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Mac

How to Screenshot Part of the Screen on a Mac

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Press Shift-Command-4. When the pointer changes to a crosshair, click and drag around the area you want, then release. macOS saves that selection as a screenshot. Press Escape to cancel, or hold Space while dragging to move the selection without changing its size.

Capture a region with the keyboard shortcut

The keyboard method is the quickest way to capture a precise rectangle on a Mac. It works with a mouse or trackpad and does not require opening another app.

  1. Press and release Shift-Command-4. Do not hold the keys after the pointer changes; the pointer should become a crosshair.
  2. Click and hold the mouse button or trackpad, then drag diagonally until the selection frame covers the part of the display you need.
  3. Release the button or trackpad. macOS captures the outlined region.
  4. Press Escape before releasing if you changed your mind. The selection disappears and no screenshot is taken.

A floating thumbnail may appear in a corner of the screen. Click it to open the screenshot for editing, or wait for it to disappear while macOS saves the file.

Move the selection without resizing it

If the frame is the right size but in the wrong position, keep the mouse or trackpad button held down and press and hold the Space bar. Drag the frame to the new location, release the Space bar, and then release the mouse or trackpad button to capture it. Moving the frame this way preserves its dimensions.

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Use the Screenshot app when you want visible controls

Press Shift-Command-5 to open macOS Screenshot. Choose the control for capturing a portion of the screen, then drag the selection frame around the area you want. You can drag the frame to reposition it or drag an edge to resize it before confirming the capture.

The Screenshot app is useful when you need settings that are not visible in the four-key shortcut. Open Options to choose a save destination, set a timer, decide whether the floating thumbnail appears, and control whether the mouse pointer is included. The exact controls shown can vary with macOS version.

When a timer helps

A timer gives you time to open a menu, expand a popover, or move the pointer out of the way before the capture occurs. Choose the timer in Screenshot’s Options menu, arrange the screen, and let the countdown complete.

Where the screenshot is saved and how to copy it

By default, macOS saves screenshots to the desktop. The filename starts with “Screen Shot” and includes the date and time. Screenshot’s Options menu lets you select another destination, such as a folder you use for documentation or project assets.

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Copy the image to the Clipboard

To copy instead of (or in addition to) creating a normal file, hold Control with the screenshot shortcut. For example, press Control-Shift-Command-4, select the region, and release. You can then paste the image into a document, email, editor, or chat. You can also Control-click the floating thumbnail and choose Save to Clipboard.

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File formats

Mac screenshots are normally saved as PNG files. On supported Mac models running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Screenshot can offer SDR capture in PNG (Most Compatible) or HDR capture in HEIF. That HDR/HEIF choice is conditional on both the Mac model and operating-system version; it is not a universal replacement for PNG.

Capture a whole window or menu instead of a rectangle

For a single window or menu, press Shift-Command-4, then press and release Space. The pointer changes to a camera. Move it over the window or menu and click.

Hold Option while clicking a window if you want to exclude the window’s shadow. This mode is different from a freehand region: macOS identifies the window boundary for you, which is useful when you need a clean application-window image.

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Some applications deliberately block window screenshots. Apple specifically notes that apps such as Apple TV may not allow screenshots of their windows. If a protected app produces a blank or unavailable result, that is an application restriction rather than a selection mistake.

Keyboard shortcut or Screenshot app?

Need Best choice Why
Capture an arbitrary rectangle immediately Shift-Command-4 It goes directly to the crosshair and selection.
Choose a timer, destination, thumbnail, or pointer setting Shift-Command-5 The Screenshot app exposes those controls in its Options menu.
Move a selection while keeping its size Shift-Command-4 plus Space Space repositions the active frame without resizing it.
Capture one window or menu Shift-Command-4, then Space The pointer becomes a camera for window-based capture.
Paste the result directly into another app Control plus the screenshot shortcut The image is sent to the Clipboard.

These are workflow differences, not measured speed rankings. The shortcut minimizes visible setup; Screenshot provides a guided interface and additional controls.

