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How to Make Screenshots on Mac

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If you have been using Windows for some time, you’re probably much used to the Print Screen button on your keyboard. Switching to Mac is an excellent idea, but when you make the change, you’ll probably struggle with this particular feature. 

Why?

Because taking a screenshot on Mac is nothing like taking one on Windows. The process is definitely not hard, but you do have to press a couple of keys to achieve this. This is one of the less intuitive features of Apple’s Mac, but once you learn how to screenshot on mac, it will come naturally when you need to do it. 

How to Screenshot on Mac

MacOS 10.15 Catalina changed a lot about Mac, but taking a screenshot on mac still remains one of the most searched questions in search engines. Not everyone uses the latest available version of macOS, so they need some guidance on how to make a mac screenshot. Here is a short list of tricks on how to achieve this. 

Mac Screenshot for Older Versions

If you cannot or don’t want to upgrade to the Catalina version, the method of making a screenshot on Mac is slightly different. In this case, you need to know of two commands: + Shift + 3 and + Shift + 4. 

+ Shift + 3 is a simple command that allows you to capture the screen all at once. If you use more than one screen, it will take a shot of all of them that you’re using at the moment. 

+ Shift + 4 is more specific. You should use this command to capture an area of your screen, something that’s exclusive to the Mac versions. If you follow this up with a press of the Space button, you can pick the window you want to screencap. 

Still, most users today choose to download the popular OS Catalina for the numerous upgraded features it offers, including the Mac screenshot feature. 

Mac Screenshot for Catalina Users

Users who have chosen the Catalina upgrade now have a simpler option for taking a screenshot on Mac. With the function + Shift + 5, you can perform several functions, including:

  • Record or capture the entire screen
  • Record or capture a selected portion
  • Capture selected Window

You can pick one of five options at the right-hand side of a menu that pops when you use the aforementioned function. In addition, there’s an Options tab that will allow you to mark where you want to save your screenshot or video output. 

How to Take a Screenshot on Mac from Third-Party apps

Even though the new version included a simplified way to take screenshots via the capturing menu, the options still remain basic. If you want a more advanced, more versatile solution, you can always use third-party apps. 

A single search on Google for how to take a screenshot on Mac will probably turn up with dozens of solutions for apps and programs that will help you do this. One of the most popular results on how to screenshot on Mac will be CleanShot X, a toolkit that allows for over 50 different screen capturing changes. 

If you choose this option when you search for how to take a screenshot on Mac, you can choose to disable the desktop notifications, hide your desktop clutter, and edit the screenshot you made. You can blur some parts of it, add annotations and notes, and make various virtual customizations available only through this app. This app includes other features such as screenshot pinning, internal cloud, self-timer, and delay screenshots. 

Another great solution to your question: how to take a screenshot on Mac, is Capto. This tool allows you to record videos, edit video captures, annotate them, and use a variety of different futures on the iMovie interface. 

Both these are simple applications that will help you capture various screenshots with or without captions. They have built-in organizer features that allow you to track your past screenshots at all times. 

Organizational Tips for Your Screenshots

Now that we’ve established how to screenshot on Mac, let’s take a peek at how you can organize all of your screenshots. 

Your shots go to the Desktop or Downloads folder on your command. But, if you take too many of these too often, they’ll probably get clogged up and you’ll find it hard to organize your images/ screenshot videos. 

The default screenshot shortcut is cluttered, but there is a way to keep your shots in check. Since macOS constantly abbreviates filenames, it’s wise to use apps and tools to make this more organized and easier to get around. 

The first solution is to use Finder with Preview and view all of the caps. But, this is not so visually appealing. There are some apps that are extremely popular with users, one of which is definitely the Inboard app. 

Think of Inboard as a Pinterest alternative, but for your desktop. You can use this one to filter and tag the caps you have for future use and better organization. Inboard will simplify the organizational process and help you create a savvy design that connects to your Dribble account. You can import all the likes to use at a later date. 

Sharing Tips

So far, you have learned how to take a screenshot and keep your caps organized. But, what if you need to share them with other people?

Well, on Mac, this is not an easy thing to do unless you know how to do it. Yes, you can always upload them to a Google Drive or email them one by one. But, if you want to be faster and more efficient, you can opt for a solution such as Dropshare. All it takes is dropping these into an area you want and they’ll be shared immediately.

Dropshare can be linked to many cloud apps. Or, you can use their Dropshare Cloud to keep your screenshot sharing separate from other similar activities across apps. 

Taking Screenshots on Mac in the Future

Apple has certainly noticed the frequency of searches in terms of how to take screenshots on their Mac products, so they are attempting to make some changes to improve this process regularly. Right now, taking a shot of the screen on Mac is not particularly hard. Thanks to the video capture menu in Catalina and the simple MacBook screenshot option, this has become easier than before. 

In addition to these changes, we can look forward to new changes and tweaks in Mac’s screenshot feature in the near future. The Mac market features many options for snipping tools that facilitates this process and offers various features separate to the original, Mac-based screenshot options. 

The best part about third-party apps that you can use to improve the experience, including Capto, Inboard, CleanShot, and Dropshare, is that they come with a free trial period. Setapp is a Mac platform where you can find over 150 different apps and use a 7-day trial version of the aforementioned applications. If you want to improve your screenshotting game, this is the place to go to explore the latest and most innovative solutions. 

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