Whether you want to prepare a funny joke, or report any problems to technical support, knowing how to take a screenshot of your computer is a skill that can be very useful. Fortunately, taking a screenshot on Mac OS X is incredibly easy. The controls are different and vary based on the type of screenshot you want to take. Read on to learn more.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Full Screen Screenshot
Step 1. Hold down the 'Command' key and simultaneously press the '3' key
You should hear the characteristic sound of a photo shot. This is the basic functionality of the screenshot, an image will be captured relating to everything that appears on the screen at that moment.
Step 2. The result of your screenshot will be automatically saved on your desktop, in 'PNG' format with the following name 'Screenshot [date / time]'
Method 2 of 5: Screenshot of a portion of the screen
Step 1. Hold down the 'Command' and 'Shift' keys, simultaneously press the '4' key
The mouse cursor will turn into a grid, displaying the coordinates in pixels in the lower left corner.
Step 2. Press and hold the mouse button or trackpad, then move the cursor to select a rectangular area of the subject you want to capture
Press the 'Esc' key if you want to make a new selection without taking the screenshot.
Step 3. When you release the mouse button or trackpad, the photo will be taken
Again you will find the resulting file on your computer desktop.
Method 3 of 5: Screenshot of the Active Window
Step 1. Hold down the 'Command' and 'Shift' keys, simultaneously press the '4' key and then the 'Spacebar'
This will turn your mouse cursor into a small camera, which you can use to select the window you want to screenshot.
Step 2. Select the window you want to take a screenshot of
To do this, scroll through the windows of all the applications you have open using the key combination 'Command + Tab'. Alternatively, use the 'F3' function key to activate the 'Mission Control' function, it will give you an overview of all open windows and all applications running on your Mac. Press the 'Esc' key to abort the procedure without taking the screenshot.
Step 3. When you have located the right window, select it with the mouse button or the trackpad
The screenshot file will appear as usual on your Mac desktop.
Method 4 of 5: Save the screenshot to the system clipboard
Step 1. Replace the 'Command' key with the 'Control' key and use one of the methods described above
This way your screenshot will be copied to the clipboard instead of creating a file on the desktop.
Step 2. Paste your screenshot image wherever you like:
in a text document, email, or image editor. To do this, use the 'Control + V' key combination or select the 'Paste' item from the 'Edit' menu.
Method 5 of 5: Take a Screenshot with Preview
Step 1. Launch the 'Preview' program
Look for it in the 'Applications' folder or use 'Finder', then select the relative icon with a double click of the mouse.
Step 2. Go to the 'File' menu and move the mouse cursor over the 'Take screenshot' item
Step 3. Choose one of the available options:
'Print select…', 'From window …' or 'From full screen'.
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'Print select…' will turn your mouse pointer into a crosshair. Select with the mouse button or the trackpad the upper left corner of the area you want to photograph. Then, drag the mouse to create a rectangle with which to completely enclose the subject of your interest.
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'From window …' will turn your mouse cursor into a small camera. Move the cursor around the window you want to photograph and then press the mouse button or trackpad.
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'From full screen' a countdown will start. Arrange on the screen what you want to capture in the screenshot, then wait for the countdown to reach zero.
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Step 4. Save the new image
The screenshot will immediately open in the 'Preview' window as an unnamed image. Access the 'File' menu and select the 'Save' item. Give your image a name, then hit the 'Save' button.
Advice
- If you're taking a screenshot of the entire screen, make sure your mouse cursor isn't covering important information.
- If you're taking a screenshot of your web browser window, make sure you haven't opened any pages you don't want to share with other people.
