Jan 27

How To Take A Screenshot In OS X

Apple, Geek Stuff, Grab, How To, Mac, OS X Add comments

I just stumbled upon a couple of awesome Mac shortcuts that make it extremely easy to take a screenshot.

Without further a due, here they are:

  • Command-Shift-4: presents a crosshair cursor so that you can take a screenshot of the selected area (saved to Desktop as a png file).
  • Command-Shift-3: Takes a screenshot of the entire desktop (saved to Desktop as a png file).

Screenshot OSX

There are also two variations on the previous commands. Both of these commands capture the same area however, instead of saving an image to the desktop, these commands will save the screenshot to the clipboard so that you can then paste it into another app.

  • Control-Command-Shift-3
  • Control-Command-Shift-4

Pretty cool hunh? Hat Tip: Apple Pro Tips.

Update: I just read over at MacDevCenter.com that OS X also ships with a utility known as Grab which allows you to take even more advanced screenshots. I’ll give it a try and let you know how it works.

OS X Grab

5 Responses to “How To Take A Screenshot In OS X”

  1. Loweded Wookie Says:
    February 20th, 2007 at 7:04 pm

    Shift Apple 4 has another feature. Press the spacebar and the crosshair’s become a camera. This feature is equivalent to Alt PrtSc to take a snapshot of the currently selected window.

  2. Loweded Wookie Says:
    February 20th, 2007 at 7:06 pm

    Actually just to let you know, Control does nothing for these key cuts. They are actually:

    Shift Apple 3 = Fullscreen capture
    Shift Apple 4 = Selection capture
    Shift Apple 4 then Spacebar = Window capture

  3. Alex Says:
    February 20th, 2007 at 8:39 pm

    Actually just to let you know, Control does nothing for these key cuts. They are actually:

    When you hold down Control it copies the screenshot to the clipboard try it out….

    Thanks for the tip about the spacebar. I didn’t know that.

  4. Loweded Wookie Says:
    February 21st, 2007 at 5:26 am

    Woah, didn’t know that. I usually just create the files and import those.

    That’s what’s so great about the Mac community. Outsiders don’t understand that the whole deal with Macs go beyond the mundane hardware and software but everyone is out to help each other.

    They don’t call it the Mac COMMUNITY for nothing you know.

    I hardly ever hear the term Windows Community. You usually just hear them as Windows Users or PC Users or in my line of work Windows Losers although we just mainly call them DFU.

    The fact a newbie to the Mac offered someone who’s been with Macs for a long time information that he never knew… try getting that from a Windows person. :)

  5. Alex Says:
    February 21st, 2007 at 2:48 pm

    The fact a newbie to the Mac offered someone who’s been with Macs for a long time information that he never knew… try getting that from a Windows person

    I’m glad I could help ;) . Now why don’t you help me with this question :) .

    http://www.alexraiano.com/2007/02/19/mac-os-x-annoyances-how-come-i-cant-open-a-file-if-more-files-are-being-copied/

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