Mac Os X Screenshot Keystroke

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Mac Os X Screenshot Keystroke

Capturing a screen, taking a screenshot, or in PC talk, printscreening are different terms for the same desired outcome. macOS and OS X both allow for at least 13 ways to take a screenshot. In the guide below, we'll cover the most common ways to do so on a Mac. Whether you have an iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, the process is essentially the same as long as you're running macOS or older OS X operating system.
Macbook Pro Screenshot Shortcut Keys
Screen Capture Os X
Where To Find Screenshots Mac
Easiest Ways to Take Screenshots on Mac1) Full Screen Selection Screenshot

If you want to capture the whole screen, the following command is the easiest way to do so.
What Is a Screenshot? The term 'Screenshot' also known as a snapshot or screen capture, or print. Press Command-Shift-4 to change a pointer to a crosshair. Select the area of a screen you want to capture by moving and dragging the cursor. After releasing the mouse button, the screenshot will be saved as a PNG image on your desktop. Figure 2 – Apple Support tweets the solution for screen capturing on Mac.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 3.
In case you run two or more monitors, you need to be working on the screen you want to capture.
2) Window Selection ScreenshotIf you want to capture a certain window, the following command is the easiest way to do so.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 4 
Hit spacebar and select window you want to screenshot.
3) Custom Selection Screenshot with Variable DimensionsIf you want to capture a custom size square or rectangle, the following command is the easiest way to do so.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 4
Make a custom selection with your mouse or trackpad.
Overview
Take a Screenshot with GrabUsing Grab has advantages. Grab is a default application on macOS that allows for taking four different kinds of screenshots. All four types of screen grabs can be done without using your keyboard at all. Your mouse or trackpad is all you need. Furthermore, you'll be able to chose the format of the output file as well as it's location destination on your hard drive.
4) Capture Custom SelectionOpen Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing 'grab'
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select 'Capture Selection' so a prompt appears
Make a custom selection by using your mouse or trackpad
Save the screenshot by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
5) Capture a Full ScreenOpen Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing 'grab'
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select 'Capture Screen' so a prompt appears
Click outside the prompt to select screen you want to capture
Click 'X' to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
6) Capture a Desired WindowOpen Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing 'grab'
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select 'Capture Window' so a prompt appears
Click the 'Select Window' button
Click the window you want to screenshot
Click 'X' to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
7) Capture Timed ScreenOpen Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing 'grab'
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select 'Capture Screen' so a prompt appears
Click the 'Start Timer' button
Time will go by and after 10 seconds grab takes a screenshot
Click 'X' to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
Take a Screenshot with PreviewUsing the native Preview application is yet another way to take screenshots on your Mac. Preview, just like Grab, comes with the basic installation of macOS or OS X.
8) Screenshot From Custom SelectionOpen Preview by locating it on your Mac. Alternatively, hit Command + Space Bar and type in 'Preview.'
While in Preview, click on File in the upper-left of the top menu bar.
In the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot.
Click on From Selection.
9) Screenshot From a Desired Window
Open Preview by locating it on your Mac. Alternatively, hit Command + Space Bar and type in 'Preview.'
While in Preview, click on File in the upper-left of the top menu bar.
In the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot.
Click on From Window.
10) Screenshot from the Entire Screen

If you want to capture the whole screen, the following command is the easiest way to do so.
What Is a Screenshot? The term 'Screenshot' also known as a snapshot or screen capture, or print. Press Command-Shift-4 to change a pointer to a crosshair. Select the area of a screen you want to capture by moving and dragging the cursor. After releasing the mouse button, the screenshot will be saved as a PNG image on your desktop. Figure 2 – Apple Support tweets the solution for screen capturing on Mac.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 3.
In case you run two or more monitors, you need to be working on the screen you want to capture.
2) Window Selection ScreenshotIf you want to capture a certain window, the following command is the easiest way to do so.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 4 
Hit spacebar and select window you want to screenshot.
3) Custom Selection Screenshot with Variable DimensionsIf you want to capture a custom size square or rectangle, the following command is the easiest way to do so.
Hold down Shift + Command and press 4
Make a custom selection with your mouse or trackpad.
