The fastest way to screenshot on a Mac

On a Mac, the quickest way to take a screenshot is to press Shift + Command + 3 to capture your entire screen. The image saves automatically to your desktop as a PNG file with a timestamp in the filename. If you want to capture only part of your screen instead, press Shift + Command + 4, then click and drag to select the area you need.

For a screenshot of a single window—say, one browser tab or an open document—press Shift + Command + 5. This opens the screenshot toolbar at the bottom of your screen, where you can choose to capture the whole screen, a window, or a portion. You can also use this toolbar to record a video of your screen if you need to show movement rather than a still image.

All three keyboard shortcuts work on any Mac running macOS 10.14 or later. The files appear on your desktop within seconds, ready to share or edit.

Key Takeaways

  • Shift + Command + 3 captures your entire screen and saves it to your desktop automatically.
  • Shift + Command + 4 lets you select and capture only the part of the screen you need.
  • Shift + Command + 5 opens a toolbar where you can choose between full screen, window, or portion capture, and also record video.
  • Screenshots save as PNG files with the date and time in the filename, so you can find them easily later.
  • You can change where screenshots save and what format they use through System Preferences, though the desktop is the default location.

Using the Screenshot toolbar for more control

The toolbar that appears when you press Shift + Command + 5 gives you the most options. On the left side are five buttons: capture entire screen, capture selected window, capture selected portion, record entire screen, and record selected portion. Click the button for what you need, then follow the on-screen instructions.

On the right side of the toolbar, you'll see an Options button (the three dots). Click it to choose where the screenshot saves—your desktop, Documents folder, clipboard, Mail, Messages, Notes, or Reminders. You can also set a timer so the screenshot captures after a 5 or 10 second delay, which is useful if you need to set up a menu or hover state before the image is taken.

Once you've taken the screenshot, a thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen for a few seconds. Click the thumbnail to open the screenshot in the markup editor, where you can crop, draw on, or add text before saving.

Changing where screenshots save by default

By default, all screenshots land on your desktop. If you'd rather they go to a specific folder, you can change this through System Preferences. Open System Preferences, go to Dock & Menu Bar, then select Screenshots from the left sidebar.

In the Screenshots panel, you'll see a dropdown menu labeled "Save screenshots to." Click it and choose Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Trash, or Other Location. If you pick Other Location, you can navigate to any folder on your Mac. Once you've chosen, all future screenshots will save there instead of the desktop.

You can also change the file format from PNG to JPEG, TIFF, GIF, or PDF in the same panel. PNG is the default because it preserves quality without making files too large, but JPEG is smaller if you're sending screenshots over email or uploading them frequently.

Copying a screenshot to your clipboard instead of saving it

If you want to paste a screenshot directly into an email, document, or message without saving a file first, hold down the Control key while you take the screenshot. Control + Shift + Command + 3 copies the full screen to your clipboard. Control + Shift + Command + 4 lets you select a portion and copy it. Control + Shift + Command + 5 opens the toolbar with the clipboard option available in the Options menu.

Once the screenshot is in your clipboard, you can paste it anywhere by pressing Command + V. This method is faster if you only need the image once and don't want files cluttering your desktop.

Taking a screenshot of the Touch Bar

If your Mac has a Touch Bar (the row of buttons at the top of the keyboard), you can capture it separately. Press Shift + Command + 6 to take a screenshot of just the Touch Bar. This is useful if you're writing instructions or documenting a feature that only appears there.

The Touch Bar screenshot saves to your desktop like any other screenshot, with the same timestamp naming convention. You can also use the Shift + Command + 5 toolbar and select the window capture option, then click on the Touch Bar to capture it as a window.

Using the Markup tools to edit screenshots

After you take a screenshot with Shift + Command + 5, a thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen. Click it to open the Markup editor, where you can draw, add text, magnify areas, or add shapes before saving.

The toolbar at the bottom of the Markup window has a pen tool for drawing, a text tool for adding words, a magnifier for zooming into detail, and shape tools for boxes and arrows. You can change the color and thickness of lines, and adjust the size of text. Once you're done editing, click Done to save the changes to the original file, or click the dropdown arrow next to Done to save as a new file instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do screenshots save if I don't change the settings?

Screenshots save to your desktop by default as PNG files. The filename includes the date and time, so "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM.png" tells you exactly when it was taken. You can move them to a folder later, or change the default save location through System Preferences.

Can I take a screenshot of just one window without the background?

Yes. Press Shift + Command + 5 to open the toolbar, then click the "Capture selected window" button (the second one from the left). Click on the window you want to capture, and it will be saved without the desktop background behind it.

How do I screenshot something that requires a menu to be open?

Use the timer option in the Shift + Command + 5 toolbar. Click Options, then select a 5 or 10 second delay. This gives you time to open the menu before the screenshot is taken. The countdown appears on your screen so you know when the capture will happen.

What's the difference between PNG and JPEG for screenshots?

PNG preserves sharp text and colors without losing quality, and is the default format. JPEG makes smaller files, which is useful if you're sending many screenshots by email. For screenshots of text or documents, PNG is usually better. For photos or complex images, JPEG saves space without much visible difference.

Can I undo a screenshot after I take it?

You can delete the file from your desktop or trash the thumbnail that appears in the corner. If you've already edited it in Markup and saved, you can undo edits by opening the file again and using Command + Z, but the original screenshot file itself cannot be undone once saved.