Taking a Screenshot on Mac OS X. Screenshot Without Software

In this article in our Mac Tips section, we’ll look at how to take a screenshot on Mac OS X, how to capture a screenshot on Mac OS X, and how to save an image of the whole screen or just a portion of it.

Taking a Screenshot on Mac OS X

When we want to capture an image of part or all of the screen on computers running Mac OS X, like a Macbook Pro or Macbook Air, many of us might think we need to install a program to take a screenshot. That’s because, unlike Windows, Mac OS X doesn’t have a button like a “Screen Snipping Tool” added to its applications menu.

We also don’t see a menu item anywhere that says something like “take a screenshot” or “photograph the screen.” However, this doesn’t mean Mac OS X is a system behind Windows. On the contrary, Windows only recently figured out screenshotting and added a program called the Snipping Tool to the system. Before Windows 7, we had to install third-party software to take screenshots.

How Do You Take a Screenshot on Mac OS X?

It’s possible to capture the screen without using any extra program on Mac OS X. We can capture the whole screen, or just a portion of it. All we need to do is use a couple of keyboard shortcuts.

Capturing the Whole Screen on Mac OS X

To capture the entire screen on devices like a Macbook Pro or Macbook Air, we use the following key combination.

SHIFT + COMMAND + 3

Pressing these three keys at the same time saves a screenshot. The location where the screenshot is saved is set by default by the system: it saves to the Desktop. You can also change where the screenshot is saved. If you’d like macOS to save the screenshot to a folder you choose, instead of the Desktop, follow the link below.

SEE: Changing Where Screenshots Are Saved on Mac OS X

Mac OS X saves screenshots in .png format. To change the save format (for example, to save it as .jpg), check the link below:

Changing the screenshot save format on Mac OS X

Capturing a Portion of the Screen on Mac OS X

To capture an image of just a portion (the part you want) of the screen on a Macbook, use the following key combination:

SHIFT + COMMAND + 4

When you use this shortcut, the mouse cursor turns into a crosshair, letting you select the area you want. This way, you can easily capture a screenshot of just the area you want. Once captured, the screenshot is automatically saved to your Desktop.

Copying a Screenshot to the Clipboard on Mac OS X

Let’s say you want to take a screenshot and send it instantly to a friend via a messaging app, or you want to take a screenshot and paste it into a presentation. In this case, you don’t want the screenshot saved to your computer. You can use the key combination below in this situation.

CTRL + SHIFT + COMMAND + 4

When you use this shortcut, your mouse cursor turns into a crosshair, letting you select the area you want and capture your screenshot. However, once captured, your screenshot isn’t saved to your Desktop; it’s only copied to the computer’s clipboard, ready to be pasted. You can then paste this captured image anywhere you’d like using the Command + V key combination.

Mac OS X’s screenshot shortcuts might seem confusing at first, but you’ll get used to them after a few tries, and after a while you’ll notice they save you tremendous time in your work.