Overview
Take a Screenshot with GrabUsing Grab has advantages. Grab is a default application on macOS that allows for taking four different kinds of screenshots. All four types of screen grabs can be done without using your keyboard at all. Your mouse or trackpad is all you need. Furthermore, you'll be able to chose the format of the output file as well as it's location destination on your hard drive.
4) Capture Custom SelectionOpen Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing 'grab'
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select 'Capture Selection' so a prompt appears
Make a custom selection by using your mouse or trackpad
Save the screenshot by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
5) Capture a Full ScreenOpen Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing 'grab'
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select 'Capture Screen' so a prompt appears
Click outside the prompt to select screen you want to capture
Click 'X' to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
6) Capture a Desired WindowOpen Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing 'grab'
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select 'Capture Window' so a prompt appears
Click the 'Select Window' button
Click the window you want to screenshot
Click 'X' to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
7) Capture Timed ScreenOpen Grab by locating the application on your Mac or by hitting command + space bar and typing 'grab'
Navigate to a screen you want to screenshot
Right-click on the Grab icon in your dock and select 'Capture Screen' so a prompt appears
Click the 'Start Timer' button
Time will go by and after 10 seconds grab takes a screenshot
Click 'X' to close the screenshot window
Chose to delete or save by selecting the format, destination, and name of the file
Take a Screenshot with PreviewUsing the native Preview application is yet another way to take screenshots on your Mac. Preview, just like Grab, comes with the basic installation of macOS or OS X.
8) Screenshot From Custom SelectionOpen Preview by locating it on your Mac. Alternatively, hit Command + Space Bar and type in 'Preview.'
While in Preview, click on File in the upper-left of the top menu bar.
In the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot.
Click on From Selection.
9) Screenshot From a Desired Window
Open Preview by locating it on your Mac. Alternatively, hit Command + Space Bar and type in 'Preview.'
While in Preview, click on File in the upper-left of the top menu bar.
In the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot.
Click on From Window.
10) Screenshot from the Entire Screen
Open Preview by locating it on your Mac. Alternatively, hit Command + Space Bar and type in 'Preview.'
While in Preview, click on File in the upper-left of the top menu bar.
In the drop-down menu, select Take Screenshot.
Click on From Entire Screen.
Take a Screenshot of Your Touch BarThis will only apply to some Mac users, but it's still worth mentioning. If you have a newer MacBook model with a Touch Bar, you can take a screenshot of the actual 'Touch Bar' itself. You can also use the Touch Bar to easily take screenshots by customizing it.
11) Screenshot Your Touch BarPress Shift-Command-6
This will screenshot your Touch Bar in its current state
12) Set up a Screenshot Button on the Touch BarClick on View in the top menu bar.
Select Customize Touch Bar.
A new menu will appear. Simply drag the Screenshot button into the Touch Bar.
When you tap on this Touch Bar button, you will get a set of options for the type of screenshots and where they will be saved.
13) Save a Screenshot into the Clipboard Rather Than a File
To save a screenshot to your clipboard rather than as a file, you can simply add the Control key to any keyboard shortcut.
For example Shift + Command + 3 would become Control + Shift + Command + 3
How to Edit Your Screenshot OptionsNow that you know how to take screenshots, it's worth learning other ways to edit them.
For example, using the Terminal, you can change where screenshots are saved and the file format they're saved as.
On a related note, there's no way to change the default resolution or output for all screenshots (since they're in the highest quality they can be already).
You can also save a screenshot to your Clipboard, rather than as a file, for easy pasting.
Where Screenshots Go By DefaultBy default, screenshots will end up on your desktop.
You can find screenshots on your actual desktop, or by opening a Finder window and clicking on Desktop.
Change Location of ScreenshotsHit Command + N, which will open a new Finder window.
Create a new folder by hitting Command + Shift + N.
Hit Command + Space to open Spotlight and type in Terminal. Hit Enter.
Type in the following phrase into the terminal, making sure there is a single space after the word 'location': defaults write com.apple.screencapture location
Drag the folder you previously created into the Terminal window, which will input its directory path.
Hit the Enter key.
Make sure you DO NOT delete this folder, because it will cause problems for you later on.
Restore Screenshot Locations to DefaultHit Command + N, which will open a new Finder window.
Create a new folder by hitting Command + Shift + N.
Hit Command + Space to open Spotlight and type in Terminal. Hit Enter.
