How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac – Part of the Screen. The easiest way to take a screenshot, in my opinion, is to use a simple keyboard shortcut: Command+Shift+4. The shortcut gives you the option to select a portion of the screen or to screenshot the whole screen. When using MacOS you can easily capture a screenshot on your Mac using the built-in keyboard shortcuts. Using keyboard shortcuts will help you to improve your productivity by completing a task more quickly. In this guide, we will show you how to screenshot the entire screen, just a portion of the screen or the entire window using keyboard.
- Part 1: 3 Common Ways to Screenshot on a MacBook
- Part 2: Best Way to Screenshot Macbook with FoneLab Screen Recorder
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To grab various information from your computer quickly, you can take a screenshot or save it as a document. Well, the first choice saves more time. You can keep images and texts from webpages or streaming videos on your Mac freely. Sadly, many people ask the question like 'Why can't I take a screenshot on my MacBook'.
The truth is that you do not find the correct MacBook screenshot methods. But do not worry about that. From this article, you can learn how to take a screenshot on a MacBook Pro and other models with shortcuts or programs for free. All Mac products and operating systems are supported.
Guide List
1. 3 Common Ways to Screenshot on a MacBook
All portable computers can be called laptop. To be more specific, a laptop is a computer with all parts integrated. You can see many laptop brands, like IBM, Lenovo, HP, Acer, Dell, etc. Well, the main difference between a desktop and a laptop is that you can take a laptop wherever you want. To some degree, it is kind of similar to the battle between a landline and a cellphone.
As for a MacBook, it is a brand of laptops developed by Apple. MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops are best-selling Macintoshes. Well, you can see MacBook Retina and MacBook Core series in the MacBook family too. In a word, MacBook is a branch of laptop.
If you want to keep the moment of a live streaming video forever, you can take a screenshot on a Mac to catch it. Many people screenshot movies, films, TV shows and other online and offline videos to save the most attractive moment. As for gamers, recording and sharing the best achievement in a gameplay is quite common. Moreover, you can also take screenshots on webpages to save something important without taking notes. Generally speaking, you can keep everything appearing on your MacBook as offline references.
If your previous computer is a Windows PC, then you may wonder how to screenshot on a MacBook. Different from screenshot on a Windows, you can get 2 representative MacBook screenshot solutions. Just read and learn.
At present, the latest version of the Mac operating system is macOS Majave. If you have upgraded your MacBook to macOS Mojave, you can get not only the traditional MacBook screenshot keys but also the macOS Majave screenshot shortcuts.
Method 1. Use MacBook Screenshot Shortcuts
Step 1Capture the whole screen
For macOS Mojave: Press Shift, Command and 5 keys on your keyboard. Later, choose the first thumbnail to take a screenshot on MacBook.
For other macOS versions: Hold and press Shift, Command and 3 keys to save the screenshot on desktop.
Step 2Capture a window
For macOS Mojave: Press Shift, Command and 5 keys on your keyboard. Then choose the second icon and select the window you want to capture.
For other macOS versions: Hold and press Shift, Command and 4 keys. Later, press the Space bar on your keyboard. When the pointer changes to a camera, you can set the window.
Step 3Capture the selected portion
For macOS Mojave: Press Shift, Command and 5 keys on your keyboard. Choose the third icon and draw on the MacBook's screen.
For other macOS versions: Hold and press Shift, Command and 4 keys. Use the left-click mouse trackpad to take a MacBook screenshot.
Step 4Capture a menu
For macOS Mojave: Extend the menu to get its contents. Press Shift, Command and 5 keys on your keyboard. Use any icon on the floating toolbar to screenshot a MacBook menu.
For other macOS versions: Reveal the contents of the menu first. Hold and press Shift, Command and 4 keys. You can use the trackpad button or mouse to capture the menu. In addition, you can press Space bar to achieve the MacBook screenshot.
Note:
- So where do screenshots go on Mac? Well, you can find MacBook screenshots on Mac's desktop screen. The default screenshot format is PNG.
- If you want to save the Mac screenshot to clipboard, you can add the Control key to above Mac screenshot key combinations. Later, you can paste the screenshot on your Mac freely.
Method 2. Run Grab to Screenshot on A MacBook
Grab is the pre-installed program on all MacBook notebook computers. If you encounter the screenshot on Mac not working problem, you can take screenshots with Grab for free too. What's more, you can also take a screenshot on a MacBook Air or Pro with Preview.
Step 1Find the Utilities folder and access the Grab tool.
Step 2Choose the Capture option on the top menu bar.
Step 3Select Selection, Window, Screen and Timed Screen based on your need.
Note:
- There is no such a user interface of Grab. Once you open Grab, you can see the Grab icon in the dock.
- You can take a screenshot on a MacBook after the 10-second delay by using the Timed Screen feature.
Method 3. Use Preview to Screenshot on A MacBook
Step 1You can double-click a PDF or image file to open Preview.
Step 2Click File > Take Screenshot and choose From Selection, From Window or From Entire Screen on Mac.
