Mac’s built-in screenshot tool can seem a little limited when you compare it to more advanced third-party apps. But it’s also free and offers a few useful features.
The default option for taking a screenshot on Mac is to use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Command + 4. This prompts a small menu with options to capture the entire screen, a window, or a selected area. It also includes an option to record a video of the entire screen or a specified area. The menu also provides a choice of where to save the screenshot or annotate it.
When you click the screenshot thumbnail in the corner, the image opens in a new window with a Markup toolbar at the top. This toolbar has several drawing tools, a text tool that lets you write or draw over the screenshot, a signature option that can make it look like you signed the image with an ink and paper signature on your trackpad or webcam, and more. The tools are easy to use and provide plenty of customization options for your drawings and annotations.
You can save your screenshots to a folder of your choice, or set the default location by clicking on the Save to tab in the Options menu. The list of locations includes Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Messages, Mail, and Preview. If you want to set another location as the default, select Other Location.
There are also a few handy keyboard shortcuts for mac screenshot app. For example, you can hold the Option key while capturing a screenshot to remove the shadow that typically appears around windows. You can also press and hold the Control key while capturing a screenshot to copy it directly to your clipboard instead of saving it as a file.
Another option for taking a screenshot on your mac is to use the built-in Preview app. Preview is Apple’s free image and graphics editing program, but it also supports many other formats, including PDFs and images from the web. You can annotate images and documents with a variety of drawing tools and add notes, text, or arrows to them. The app is also excellent at correcting wobbly, hand-drawn shapes in photos and videos.
Other screenshot apps for mac have a wide range of features, including options to capture specific areas of the screen and different types of shots, as well as upload and share them directly online or via social media. Some can even make your screenshots look more professional, with rounded corners or neatly centered on a background of your choice.
The best mac screenshot app for you will depend on your needs and workflow. Consider what features are most important, such as options to capture the whole screen, a single window, or free-form fragments; whether you want to record the audio from your mic; and sharing options (including cloud storage). Then choose the app that offers the most functionality for you. For example, Xnapper makes it simple to take a screenshot and then edit it instantly, or later in an external photo editor.
