How To Screenshot On Mac And Crop
Don’t have photo editing tools on your Mac? No problem. To make screenshot on mac is straightforward, even without fancy software. Let’s quickly go over how to do it.
Understanding the Basics: How to Take a Screenshot on Mac
1. Capturing the Entire Screen: When you want everything in sight, press Command + Shift + 3. If you’ve got more than one screen, it’ll snap a photo of each, no one left behind.
2. Just a Piece, Please: For those times you don’t need everything, Command + Shift + 4 is your friend. Your cursor turns into a crosshair, letting you select exactly what you want to capture. It’s like telling your Mac, “Just this, please.”
3. A Single Window: Want to focus on just one window? It’s almost the same as the last one, but after pressing Command + Shift + 4, hit the Spacebar. Your cursor becomes a camera, and you can click on the window you want to keep. The rest fades away into the background.
Cropping Your Screenshot on Mac
1. Open Preview: Locate the screenshot you wish to crop on your desktop or in Finder. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the screenshot and select “Open With” > “Preview.” Preview is a powerful tool not just for viewing images but also for editing them.
2. Select the Crop Tool: Once your screenshot is open in Preview, click on the “Show Markup Toolbar” button (it looks like a pencil tip) in the toolbar. Then, click on the “Rectangular Selection” tool (it looks like a dotted rectangle).
3. Select the Area to Crop: Click and drag over the portion of the screenshot you want to keep. Be precise, as everything outside the selected area will be cropped out.
4. Crop the Image: After making your selection, click on the “Crop” button (it looks like two intersecting right angles) in the markup toolbar, or simply press Command + K. Instantly, your screenshot will be cropped to the selected area.
5. Save Your Edited Screenshot: Don’t forget to save your cropped image. Go to File > Save, or just press Command (⌘) + S. If you wish to keep the original screenshot as well, you can choose File > Duplicate before cropping to work on a copy instead.
Tips for Perfecting Your Screenshot on Mac
1. Utilize Keyboard Shortcuts: Becoming proficient with the keyboard shortcuts for screenshot on Mac can significantly speed up your workflow.
2. Leverage Preview for More Than Cropping: Preview offers a variety of editing tools. Explore its capabilities to annotate your screenshots, adjust colors, and even add shapes or text.
3. Know Your Options: MacOS Catalina and later versions include a Screenshot app that provides more flexibility. Access it by pressing Command + Shift + 5. This tool allows you to choose where to save screenshots, set a timer, and more.
4. Edit With Third-Party Apps: For more advanced editing needs, consider third-party apps. Tools like capto or Lightshot offer extended features for capturing and editing screenshots.
5. Practice Good File Management: As you take more screenshots, organizing them becomes crucial. Create a dedicated folder for your screenshots and rename them for easy retrieval.