The Way to Take Screenshots On Apple Computers

take screenshotLike on any other PC or notebook, on Apple computers the user can also take photos of the whole screen (or only of its part). In other words, to capture a screenshot. To do so, all you need to do is to use a combination of certain keys. Screenshots in automatic mode are stored as .png files on your Mac’s desktop. As for the file names, they usually start with the word “screenshot,” then come the date and time when it was created.

How to make a screenshot of Mac’s entire screen

  1. To make a screen of the entire display, press Shift+Command (⌘)+3 at once.
  2. The .png file will be in just a few minutes saved on the desktop.

How to capture a screenshot of the part of screen

  1. The combination of Shift+Command+4 will change the cursor into a crosshair. With its help, you can mark the area of the screen you need. To change the way the selection moves, press and hold Option, Shift or Space.
  2. Having chosen the necessary area of your display, the trackpad/mouse button should be released. If you’ve decided to cancel the capture action, press Escape (Esc) before releasing the button.
  3. As a result, the .png screenshot file saved on the desktop of your Apple machine.

How to take a screenshot of one window

take mac screenshot

  1. Repeat step one of the previous instructions: using the set of Shift+Command+4 keys, you will make the cursor appear in the form of the crosshair.
  2. Clicking on the Spacebar, the crosshair will change into the camera.
  3. To select the necessary window, move the camera to it.
  4. After that, release the mouse/trackpad button. Before you do this, you can cancel the action using Escape (Esc).
  5. Consequently, the previously made screenshot can be found on computer’s desktop. You should look for a file in .png format.

How to capture a screenshot of the menu

  1. By tapping on the menu, you can expand its contents.
  2. To alter the cursor into a crosshair, use the Shift+Command+4 set of keys.
  3. You can select the menu by dragging the crosshair.
  4. Next release the mouse/trackpad button. To cancel this action, press Escape (Esc). This should be done before releasing the button of the mouse.
  5. A screen of the selected area can be found on the desktop in the format already known to you – .png.

How a screenshot of the Touch Bar is made

  1. The following tips can be applied if you use a Mac with a Touch Bar panel and OS macOS Sierra 10.12.2.
  2. There is nothing complicated. Simultaneously press three keys – Shift+Command+6.
  3. The screen in the .png format will appear on the desktop of your device.

Pay attention

  • In Mac OS X 10.6 and later versions, screenshots in .png format are stored on the desktop of the computer. These files automatically get the name in the format: Screenshot+date+ time.png.
  • If you wish these files to be stored on the Clipboard, not on your already full of different stuff desktop, you need to add Control to the key set mentioned above: Control+Shift+Command+3.
  • To open the file, use the programs for editing or viewing images, Preview, Safari, and others.

Note: Some applications block the function to take a snapshot of the window.