How to Screenshot on Mac: Keyboard Shortcuts
While taking a screenshot on Mac is actually simple, it can come off as complicated for new macOS users. That is why I have come up with this table to easily explain how to take different types of screenshots. This table sums up all the shortcuts to take screen captures on MacBook and Mac desktops, but if you need more detailed instructions, then you can take a look at the step-by-step guides below.
Method 1: Take a Full-Screen Screenshot on Mac
To capture a high-resolution screenshot of your entire Mac screen, you can use this default keyboard shortcut. For the best effect, I recommend that you hide desktop icons on Mac while taking a full-screen screenshot.
Method 2: Grab a Partial Screenshot on Mac
If you want a cropped screenshot on Mac of a specific portion of the screen, you can use this keyboard shortcut instead.
Method 3: Capture a Screenshot of a Window/Menu
While you can capture a window using the method discussed earlier, there’s another Mac screenshot shortcut to capture a particular window or menu. This is how it works:
Method 4: Use macOS Screen Capture Tool
Till now, I have detailed all common Mac screenshot shortcuts, including how to capture full-screen screenshots, capture a portion of a screen, and take screenshots of a window. While you can use all the above-discussed methods separately to capture different screenshots, Mac also offers a full-fledged screen-capturing tool to take screenshots from a single dashboard. Here’s how this works:
Method 5: Take a Screenshot of MacBook Pro Touchbar
Did you know that macOS also lets you take a screenshot of the MacBook Pro touchbar? Yes, and not many Mac users know about this secret trick. Here’s how you can do it:
How to Change Save Location of Screenshots on Mac
By default, all the screenshots you take on your MacBook or Mac are saved on your desktop, whether it is a full-screen or a partial screenshot. If you want to change this default location, follow the methods discussed below:
Method 1: Using Screen Capture Tool
The easiest way to change the default save location of screenshots on your Mac is through the Screen Capture tool. It gives you the option to pick the folder where you want your screen captures to be saved. Let me show you how it works:
Method 2: Using Terminal To Change Save Location
If you wish to change the default save location of screenshots on Mac permanently, you can do it using Terminal. Here’s what you need to do:
How to Change Default Screenshot File Format in macOS?
Many new macOS users don’t know that by default, all screenshots on Mac are saved in the PNG format. The PNG format preserves a lot of details, but they are fairly large in size. However, if you want to change the default screenshot format in macOS to JPG, which is more universally used, then there are 2 ways to do so.
Change macOS Screenshot Format Using Preview
You can use the Preview app to take a screenshot on your MacBook or Mac computer and change the file format thereafter. Here’s how to do it:
Default All Mac Screenshots to JPG with Terminal
With the Preview method, you will have to change the default screenshot format every time you take one on your Mac. But if you want to completely change the file format from PNG to JPEG, then use this Terminal method. This is how it works: You can even use this option to create GIF on Mac by changing the format and saving files in the .gif format.
Screenshot Not Saving on MacBook? Try These Fixes
I have known many people who sometimes run into an issue where any screenshots taken on a MacBook are not saved. This can also happen to those with a Mac desktop. So if you are running into this problem, here are some troubleshooting fixes to help you out.
Check if you are using the correct keyboard shortcuts to take a screenshot on Mac. Full storage can also prevent Mac from saving screenshots. Check if you have enough space. You can also clear cache of your MacBook, which can help make some space and fix the issue. Change save location by using Shift + Cmd + 5 > Options > select Desktop folder. Disable the Preview app as it can prevent screenshots from saving automatically. Restart your MacBook, as there could be a bug interfering with screenshots. Relaunch Finder by clicking on the Apple icon > Force Quit > select Finder > Relaunch. If you use Dropbox, then change its settings by going to Dropbox > Preferences > Import and untick the option for “Share screenshots using Dropbox”.
This brings us to the end of this little crash course. As someone who also switched from Windows to Mac, I understand that it can be frustrating at first to learn how to take screenshots on a MacBook, which is why I have detailed all the things that you need to know in this guide. But if I left something out, then let me know in the comments below. Name Email ID
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