Use your operating system’s built-in area-capture shortcut: Windows+Shift+S on Windows, Shift-Command-4 on macOS, Print and area selection in GNOME, or Shift+Ctrl+Show windows on a Chromebook. Drag around the region you want, then save, copy, or annotate the result. The exact controls and default destination differ by platform.
Choose the method for your computer
| Platform | Start capture | Selection | Typical output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 | Windows+Shift+S | Rectangle or Freeform | Snipping Tool notification, clipboard, or saved file |
| macOS | Shift-Command-4 | Rectangular drag | Desktop by default, or clipboard with Control |
| GNOME Linux | Print or the screenshot button | Handles/crosshair area selection | Pictures/Screenshots and clipboard |
| ChromeOS | Screenshot key or Shift+Ctrl+Show windows | Partial screenshot | Downloads and clipboard |
These shortcuts capture what is displayed locally. They are different from a website screenshot API, which loads a URL on a server and returns an image or PDF.
Windows: select a rectangle or freeform region
Capture the area
- Press Windows+Shift+S. The screen dims and the Snipping Tool bar appears.
- Choose Rectangle for a standard box or Freeform for an irregular outline. Windows also offers Window, Full screen, and Video snip modes.
- Click and drag around the content. Release the mouse button to take the snip.
- Select the Snipping Tool notification to annotate, crop, copy, save, or share the image. You can also paste it directly into another application.
Microsoft describes Rectangle as allowing you to select a rectangular area to capture. Text recognition in Snipping Tool is performed locally on the device, according to Microsoft’s documentation.
Capture a menu that disappears
Open Snipping Tool from the Start menu, set Delay to one to five seconds, open the menu or tooltip, and let the countdown reach zero. Then select the region. Delay is useful when the screen changes as soon as you press a shortcut.
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Clipboard versus a file
The snip is available for pasting immediately. Use the notification or Snipping Tool window and choose the save command when you need a PNG file or a repeatable filename. If you press Print Screen alone, Windows captures the full screen rather than a user-defined area.
macOS: drag a precise rectangular selection
Capture a selected portion
- Press Shift-Command-4. The pointer changes to a crosshair.
- Click and drag across the area to capture.
- Release the mouse button or trackpad. The image is saved to the desktop by default.
- Use the thumbnail that appears briefly to mark up or make a quick edit, or open the saved image in Preview for more tools.
Press Esc before releasing to cancel. While dragging, hold Space to move the selection box without changing its dimensions. Add Control to the shortcut when you want the result on the clipboard instead of as a file.
Use the Screenshot app for timers and destinations
Press Shift-Command-5 to open the Screenshot app. Its Options menu controls the timer, save location, floating thumbnail, and pointer visibility. On supported Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Options also offers SDR PNG or HDR HEIF output. Some protected applications, including Apple TV, can block window screenshots; an area capture may therefore contain a black or restricted region.
GNOME Linux: select with the screenshot overlay
Capture a user-defined area
- Press Print, or open the system menu and choose the screenshot button.
- Choose the area-selection mode. The overlay displays handles and a crosshair.
- Drag the handles or crosshair around the required region.
- Press the capture button. GNOME saves the image automatically in Pictures/Screenshots with a timestamped filename and copies it to the clipboard.
GNOME’s documented keyboard commands include S for area selection, C for the entire screen, and W for a window. Enter or Space captures; Ctrl+C copies when the overlay is active. If Print is mapped to another action on your distribution, launch the screenshot tool from the system menu instead.
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Check where the file went
Look in Pictures/Screenshots first. If your desktop environment or distribution changes the screenshot location, paste from the clipboard into an image editor to confirm that the capture itself worked, then save it where you need.
Chromebook: use Partial screenshot
Capture the selected region
- Press the dedicated Screenshot key, if your keyboard has one. Otherwise press Shift+Ctrl+Show windows. On an external keyboard without Show windows, use Ctrl+Shift+F5.
- Choose Screenshot, then Partial screenshot.
- Drag over the region and release to capture.
- Find the file in Downloads, unless you selected another folder, and paste from the clipboard wherever required.
Chromium also documents Ctrl+Shift+Overview for capturing a sub-area. Google says screenshots and recordings are automatically copied to the clipboard, which makes it quick to paste a selected region into email, documents, or chat.
