SnaptitleMacs have had great screenshot tools for years, but the shortcuts are easy to forget. Here is every way to take one, from the classic three-key combo to the toolbar that also records your screen.
All the Mac screenshot shortcuts
| What you want | Press |
|---|---|
| The whole screen | ⇧⌘3 |
| An area you drag over | ⇧⌘4 |
| One window or menu | ⇧⌘4 then Space |
| Screenshot toolbar and screen recording | ⇧⌘5 |
| Copy to the clipboard instead of saving | Add ⌃ |
| Cancel | Esc |
Capture the whole screen
Press ⇧⌘3. You’ll hear a camera sound and see a small thumbnail in the corner of the screen. Wait a moment, or click the thumbnail to edit it. With more than one display, you get one screenshot per screen.
Capture part of the screen
- Press ⇧⌘4. The pointer turns into crosshairs.
- Drag over the area you want, then let go to take the shot.
While you drag, these keys help:
- Hold Space to move the whole selection.
- Hold Shift to lock one side, so you only resize up and down or left and right.
- Hold Option to resize the selection from its centre.
Capture one window
- Press ⇧⌘4, then press Space. The pointer becomes a small camera.
- Move it over a window or menu so it turns blue, then click.
Window screenshots include a soft shadow. Hold ⌥ while you click to leave it out.
Use the Screenshot toolbar
Press ⇧⌘5 to open the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. It has buttons for the whole screen, a window or a selected area, plus screen recording. Click Options to:
- Choose where screenshots are saved. See how to change where screenshots save.
- Set a 5 or 10 second timer, handy for menus that close when you press keys.
- Show or hide the mouse pointer, and turn the floating thumbnail on or off.
Copy straight to the clipboard
Add ⌃ (Control) to any shortcut, like ⌃⇧⌘4. Nothing is saved to disk; paste with ⌘V into a chat, an email or a document.
Edit a screenshot right away
Click the thumbnail that appears after a capture to crop, draw, add text or highlight with Markup, then click Done. You can also drag the thumbnail straight into an email or a folder.
Wondering where the file went? Read where screenshots go on a Mac.
Save as JPG instead of PNG
PNG files are sharp but large. To save smaller JPG files, run this in Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg
killall SystemUIServer
Swap jpg for png to go back.
Screenshot not working?
- Check the shortcuts are on: System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Screenshots.
- Some apps, such as streaming video players, block screenshots on purpose.
- If thumbnails appear but files don’t, Save to may be set to Clipboard. Open ⇧⌘5 › Options to check.