Problem / Outcome Summary
- How to screenshot on Mac OS X (Whole screen)
- How to screenshot on Mac OS X (Section of the screen)
- How to screenshot on Mac OS X (Single window)
- Explain where a screenshot goes on Mac OS X?
- Please see the ‘Summary Overview’ tab below for a high level view of the objectives this ‘how to’ will achieve.
Why might I want to do this?
- Because you want to send someone a picture of what you see on your screen for technical support
- Because you want to send a picture of your screen somewhere else such as social media
Foreword
Be careful
When taking a screenshot, always be careful to read everything on the screen before and after. There are plenty of embarrassing examples where people have accidentally uploaded information to the internet that had accidental information in the background. Remember, once something is on the internet, it can never truly be deleted.
Pre-requisites
Skill Level – Basic
This ‘howto’ article is super easy!
Software Dependencies
Mac OS X
Tools Required
None
Hardware Dependencies
The computer your copy of Mac OS X runs on only
Other Dependencies
None
Summary Overview
High Level Summary Steps
The below lists the high level summary of steps we’re about to take during this howto.
- Explain three different types of screenshots in Mac OS X
- Explain where these screenshots are saved and how to find them
Implementation
How to screenshot on Mac OS X
Type 1: Full Screen Screenshot on Mac OS X
- Hold down Command and Shift, then press the ‘3’ key
- You will hear a sound like a picture being taken
- Open Finder (the Square smiley face at the bottom left of your computer)
- Navigate and click on the item on the left called ‘Desktop’
- The screenshot will probably be at the top and will be named ‘Screen Shot (date and time)
- If it’s not there, try clicking on the ‘Date Modified’ column heading to order by date, it should then show up
Type 2: Selection Screenshot on Mac OS X
- Hold down Command and Shift, then press the ‘4’ key
- Your mouse icon will change to a cross hair icon (click esc if you want to cancel)
- Move the mouse to where you want to being selecting the area to take a screen shot from
- Click the mouse button and drag the mouse until the area you wish to screenshot is selected
- Let go of the mouse button
- You will hear a sound like a picture being taken
- Open Finder (the Square smiley face at the bottom left of your computer)
- Navigate and click on the item on the left called ‘Desktop’
- The screenshot will probably be at the top and will be named ‘Screen Shot (date and time)
- If it’s not there, try clicking on the ‘Date Modified’ column heading to order by date, it should then show up
Type 3: Single Window Screenshot on Mac OS X
- Hold down Command and Shift, then press the ‘4’ key
- Your mouse icon will change to a cross hair icon
- Press the space bar, the cross hair icon now changes to a camera icon
- Move the mouse over the window that you wish to take a screenshot of
- Click the mouse button (or press esc to cancel)
- You will hear a sound like a picture being taken
- Open Finder (the Square smiley face at the bottom left of your computer)
- Navigate and click on the item on the left called ‘Desktop’
- The screenshot will probably be at the top and will be named ‘Screen Shot (date and time)
- If it’s not there, try clicking on the ‘Date Modified’ column heading to order by date, it should then show up
Other Notes
To save the screenshot to the clipboard memory (instead of a file) for pasting into a document or similar, simply hold down the control key as well as the Command and shift keys.
Final Word
Taking a screenshot on Mac OS X is remarkably simple and yet extremely powerful when you know how. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or in our Tech-KnowHow forums.
Marshalleq