2. Best Way to Screenshot Macbook with FoneLab Screen Recorder
Though you can take a screenshot on your MacBook with default shortcuts or programs. You cannot capture the screen area you need accurately. Fortunately, you can achieve this goal by using Mac FoneLab Screen Recorder. Well, it is also supported to use MacBook screenshot shortcuts too.
Read about how to screenshot Facetime.
- Set the width and length accurately to take screenshots on Mac.
- Drag and drop the screen area around the mouse or trackpad.
- Set hotkeys to take screenshots and start/stop recording instantly.
- Access all your MacBook screenshots for sharing and editing.
FoneLab Screen Recorder allows you to capture video, audio, online tutorial, etc on Windows/Mac, and you can easily customize size, edit the video or audio, and more.
- Record video, audio, webcam and take screenshots on Windows/Mac.
- Preview data before saving.
- It is safe and easy to use.
Step 1Launch the MacBook screenshot software.
Step 2Disable Microphone and Webcam options in the main interface.
What is the best free video converter software. Step 3Adjust the screenshot hotkey, destination folder and other preferences in the More Settings. (optional)
Step 4Set the screen area you want to capture manually.
Step 5Click the Camera icon to take a screenshot on a MacBook Air or Pro.
Step 6Go the Media Manager to find your screenshots.
Thus, you can get more choices while taking screenshots with FoneLab. In addition, you can have a good time for video and audio recording too. If you have any other question about how to take a screenshot on a MacBook, just feel free to contact us.
FoneLab Screen RecorderFoneLab Screen Recorder allows you to capture video, audio, online tutorial, etc on Windows/Mac, and you can easily customize size, edit the video or audio, and more.
- Record video, audio, webcam and take screenshots on Windows/Mac.
- Preview data before saving.
- It is safe and easy to use.
- Record Online Meetings – How to Record Audios, Videos and Webcam Screens
- Can Join.me Record a Conference Call on Your PC and Mac? – Here is the Answer You Should Know
- How to Record a Google Hangouts Meeting with Video and Audio
There is no Print Screen Key on MacBook, which comes up as an annoying surprise to New Mac users coming from Windows background. Hence, we are providing below the steps to Print Screen or Take Screenshot on Mac.
Print Screen or Take Screenshot on Mac
Unlike Windows computers, MacBooks do not have a dedicated Print Screen Key and won't support the Print Screen Key, when a Windows Keyboard is attached to Mac Mini.
Hence, the only way to Print Screen or Take Screenshots on Mac is by using Keyboard Shortcuts that have been assigned on your Mac.
Macbook pro a1211 mountain lion. Compared to the Print Screen Function in Windows, macOS assigned Keyboard Shortcuts for Print Screen offer more functionality.
For example, pressing Command + Shift + 3 Keys captures the entire screen of Mac in a Screenshot, while Command + Shift + 4 keyboard shortcut can be used to take Screenshot of a selected portion of the screen.
Also, if you are using dual monitors, pressing Command + Shift + 3 keys takes Screenshot of both the monitors.
1. Take Screenshot of Entire Screen on Mac
Follow the steps below to take a Screenshot of the entire screen or the entire desktop of your Mac.
1. Press Command + Shift + 3 keys on the keyboard of your Mac.
Note: If you are using a Windows keyboard on Mac Mini, press Windows + Shift + 3 keys.
- So where do screenshots go on Mac? Well, you can find MacBook screenshots on Mac's desktop screen. The default screenshot format is PNG.
- If you want to save the Mac screenshot to clipboard, you can add the Control key to above Mac screenshot key combinations. Later, you can paste the screenshot on your Mac freely.
Method 2. Run Grab to Screenshot on A MacBook
Grab is the pre-installed program on all MacBook notebook computers. If you encounter the screenshot on Mac not working problem, you can take screenshots with Grab for free too. What's more, you can also take a screenshot on a MacBook Air or Pro with Preview.
Step 1Find the Utilities folder and access the Grab tool.
Step 2Choose the Capture option on the top menu bar.
Step 3Select Selection, Window, Screen and Timed Screen based on your need.
Note:
- There is no such a user interface of Grab. Once you open Grab, you can see the Grab icon in the dock.
- You can take a screenshot on a MacBook after the 10-second delay by using the Timed Screen feature.
Method 3. Use Preview to Screenshot on A MacBook
Step 1You can double-click a PDF or image file to open Preview.
Step 2Click File > Take Screenshot and choose From Selection, From Window or From Entire Screen on Mac.
2. Best Way to Screenshot Macbook with FoneLab Screen Recorder
Though you can take a screenshot on your MacBook with default shortcuts or programs. You cannot capture the screen area you need accurately. Fortunately, you can achieve this goal by using Mac FoneLab Screen Recorder. Well, it is also supported to use MacBook screenshot shortcuts too.
Read about how to screenshot Facetime.
- Set the width and length accurately to take screenshots on Mac.
- Drag and drop the screen area around the mouse or trackpad.
- Set hotkeys to take screenshots and start/stop recording instantly.
- Access all your MacBook screenshots for sharing and editing.