Type in the following phrase into the terminal, making sure there is a single space after the word 'location':defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Desktop
This will restore the Desktop as the default location for screenshots
Change the Output File FormatHit Command + Space to open Spotlight and type in Terminal.
Type in the following phrase into the terminal, making sure there is a single space after the word 'type.' But do not hit enter yet: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type
After the word 'type' and a space, enter the image format you'd like to use. JPG, etc.
Hit the Enter key.
Paste a Screenshot from Clipboard
To paste a screenshot that is stored on your clipboard, simply use the keyboard command Command + V.
Alternatively, you can right-click when in a location (such as a Finder folder) and click on Paste.
How to Capture And Manage Screenshots on macOSThe screen capture feature, called a screenshot, is very handy when you need to capture the screen of your Mac to show the content on it to others. By making a screenshot, you get a good quality digital image of your Mac's display. Depending on the key combination, you can make a whole display screenshot or choose a region of your screen to capture. Nowadays, all smart devices like computers and smartphones have a built-in screen capture function, so you don't need to worry about installing a third-party screen capture app.
The first screenshots were created around the 1660s with the first interactive computers. Tough the screenshots were not the same as they are now. Back then, computers did not universally have built-in functionality for capturing screenshots, and the screen capture function would only capture the content of the screen but not the appearance.
The possibility to make screenshots of an active application window began with the Mac OS X Panther. The cursor would turn into a small camera icon by pressing Command + Shift + 4 + Spacebar, and the window under the cursor would be highlighted. Then the click on the mouse or trackpad would capture the screenshot of the highlighted element.
An application called Grab (a program in macOS with the purpose of taking screenshots of a selected area of the screen, a whole window, an entire screen, and make timed screenshots) would make a screenshot and pop it up in a window for you to copy to the clipboard or save it as a TIFF (Tag Image File Format). An alternative app that is integrated into Mac's operating system as well as Grab called Preview has the same capture options, but it opens the screenshot immediately in a new window.
With the 10.14 Mojave operating system, users got a revamped screenshot utility called the Screenshot app (previously known as Grab). This utility toolbar shows up when you press Command + Shift + 5 keys on your keyboard, and it allows you to choose options to take screenshots and capture modes. With this application, you can change where the taken screenshot is saved. You can also record your Mac's screen in full-size of the chosen region.
As briefly mentioned above, macOS users can take a screenshot or a chosen area. By pressing Command + Shift + 3 keys on your keyboard, you will make a screenshot of an entire screen. By pressing Command + Shift + 4 on your keyboard, you will make a screenshot of your chosen area on the screen. These screenshots are by default saved on the user's desktop, but if you hold down the Control key on your keyboard while making either of the screenshots mentioned above, the screenshot will be copied to the clipboard.
You can also capture screenshots and save them to files using a shell utility called 'screencapture' in the Terminal app or shell scripts. You cannot take screenshots while the DVD Player is running.
When you take a screenshot, your Mac, by default, will save it in PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format as it can retain the quality of the created image. The downside is that the PNG format images tend to be large. Sometimes it might be more convenient to use a format that takes less storage space, for example, like a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format.
Below you will find detailed steps on how to change screenshot format, change the default location, disable screenshot thumbnail preview, and more.
Table of Contents:
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Four Ways You Can Take ScreenshotsThere are four ways you take screenshots. You can take a screenshot of the entire screen, a selected area, an open window and by using screenshot tools.
Screenshot fullscreen
To capture the entire screen of your Mac, simultaneously press Command + Shift + 3 keys on your keyboard.
Screenshot a Selected Area of The Screen
1. To capture a chosen area of the screen, simultaneously press Command + Shift + 4 keys on your keyboard. 
2. When you see your mouse cursor change to a crosshair, release the keys and select an area on your screen that you want to capture.
If you select the wrong area, you don't have to press the Esc key and start selecting again. If you press and hold the Space key, you can move your selection. To change the selected area only in one direction, press and hold the Shift key. To increase or decrease the sides of the chosen area in proportion, press the Option key.
Screenshot an Open Window
1. You can screenshot an open window by simultaneously pressing Command + Shift + 4 keys on your keyboard. 
2. Let go of the keys when you see your mouse cursor change to the crosshair and then press the Space bar once.
3. When you see a camera icon, hover over a screen that you want to capture and click on it.
Using this screen capture method, you can screenshot even the Dock or the upper menu bar.
