How to Print Screen on a Mac? Beginner’s Guide

Taking a screenshot of your Mac comes handy when you are not able to save something and still want a record of the screen. For example, a group chats with your colleagues or a web page that is most likely to be deleted in near future. Windows users can easily take a print screen by using a single Prntscn key on Keyboard, but Mac users have to rely on some keyboard shortcuts. Here is how you can print screen on a Mac.

This beginner’s guide is about capturing a screenshot on a MacBook Pro/Air. Some experts may find it overly simple; but for new Mac users, they might like to read the detailed guide on taking a screenshot on Mac.

How to Print Screen on a Mac

How to Print Screen on a Mac

Note that the methods will remain the same even if you are using iMac or a MacBook. You can capture the entire screen or just a portion of your Mac screen by following two different ways. Other than these two, your Mac print screening also includes capturing the screen of window, menu, and Touch Bar.

How to Take a Screenshot of Entire Web page on a Mac

Step #1: Press Shift + Command + 3

How to Take a Screenshot of Entire Web page on a Mac

Step #2: You will see that the screenshot is saved as a .png file on your Mac desktop.

How to Capture Screenshot of a Selected Area of Screen on Mac

You can capture a selected area for screen print on Mac.

Step #1: Press Shift + Command + 4 and the mouse pointer will turn to a crosshair.

How to Capture Screenshot of a Selected Area of Screen on Mac

Step #2: Take this crosshair to a place from where you want to start capturing the screen, and next, drag to select a particular area.

You can change the way area selection moves by holding Shift, Option, or Spacebar while dragging.

Step #3: Once the area selection is done, release the mouse or trackpad. You can cancel this screen print process by hitting the Esc (Escape) key before releasing the button.

Finally, you can see this screenshot saved as a .png file on your Mac.

How to Take Print Screen of a Window on Mac

Step #1: Hit Shift Command + 4 and you will see that mouse pointer turns to a crosshair.

How to Capture Screenshot of a Selected Area of Screen on Mac

Step #2: Next, you need to press spacebar; this will change the pointer to a camera.

Step #3: Now, hove that camera over a window to highlight it.

Step #4: Then click your mouse or trackpad.

In case you want to cancel, simply press the Esc key before you click.

In the end, check the screenshot saved as a .png file on Mac’s desktop.

Note that the method is compatible with windows in Finder and most other apps.

Step #1: Click on the menu to disclose its contents.

Step #2: Next, hit Shift + Command + 4; this will change points into a crosshair.

Sep #3: Now drag to select the menu.

Step #4: Then release the mouse or trackpad button.

You can cancel this by pressing Escape key before releasing the button.

Go to the desktop and you will find your screenshot saved as a .png file.

Above method will only capture the contents of a menu and not its title. Want to capture the title?

Step #1: Click on the menu to disclose its contents.

Step #2: Then hit Shift + Command +4 to turn the pointer into a crosshair.

Step #3: Now press the Spacebar and your pointer will change into a camera.

Step #4: Hover the camera over the menu to highlight it.

Step #5: Next, click the mouse or trackpad.

If you wish to cancel, press the Escape key before you click.

Go and check the screenshot saved as a .png file on your Mac’s desktop.

How to Capture Screen of the Touch Bar

If your Mac is running macOS Sierra 10.12.2 or later and it has a Touch Bar, you can take a screenshot of the Touch Bar also.

Press Shift + Command + 6.

That’s it! The screenshot is saved on your desktop as a .png file.

Alternatively, you can customize your Touch Bar on MacBook Pro to include a screenshot button. Next, you can tap the Screenshot button to check options for the type of screenshot and where to save it.

Related info…

By default, every screenshot is saved as a .png file on your desktop in Mac OS X v10.6 and later. They are named “Screen Shot date at time.png”.

You can change the location of a screenshot to the Clipboard instead of the desktop; for this, simply add Control to the Shift-Command key combination. For example, press Control+ Shift + Command+ 4 instead of Shift + Command + 4.

You can open screenshots with Preview, Safari, and other apps that allow you to edit or view images.

Note: You may not take screenshots of the windows on apps like DVD Player.

That’s all friends!

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