Capturing screenshots is a fundamental skill that can significantly enhance your productivity, whether you’re creating tutorials, documenting issues, or saving important information. This guide will walk you through the steps to take and edit screenshots on both macOS and Windows computers.
Table of Contents
How to Take Screenshots on macOS
Using Keyboard Shortcuts on macOS
macOS provides several keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots:
- Capture Entire Screen:
- Press
Shift + Command (⌘) + 3
. - The screenshot will be saved to your desktop by default.
- Press
- Capture Selected Portion:
- Press
Shift + Command (⌘) + 4
. - Drag the crosshair to select the area you want to capture.
- Release the mouse button to take the screenshot.
- Press
- Capture Specific Window:
- Press
Shift + Command (⌘) + 4
, then press theSpacebar
. - Click on the window you want to capture.
- Press
Using the Screenshot App on macOS
macOS Mojave and later include the Screenshot app:
- Open the Screenshot app by pressing
Shift + Command (⌘) + 5
. - Choose from the options to capture the entire screen, a selected portion, or a specific window.
- Click “Capture” to take the screenshot.
How to Edit Screenshots on macOS
After taking a screenshot, macOS provides easy ways to edit them:
- Using the Markup Tool:
- Click on the thumbnail that appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen after taking a screenshot.
- Use the Markup tools to add text, shapes, or signatures.
- Using Preview:
- Open the screenshot in the Preview app.
- Use the annotation tools to edit your screenshot.
- Save the changes by clicking
File > Save
.
How to Take Screenshots on Windows
Using Keyboard Shortcuts on Windows
Windows offers various shortcuts for taking screenshots:
- Capture Entire Screen:
- Press
PrtScn
(Print Screen). - The screenshot will be copied to the clipboard. Paste it into an image editor like Paint or Word.
- Press
- Capture Active Window:
- Press
Alt + PrtScn
. - The screenshot will be copied to the clipboard. Paste it into an image editor.
- Press
- Capture Selected Portion:
- Press
Windows + Shift + S
. - Drag to select the area you want to capture. The screenshot will be copied to the clipboard.
- Press
Using the Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch on Windows
Windows 10 and later include Snip & Sketch, a more advanced tool:
- Open Snip & Sketch by pressing
Windows + Shift + S
. - Choose from the options to snip a rectangular area, freeform area, window, or full screen.
- The screenshot is copied to the clipboard and a notification appears. Click on it to open Snip & Sketch and edit your screenshot.
How to Edit Screenshots on Windows
Windows provides several ways to edit screenshots:
- Using Paint:
- Open Paint and paste the screenshot (
Ctrl + V
). - Use the editing tools to modify your screenshot.
- Save the changes by clicking
File > Save As
.
- Open Paint and paste the screenshot (
- Using Snip & Sketch:
- Open Snip & Sketch from the Start menu or after taking a screenshot.
- Use the tools to annotate and edit your screenshot.
- Save the edited screenshot by clicking the save icon or pressing
Ctrl + S
.
By following these steps, you can easily capture and edit screenshots on both macOS and Windows computers. Whether you’re documenting a process, capturing a bug, or saving information for later, mastering these tools will enhance your digital efficiency.