Capture Using Screenshot Tools
If you don't want to remember all the above options and you think it's a hassle, you can always use the screenshot tools. You can do all of the above-mentioned options with it. To open screenshot tools, simultaneously press Command + Shift + 5 on your keyboard. Choose what you want to screenshot and click on 'Capture'.
You can also use screenshot tools with the Screenshot app:
1. Open Finder.
2. Go to 'Applications'.
3. Scroll down until you see the Utilitiesfolder. Click on it.
4. Find and click on 'Screenshot'.
How to Change Screenshot Format Using TerminalMacbook Pro Screenshot Shortcut KeysAs mentioned above, when you take a screenshot, it is automatically saved as a PNG image. To change the screenshots' default format, choose a format you want to change to and follow the steps.
Change the format to JPEG:
1. Open Terminal from Launchpad, Finder, or Spotlight.
2. In the Terminal window, enter the command line: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg
3. Restart your Mac.
Change the format to TIFF:
1. Open Terminal from Launchpad, Finder, or Spotlight.
2. In the Terminal window, enter the command line: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type tiff
3. Restart your Mac.
Change the format to PDF:
1. Open Terminal from Launchpad, Finder, or Spotlight.
2. In the Terminal window, enter the command line: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type pdf
3. Restart your Mac.
Change the format to GIF (Graphics Interchange Format):
1. Open Terminal from Launchpad, Finder, or Spotlight.
2. In the Terminal window, enter the command line: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type gif
3. Restart your Mac.
Change the format back to PNG:
1. Open Terminal from Launchpad, Finder, or Spotlight.
2. In the Terminal window, enter the command line: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type png
3. Restart your Mac.
How to Change The Default Location of a ScreenshotThe default location of a screenshot is your Mac's desktop, but you can always change that by following the steps below:
1. On your keyboard, simultaneously press Command + Shift + 5 key.
2. In the menu bar, click on 'Options'.
3. Choose a location you want your screenshots to be saved. 
4. If you don't see the location you want to choose, click on 'Other Locations' and navigate to your desired location.
5. Then click on 'Choose'.
How to Save Screenshots to ClipboardIf you do not want your screenshots to be saved on the desktop or in other locations and just want to be able to paste it where ever you need, you can save them to the clipboard. There are two ways you can save screenshots to the clipboard.
Always save screenshots to the clipboard:
Screen Capture Os X1. On your keyboard, simultaneously press Command + Shift + 5 key.
2. In the menu bar, click on 'Options'.
3. Choose 'Clipboard'.
Your screenshots will be saved to the clipboard until you change the location.
Momentarily save screenshots to the clipboard:
When you are taking screenshots of the entire screen or a chosen area, press the 'Contol How to install python3 on mac. ' key to send your screenshot to the clipboard. For example, if you are taking a full-screen screenshot, simultaneously press Command + Shift + 4 + Control keys on your keyboard. Your screenshot will then be sent to the clipboard, and keep in mind that it will not be saved anywhere.
How to Disable Screenshot Thumbnail PreviewIf you have a newer Mac, a thumbnail of the screenshot appears whenever you take a screenshot at the bottom right corner. If you click on it, you can start to edit the screenshot or send it via AirDrop or other ways. But to some, that can sometimes be annoying. Follow the steps below to disable it.
Where To Find Screenshots Mac1. Simultaneously press Command + Shift + 5 on your keyboard. 
2. In the bottom menu bar, click on 'Options'.
3. Under 'Options', find and click on 'Show Floating Thumbnail'.
Now you will not see the thumbnail appear every time you take a screenshot.
How to Change Screenshot Keyboard ShortcutIf the default keyboard shortcuts for taking a screenshot are inconvenient for you, you can always change the keys in the Mac settings.
1. Click on the Apple logo in the upper menu bar.
2. Go to 'System Preferences'.
3. Find and go to 'Keyboard'.
4. Go to the 'Shortcuts' tab.
5. Click on 'Screenshots'.
6. Select a shortcut and double click on it.
7. Then simultaneously press the key combination on your keyboard that you want to change to.
To restore default shortcut combinations click on 'Restore Defaults'. You can find more information on keyboard shortcuts here.
We hope you found this information useful. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions!
Video on How to Capture And Manage Screenshots on macOS