbnail to unselect it.

Signing off…

This is how you can master screenshots on Mac. I hope this guide is helpful. If you have any further related questions, feel free to ask in the comments section below.

You may also read here:

How To Snip In Mac

I have been an Apple user for over seven years now. At iGeeksBlog, I love creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides that help people do more with their iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Apple Watch. In my free time, I like to watch stand up comedy videos, tech documentaries, news debates, and political speeches.

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Best screen capturing app
Use CleanShot X for all your screen recording needs.

For many new Apple users, particularly those who are migrating from Windows and are used to that Prt Scrn (Print Screen) button, the answer to the question of how to screenshot on Mac isn’t immediately obvious.

How To Take Snippet On Mac

Although it only takes pressing a couple of keys to take a screenshot on Mac, the fact remains that Mac screen capture is something that hasn’t historically felt all that intuitive. For example, in addition to different key commands for screenshotting windows vs. smaller selections, recording video of your screen for a long time was only possible through QuickTime Player.

Best screenshot apps for macOS

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Although macOS Mojave has changed much of this, how to screenshot on Mac remains a heavy-hitting search query, as not everyone uses the latest version of macOS. Below you’ll find more information on taking a screenshot on Mac (and capturing video), as well as some useful tools to make your Apple screenshot life easier.

Exploring Mac Screenshot Basics

How To Take Snippet On Mac

As there’s no dedicated button for print screen on Apple products, there are a few different commands associated with screen capture on Mac that vary slightly depending on your setup.

It makes sense to divide the world of how to take a screenshot on a Mac into pre and post-Mojave, since it was with this iteration of macOS that Apple really revolutionized their Mac screenshot command system.

1. Pre-Mojave Mac screenshot commands

If for whatever reason you don’t want to upgrade to Mojave then you’ll need to familiarize yourself with a couple of key Mac screenshot shortcut options:

  • ⌘ + Shift + 3
  • ⌘ + Shift + 4

The first of these commands is probably the easiest to get to grips with and the quickest one to take advantage of when taking a screenshot on Mac, as it captures the entire screen at once. If you’re using multiple screens, it takes a screenshot in Mac OS for every screen you’re using simultaneously.

The second of the commands represents a slightly more nuanced way to take a snapshot on Mac. Rather than capturing your entire screen, it prompts you to select the area you want to capture. If you follow it up with a press of Space, it allows you to choose the window you want to screencap instead.

Overall, while these commands do let you print screen on Mac, they feel sort of like an afterthought rather than a fully fledged feature of macOS. With so many people looking into how to screenshot on Mac, it’s not surprising that Apple recently decided to make it a little more clear how to screenshot in Mac OS Mojave.

2. Post-Mojave Mac screenshot command menu

In addition to the above commands, which still work for Mojave users, there’s now an option for them that’s very much in keeping with the existing format of how to print screen on Mac — ⌘ + Shift + [Number].

If you’re a Mojave, Catalina, or Big Sur user, you can use ⌘ + Shift + 5to bring up a screen capture menu that will allow you to:

  • Capture Entire Screen
  • Capture Selected Window(s)
  • Capture Selected Portion
  • Record Entire Screen
  • Record Selected Portion

At the right-hand side of this menu there’s also Options that lets you (among other things) select where your MacBook screenshot and video output is saved.

In other words, anyone looking for an easy answer to the question “how do you screenshot on a Mac?” could do a lot worse than considering an upgrade to Mojave in order to streamline the process.

3. Third-party Mac OS screenshot apps

You might notice that, even with the inclusion of ⌘ + Shift + 5 Mac screen capturing menu, the options for taking a Mac screenshot remain pretty basic. If you’re looking for a snipping tool for Mac that can do a little more, you may need to turn to a third-party developer.

CleanShot X is unbeatable here. The app toolkit is tailored for 50+ different changes, which makes it an ultimate screen capturing tool for Mac. You can use CleanShot X to capture screen — whether it’s a window, full screen, area, or even scrolling content, as well as record video.

While capturing anything on your desktop, you can choose to hide all desktop clutter and disable desktop notifications in one click. Once you have your clean screenshot, open it from the overlay window that pops up, and start editing. You can add annotations, blur specific parts, or draw — CleanShot X will help you customize virtually anything.

A few not-so-obvious yet cool features to mention are self-timer, screenshot pinning, and internal cloud. Want to capture something with a delay? CleanShot X has a self-timer that will help you pick the right moment. If you want your screenshot to be visible on the screen, pin it to desktop. Finally, save your screen captures to the internal CleanShot Cloud and get shareable links in a flash.

If you’re looking for something with a little more emphasis on screen recording, Capto could be the ideal solution for you. In addition to recording video, or just taking a snapshot on Mac, you can also annotate and edit captures via an intuitive iMovie-esque interface.

Capto does wonders for software walkthroughs. And given its strong visual component, it’s also perfect for those with auditory shyness who would rather add captions than a voiceover. Capto’s built-in organizer is pretty helpful for keeping track of your screenshots too.

Mac OS screenshot organization

If you take a lot of screenshots then you’re probably way too used to your Downloads folder or Desktop being clogged up with images that have filenames like “Screen Shot 2019-XX-XX at 21.36.15”.

Unfortunately, this inelegant and cluttered outcome is the default Mac screenshot shortcut. Not particularly helpful for keeping all of your images in check, especially when macOS is prone to heavily abbreviating filenames.

While it’s possible to use Finder in conjunction with Preview to view all of your caps, that still isn’t a particularly satisfying visual experience. One of the best solutions is Inboard, which functions like a private Pinterest for your desktop and allows you to tag and filter all of your screenshots for later use.

How To Take A Snippet On Mac

Inboard takes care of the design savvy out there too with a feature that connects your Dribbble account to import all your likes for digestion at a later date.

But even once you’ve solved the question of how to do a screenshot on a Mac, sharing those screenshots with, say, colleagues or friends isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do.

Rather than emailing files back and forth, or having to upload everything to a public Google Drive, you might consider a solution like Dropshare. As the name suggests, it makes sharing screenshots (and other files) as simple as dropping them into the relevant area.

Dropshare connects with a range of major third-party cloud apps, but you can also lean on proprietary Dropshare Cloud if you prefer, which is helpful if you want to keep your Mac screen capture sharing separate from your other sharing activity.

The future of how to take a screenshot on a Mac

How To Take A Screen Snippet On Mac

As you can see from above, learning how to screenshot on Mac isn’t particularly difficult, and screen capture on Mac is now easier than ever thanks to the addition of a dedicated MacBook screenshot and video capture menu in macOS Mojave.

It’s clear from this new feature that Apple understands the issue of how to print screen on Mac is one that has been, to put it lightly, unintuitive in the past, so you can likely expect to see further tweaks to the process in the future.

In the meantime, there are some excellent options in the snipping tool for Mac market that facilitate the process and offer a range of diverse features you won’t find among those built-in options for taking a screenshot on Mac.

Best of all, you can try all the apps mentioned here: CleanShot, Capto, Inboard, and Dropshare absolutely free with a 7-day trial of Setapp, a Mac platform with over 200 essential apps for any task at hand. Now you’re all set for your screenshotting game.

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How To Take Snippet On Macbook