If the Screenshot key is unavailable
Open Quick Settings, choose Screen Capture, select Screenshot and Partial screenshot, and then drag the selection. The same panel also exposes full-screen and recording modes.
Make the selection accurate
Include exactly what the reader needs
- Start just outside the first pixel of the control, chart, or text you are explaining.
- Include enough surrounding context to show which application or page the selection belongs to.
- For documentation, capture at the display scale at which users will view the image; excessive empty margin makes labels harder to read.
- Use a consistent aspect ratio when preparing several images for a guide.
Capture menus and hover states
Windows Delay and the macOS timer (Shift-Command-5, Options) let you open a menu before the capture. On Linux and ChromeOS, open the menu first when possible, then invoke the overlay from the keyboard or system menu. If a shortcut closes the menu, use a delayed capture or an external camera only as a last resort.
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Protect private information
Before saving or sharing, inspect the selected area for passwords, tokens, personal messages, email addresses, and browser tabs. Crop or redact sensitive text in the platform’s editor or an image application. A screenshot is a copy of whatever was visible at capture time, including transient notifications.
When a local area screenshot is not enough
Built-in shortcuts are best for a person sitting at the computer. For a repeatable capture of a public webpage, a scheduled job, or an image generated in CI, use a browser automation service instead. If you need only one element from a page, use a service that supports a CSS selector rather than manually cropping every result.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. Its element capture option can target a CSS selector, while full-page mode loads lazy images. It can also set a viewport or device preset, dark mode, retina scale, custom CSS and JavaScript, click an element, wait for a selector, delay or network idle, hide selectors, block ads or resource types, supply headers, cookies, a user agent or Authorization, set timezone and geolocation, resize the output, and return PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Those controls are for webpages, not pixels on your physical desktop.
Use the API endpoint documented at https://screenshotneo.com/docs/. This cURL request captures a webpage:
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- Screen capture software records the entire screen, a single window or any selected portion
- Digital zoom with the mouse scroll wheel, and drag to scroll the recording window
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpThe equivalent Python request is:
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r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting
The shortcut does nothing
- Windows: verify the Windows key is not locked by a keyboard utility; open Snipping Tool from Start as a fallback.
- macOS: check System Settings, Privacy & Security, and Screen Recording permissions for the app you are using.
- GNOME: use the system menu screenshot button if Print is remapped.
- ChromeOS: open Quick Settings and choose Screen Capture if the keyboard lacks the required key.
The image is saved somewhere unexpected
Windows uses the Snipping Tool save command, macOS defaults to the desktop unless changed in Shift-Command-5 Options, GNOME uses Pictures/Screenshots, and ChromeOS uses Downloads unless another folder is selected. Clipboard paste is a reliable way to verify the capture before looking for a file.
A menu or tooltip vanished
Use Windows Snipping Tool Delay or the macOS Screenshot app timer. On other systems, open the screenshot overlay only after positioning the pointer, or capture the region first and annotate it afterward.
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Protected video and some hardware-accelerated surfaces may block capture. Try the application’s own export command, a different window mode, or a non-protected page. For webpages, wait for content to load and hide overlays before using an automated browser capture.
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The selection is the wrong size
Repeat the drag slowly from one corner to the opposite corner. On macOS, hold Space while dragging to reposition the box. On Windows and GNOME, adjust handles before confirming; on ChromeOS, release only after the full region is highlighted.
Quick decision guide
- One region on your current desktop: use the native shortcut for your operating system.
- An irregular shape on Windows: choose Freeform in Snipping Tool.
- A menu that needs preparation: use a delay or timer.
- A repeatable webpage or CSS-selected element: use ScreenshotNeo’s API or MCP server.
- Need both a file and paste: save the capture and verify the clipboard copy before closing the editor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I capture only part of a window instead of the whole window?
Yes. Start area selection and drag over the portion of the window you need; window mode is optional and captures the entire window.
What is the fastest way to copy a partial screenshot?
Use the platform’s area shortcut, complete the selection, and paste immediately. Windows, GNOME, and ChromeOS document clipboard output; macOS can copy directly with the Control-modified shortcut.
Can these shortcuts record video too?
Windows Snipping Tool and ChromeOS Screen Capture document recording modes. The procedures above are for still images.
Quick Recap
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