How to Take a Screenshot on Mac [Complete Guide]

The lack of a Print Screen Key on the MacBook is an annoyance for new Mac users coming from a Windows background. As a result, I have included instructions or easy ways to print a Screen or take a Screenshot on Mac.

Take a Screenshot on Mac

Unlike Windows computers, MacBooks don’t have a dedicated Print Screen Key and will not support the Print Screen Key even if a Windows Keyboard is connected to the Mac.

As a result, the only way to print a screen or take a screenshot on a Mac is to use the Keyboard Shortcuts provided by Apple in its macOS software.

Compared to the Windows Print Screen Function, macOS assigned Keyboard Shortcuts to provide more functionality, enable users to take or capture the whole screen or a specific area of the screen.

For instance, pressing Command + Shift + 3 keys captures the entire screen of Mac in a Screenshot, whereas the Command + Shift + 4 keyboard shortcut captures a selected portion of the screen in a Screenshot.

In addition, if you have dual monitors, pressing Command + Shift + 3 takes a screenshot of both monitors.

1. Take Screenshots of the Entire Screen on Mac

Follow the easy steps below to take a screenshot of your Mac’s entire screen or desktop.

1. On your Mac’s keyboard, press Command + Shift + 3.

Note: If you’re using a Windows keyboard on your Mac Mini, press Windows + Shift + 3 simultaneously.

When you press the above key combination, the entire screen of your Mac will be captured in a Screenshot and saved as a (.PNG) File on the desktop of your MacBook.

2. If necessary, right-click on the saved Screenshot File and Rename the File to something descriptive of the Screenshot’s content.

2. Take a Screenshot of the Selected Areas on Mac

If you are on Twitter or another website, you can use the Command + Shift + 4 keyboard shortcut to capture any Tweet, Photo, or a portion of the article that appears on the website.

1. Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys on your Mac’s keyboard, and the mouse pointer will immediately change to Crosshair mode.

Note: If you’re using a Windows computer on a Mac Mini, press Windows + Shift + 4 simultaneously.

2. Using the mouse or trackpad, choose the portion or area of the screen that you want to capture in the screenshot and let go of the mouse button.

3. When you release the mouse key, you will hear a shutter sound, and the Screenshot is saved as a (.png) file on your MacBook’s desktop.

3. Print Screen to Clipboard on Mac

Once you take a Screenshot on a Mac, it is also saved to the Clipboard. It enables you to paste the screenshot into Microsoft Word, Excel, and other applications.

1. On your Mac’s keyboard, press Command + Control + Shift + 3 together.

Note: If you use a Mac with a Windows keyboard, press Windows + Control + Shift + 3 keys.

2. Your Mac’s entire screen or desktop will be saved to the Clipboard, and you can use the Command + V shortcut to paste the Screenshot into any App.

4. Save Print Screen of Selected Portion to Clipboard on Mac

Similarly, once you take a screenshot of a specific portion or area of the screen, it is saved to the Clipboard & can be pasted into any Document, Spreadsheet, or App.

1. On your MacBook’s keyboard, press Command + Control + Shift + 4 to switch the mouse to Crosshair mode.

Note: If you’re using a Windows keyboard on your Mac Mini, press Windows + Control + Shift + 4 simultaneously.

2. Using the Mouse or Trackpad, choose the screen area you need to capture in the screenshot & release the mouse key.

You’ll immediately hear the Screenshot sound, and the screenshot will be saved to your Mac’s clipboard.

Further, to paste the screenshot into any app or anywhere on your Mac, use the Command + V keyboard shortcut.