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Troubleshooting Mac region screenshots

The pointer does not become a crosshair

Press and release the complete shortcut again: Shift-Command-4. Make sure you are pressing the Command key rather than Control, and release the keys after the shortcut is recognized. If you prefer a visual interface, use Shift-Command-5 and select the portion-of-screen tool.

The screenshot is taken in the wrong place

Start the selection again. While still holding the mouse or trackpad button, press and hold Space to move the frame. Release Space only after the frame is positioned, then release the pointing-device button.

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The floating thumbnail is missing

The thumbnail is temporary and may disappear before you click it. The screenshot should still be saved to the configured destination. Open Shift-Command-5, choose Options, and check the floating-thumbnail setting if you want it to remain visible after future captures.

You cannot find the file

Check the desktop first, because that is the default location. If Screenshot’s save destination was changed, open Shift-Command-5 and inspect Options. Search for a filename beginning “Screen Shot” if you are unsure which folder was selected.

Pasting does not work

Use the Control variant of the shortcut, such as Control-Shift-Command-4, and complete the selection before switching to the destination app. You can also Control-click the thumbnail and choose Save to Clipboard.

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The image includes the pointer or a window shadow

In Screenshot’s Options, change the mouse-pointer setting before capturing. For a window capture, hold Option while clicking to omit that window’s shadow.

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An app refuses to be captured

Some apps, including Apple TV, may prohibit screenshots of their windows. Try capturing an allowed portion of the desktop or use the app’s own export function when available; changing the selection shortcut cannot override an application’s protection.

HEIF or HDR is not available

PNG remains the normal screenshot format. The HDR/HEIF option is limited to supported Mac models running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, so it may not appear on other hardware or earlier systems.

Practical capture habits

  • For documentation, use Screenshot’s save-location control to keep captures in a project folder instead of sorting them from the desktop later.
  • Use the timer when opening a menu or popover would otherwise require an extra hand.
  • Use the Clipboard mode when the final destination is an editor or message and you do not need a separate image file.
  • Use window mode for a complete application window and region mode when you need only part of it.
  • Remember that the selection is rectangular. If the subject is not rectangular, capture the surrounding rectangle and crop it in an editor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Or skip the browser setup

The Mac shortcuts above capture what is currently displayed on your computer. If what you actually need is a repeatable screenshot of a website, an API avoids opening a browser, positioning a window, and cleaning the result by hand. ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. It accepts a URL and returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF.

Its capture pipeline accepts cookie and consent banners before the shot and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets. You can turn each cleanup step off. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed; the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.

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One-call cURL example

See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for all options and authentication details.

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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

Python

import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);

Replace the example URL with the page you are allowed to capture. ScreenshotNeo supports full-page captures with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element captures, dark mode, 12 device presets plus custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper sizes and page ranges, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks before capture, hidden selectors, waits for a selector, delay, or network idle, ad/tracker/request blocking, custom headers, cookies, user agents and Authorization, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, configurable caching TTLs, signed links for public image tags, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API, and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs are accepted to make migration easier.

For AI workflows, its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.

Plans and cost

Plan Included shots Price
Free 1,000 per month $0, no card
Starter 3,000 $5
Growth 15,000 $15
Pro 60,000 $39
Scale 250,000 $99
Business 1,000,000 $249

Every feature is available on every plan. Yearly billing provides two months free. If you need website captures without browser setup, create a free ScreenshotNeo account for 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Shift-Command-4 capture only the built-in display?

It captures the visible screen region on the Mac where you invoke it. It is not a remote website-rendering service; use a web screenshot API when you need repeatable captures of URLs.

Can I change the selection after I start dragging?

Yes. Keep the pointing-device button held, press and hold Space to move the frame, and drag an edge when you need to change its size before releasing.

Why would I choose PNG instead of HEIF?

PNG is the normal Mac screenshot output and is broadly compatible. HEIF HDR capture is an optional mode restricted to supported Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later.

The Bottom Line

For a one-off rectangle, use Shift-Command-4; for timers and destination controls, use Shift-Command-5. Use ScreenshotNeo when the target is a website URL and you want a clean, automatable capture instead of a manually arranged browser window.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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