Mac computers have a built-in screen capture tool that saves screenshots and recording files to the desktop. Using keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly take a screenshot and then share or edit it.

The options vary depending on what you select, but typically you can choose to capture the entire screen, a window, or a selection. You can also set a time delay and choose where to save the file.

1. Take a screenshot of the entire screen

You can take a screenshot of the entire screen by pressing and holding Command + Shift + 3. This key combination instantly snaps a picture of your desktop, including any open windows. Your cursor will also change to a camera icon, so you can move it around any window to capture its screenshot.

When you’re finished, the image will save to your desktop as a PNG file. You can click the thumbnail in the corner to edit it (draw, crop, add text) or wait for it to fade away on its own after a few seconds.

If you prefer not to have a thumbnail appear, you can enable the option in the Options menu to turn it off. This will prevent a small preview from appearing in every screenshot you take.

2. Take a screenshot of a specific window

If you’re trying to capture a specific window on your Mac, there are a few different ways that you can do it. One option is to use the command + shift + 4 keyboard shortcut. This will make your cursor change into a camera icon, and you can move the cursor over a window to capture it.

Another option is to use the Finder app. You can find it in the Applications folder, and you can also launch it by using Spotlight Search.

Once you’ve taken a screenshot, it will be saved to your desktop. You can then edit it using a variety of tools, including drawing and text tools, and you can also crop the image to a specific size or shape. You can even add a signature using your trackpad or webcam.

3. Take a screenshot of a selected area

To take a screenshot of a selected area, press Shift + Command + 5. A menu will appear that allows you to choose whether you want to capture the entire screen, a window, or a specific portion. You can also change the timer and select where you want to save your screenshot.

If you press the space bar after dragging to highlight an area but before releasing your mouse or trackpad button, it locks in the shape and size of the selection. This is especially useful if your initial selection is off by a few pixels.

You can customize the keyboard shortcuts that work with mac screenshot app in System Preferences. Simply click the Apple menu, select “System,” and then select “Keyboard Shortcuts.” From here, you can change the settings to make them more customized to your workflow.

4. Take a screenshot of a selected window

You can use the built-in mac screenshot tool to capture a window, specific selection or an entire screen. The default option is to save the captured image to your desktop as a PNG file. If you want to customize how and where your screenshots are saved, then you can choose from several options on the command bar.

Pressing the Command, Shift and number 5 buttons simultaneously brings up the screen-capture window. The cursor changes to a camera icon, which you can move over any application window to highlight it. Once you’ve highlighted the desired window, click the mouse button to capture it. The screen-captured image can then be edited to add text, arrows, shapes and other annotations using the toolbar. You can also rotate, crop and highlight the image.

5. Take a screenshot of a selected area with a selected area with a selected area

The native function for taking screenshots in macOS is straightforward and requires only a few keystrokes. However, many third-party apps offer more advanced features that can make a big difference to your productivity.

For example, some apps let you annotate your screenshots with arrows, shapes, and text. Some also allow you to create high-quality video clips and edit them. Others enable you to add tables and files to screenshots, making them useful for collaboration and documentation.

Choosing the right app depends on your workflow and needs. A good screenshot app should support various capture modes, be lightweight and launch quickly, and offer customizable keyboard shortcuts. Other important features include a variety of annotation tools and blur options for privacy. In addition, it should be able to detect objects in your screenshot and highlight them.