Taking screenshots on a MacBook in 2023 involves using keyboard shortcuts that macOS provides for capturing the entire screen, a portion of the screen, or a specific window. Here are the methods you can use:
Capture the Entire Screen
- Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 3.
- The screenshot will be saved to your desktop by default. You will hear a camera shutter sound if your sound is turned on, indicating that the screenshot has been taken.
Capture a Portion of the Screen
- Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 4. This changes the cursor to a crosshair.
- Click and drag the crosshair to select the area of the screen you want to capture. Release the mouse or trackpad button to take the screenshot.
- To cancel taking the screenshot, press the Escape (Esc) key before releasing the button.
Capture a Window or Menu
- Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 4, then press the Spacebar. The cursor will change to a camera icon.
- Move the camera icon over the window or menu you want to capture. The selected window or menu will be highlighted.
- Click to capture the highlighted window or menu. To cancel, press the Escape (Esc) key before clicking.
Capture a Screenshot and Open it Directly in Preview
- Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 5 to open the screenshot interface, which allows you more options like capturing the entire screen, a window, or a selected portion of the screen. Additionally, you can choose to record your screen from this interface. After taking the screenshot using this method, you can immediately edit it in the Preview window that opens.
Additional Tips
- Change Default Save Location: By default, macOS saves screenshots to the desktop. You can change this location by using the Screenshot app (Shift + Command (⌘) + 5). Click on “Options” to select a different save location.
- Clipboard Saving: If you want to save the screenshot to the clipboard instead of a file, add the Control key to any of the combinations above. For example, use Control + Shift + Command (⌘) + 3 to capture the entire screen to the clipboard. You can then paste it into another app.
- Editing Screenshots: After taking a screenshot using Shift + Command (⌘) + 5, you can click on the thumbnail that appears in the corner of your screen to edit the screenshot. You can crop, add text, or draw on your screenshot from here.
These methods should cover all your screenshot needs on a MacBook in 2023.