FoneLab Screen Recorder allows you to capture video, audio, online tutorial, etc on Windows/Mac, and you can easily customize size, edit the video or audio, and more.
- Record video, audio, webcam and take screenshots on Windows/Mac.
- Preview data before saving.
- It is safe and easy to use.
Step 1Launch the MacBook screenshot software.
Step 2Disable Microphone and Webcam options in the main interface.
What is the best free video converter software. Step 3Adjust the screenshot hotkey, destination folder and other preferences in the More Settings. (optional)
Step 4Set the screen area you want to capture manually.
Step 5Click the Camera icon to take a screenshot on a MacBook Air or Pro.
Step 6Go the Media Manager to find your screenshots.
Thus, you can get more choices while taking screenshots with FoneLab. In addition, you can have a good time for video and audio recording too. If you have any other question about how to take a screenshot on a MacBook, just feel free to contact us.
FoneLab Screen RecorderFoneLab Screen Recorder allows you to capture video, audio, online tutorial, etc on Windows/Mac, and you can easily customize size, edit the video or audio, and more.
- Record video, audio, webcam and take screenshots on Windows/Mac.
- Preview data before saving.
- It is safe and easy to use.
- Record Online Meetings – How to Record Audios, Videos and Webcam Screens
- Can Join.me Record a Conference Call on Your PC and Mac? – Here is the Answer You Should Know
- How to Record a Google Hangouts Meeting with Video and Audio
There is no Print Screen Key on MacBook, which comes up as an annoying surprise to New Mac users coming from Windows background. Hence, we are providing below the steps to Print Screen or Take Screenshot on Mac.
Print Screen or Take Screenshot on Mac
Unlike Windows computers, MacBooks do not have a dedicated Print Screen Key and won't support the Print Screen Key, when a Windows Keyboard is attached to Mac Mini.
Hence, the only way to Print Screen or Take Screenshots on Mac is by using Keyboard Shortcuts that have been assigned on your Mac.
Macbook pro a1211 mountain lion. Compared to the Print Screen Function in Windows, macOS assigned Keyboard Shortcuts for Print Screen offer more functionality.
For example, pressing Command + Shift + 3 Keys captures the entire screen of Mac in a Screenshot, while Command + Shift + 4 keyboard shortcut can be used to take Screenshot of a selected portion of the screen.
Also, if you are using dual monitors, pressing Command + Shift + 3 keys takes Screenshot of both the monitors.
1. Take Screenshot of Entire Screen on Mac
Follow the steps below to take a Screenshot of the entire screen or the entire desktop of your Mac.
1. Press Command + Shift + 3 keys on the keyboard of your Mac.
Note: If you are using a Windows keyboard on Mac Mini, press Windows + Shift + 3 keys.
Once you press above key combination, the entire screen of your Mac will be captured in a Screenshot and the Screenshot will be saved as a (.PNG) File on the desktop of your MacBook.
2. If required, you can right-click on the saved Screenshot File and Rename the File to something that describes the content of the Screenshot.
Keyboard Shortcut Mac
2. Take Screenshot of Selected Area on Mac
If you are on Twitter or any other website, you can capture any Tweet, Photo or a portion of the article appearing on the website by using Command + Shift + 4 keyboard shortcut.
1. Press Command + Shift + 4 keys on the keyboard of your Mac and you will immediately see the mouse pointer changing in to Crosshair mode.
Note: If you are using Windows computer on Mac Mini, press Windows + Shift + 4 keys.
2. Using Mouse or Trackpad, select the portion or Area on the screen that you want to capture in the Screenshot and release the mouse key (See image below).
3. Once you release the Mouse key, you will hear the shutter sound and the Screenshot will be saved as (.png) file on the desktop of your MacBook.
3. Print Screen to Clipboard on Mac
When you take a Screenshot on Mac, the Screenshot is also saved to the Clipboard. This allows you to paste the Screenshot into Microsoft Word, Excel and other Apps.
1. Press Command + Control + Shift + 3 keys on the keyboard of your Mac.
Note: If you are using Windows keyboard on Mac, press Windows + Control + Shift + 3 keys.
2. The entire screen or the Desktop of your Mac will be saved to Clipboard and you can use Command+ V shortcut to paste the Screenshot into any App.
4. Save Print Screen of Selected Portion to Clipboard on Mac
Similarly, when you take a Screenshot of a specific portion or Area of the screen, the Screenshot is also saved to the Clipboard and can be pasted into any Document, Spreadsheet or any App.
Macbook Keyboard Shortcut Screenshot Shortcuts
1. Press Command + Control + Shift + 4 keys on the keyboard of your MacBook and you will see the mouse turning into Crosshair mode.
Note: If you are using Windows keyboard on Mac Mini, press Windows + Control + Shift + 4 keys.
2. Using the Mouse or Trackpad, select the specific portion of the screen that you want to capture in the screenshot and release the mouse key.
You will immediately hear the Screenshot sound and the screen shot will be saved to the clipboard on your Mac.
You can use Command + V keyboard shortcut to paste the screenshot into any App or anywhere on your Mac.
