How-to: Screen Capture on a Mac (Print Screen / Screenshot) Basic Keystroke + Advanced Commands

Command-shift-3 is the basic keyboard shortcut to screen capture on a Mac, but Griffin also shows how to use keystrokes to copy and paste the screen, set a selected area for a screenshot, and to screengrab one window.

The screen capture command is also known as screencap, screenshot, screengrab or print screen.

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS:

Capture the entire screen; save an image file on desktop: Command-shift-3
Capture the entire screen; copy to the clipboard to paste: Command-control-shift-3
Choose an area to capture; save an image file on desktop: Command-shift-4
Choose an area to capture; copy to the clipboard to paste: Command-control-shift-4
Choose a window to capture; save an image file on desktop: Command-shift-4 (let go) space

You can also hold down space, option, or shift to modify the selection after activating command-shift-4.

If you can't remember keyboard shortcuts, there's a built-in Mac application called Grab, which has several screen capturing options.

Available in high-definition (HD) and with closed captioning (CC).

---

Closed Caption:

So you want to capture your screen on a Mac.
Apple computers don't have a print screen
key, like PCs, but I'll show you the simple
keyboard command for a taking a screenshot.
I'll share some advanced features too.
When you're on the screen you want to capture
an image of, there are three keys to hold
down at the same time: command, shift and
3. An image of your screen will be saved as
a file on your desktop.
Again, that's command-shift-3. But what if
you don't want a file on your desktop—you
just want to copy the image to paste into
another application? Just add the control
key to that same keystroke. So now it's command-control-shift-3.
Now you've copied the screen to your clipboard,
and you can paste it into Photoshop, for example.
Again, that's command-control-shift-3. I'm
taking control of my image, so I can paste
it wherever I want.
Those last two commands capture your entire
screen, but what if you just want a section?
Same modifier keys—command and shift, but
4, instead of 3. Command-shift-4 brings up
a handy selection tool. Click and drag to
select the area you want to capture, and when
you let go, it's saved on your desktop. Likewise,
you can add control: so command-control-shift-4
copies that selection to your clipboard, so
you can paste it somewhere else.
If we have command-shift-3 and command-shift-4,
what's the story with 1 and 2?
Legend warns it is he who keystrokith command-shift-1
be…
Huh, nothing. None of these numbers do anything.
You can also screen capture just one window,
by hitting command-shift-4, let go, then hit
spacebar. This camera cursor lets you click
on a window to capture it.
Also, when using command-shift-4, while dragging
the cursor, hold down space to drag the area
somewhere else, hold down shift to only drag
one edge at a time, or hold down option to
lock the center of the area.
So, let's review! Command-shift-3 for the
whole screen saved to your desktop. Command-shift-4
to select an area, and command-shift-4, then
space to capture a window. Add control to
any of these, to copy your image—take control
of it—and paste it somewhere else.
That's it for today's lesson, but wait, bonus
tip! iPhone. Hold the lock button and the
home button at the same time. Boom. Screenshot.
You're welcome.