Screenshots on a Mac: better than Print Screen
There's no Print Screen key on a Mac, and you won't miss it. The built-in tools are quick, precise, and better than what you're used to.
On Windows you reached for Print Screen, or Win + Shift + S for the Snipping Tool. The Mac has no Print Screen key, but its built-in capture is faster and more precise once you know the three shortcuts.
The whole screen
⌘+⇧+3Captures everything and drops a .png on your Desktop. A small thumbnail appears in the corner for a few seconds. Click it to mark it up, or ignore it and it saves itself.
Just part of the screen
⌘+⇧+4This is the one you'll use most. Your cursor becomes a crosshair; drag a box over what you want and release. This is the Mac's answer to the Snipping Tool.
A single window, cleanly
⌘+⇧+4thenSpacePress the shortcut, then tap the Space bar, and the crosshair turns into a camera. Click any window to capture it on its own, with a tidy drop shadow.
The one trick worth memorizing
By default, screenshots save as files to your Desktop. To copy a screenshot straight to the clipboard instead, so you can paste it into a message or doc, hold Control as well:
⌃+⌘+⇧+4Want the full toolbar for screenshots and screen recording, with a timer and a setting to change where shots are saved? Press ⌘+⇧+5.
That's the whole system. No extra apps, no Print Screen, and far less cropping than you're used to.
Frequently asked questions
How do I take a screenshot on a Mac?
Press Cmd+Shift+3 to capture the whole screen, or Cmd+Shift+4 to drag a box around part of it. Both save a PNG to your Desktop by default.
Where do Mac screenshots get saved?
To the Desktop by default. To copy a screenshot to the clipboard instead, add Control, for example Control+Cmd+Shift+4. You can change the save location in the Cmd+Shift+5 toolbar under Options.
Is there a Print Screen key on a Mac?
No, and you will not miss it. The built-in Cmd+Shift+3, 4, and 5 shortcuts are faster and more precise than Print Screen ever was.