Complete Guide to Screenshots and Screen Recording on Mac

Table of Contents

1. Taking Screenshots
   • Screenshot Keyboard Shortcuts
   • Screenshot Menu
   • Preview App Method
2. Screen Recording
   • Using the Screenshot Menu
   • QuickTime Player Method
3. Advanced Options and Tips
4. Managing and Editing Captures
5. Troubleshooting

Taking Screenshots

Screenshot Keyboard Shortcuts

• Entire Screen
  • Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 3
  • Your screen will flash and the screenshot will save to your desktop
• Selected Portion
  • Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 4
  • Your cursor will turn into a crosshair
  • Click and drag to select the area
  • Release to capture
  • Press Esc to cancel
• Specific Window
  • Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 4
  • Press Spacebar
  • Your cursor will turn into a camera
  • Click on any window to capture it
  • The screenshot will include a nice shadow effect
• Touch Bar (if your Mac has one)
  • Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 6

Screenshot Menu

1. Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 5 to open the Screenshot menu
2. The menu offers options for:
   • Capture Entire Screen
   • Capture Selected Window
   • Capture Selected Portion
   • Record Entire Screen
   • Record Selected Portion

Preview App Method

1. Open Preview
2. Click File > Take Screenshot
3. Choose from:
   • From Selection
   • From Window
   • From Entire Screen

Screen Recording

Using the Screenshot Menu

1. Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 5
2. Choose either:
   • Record Entire Screen
   • Record Selected Portion
3. Click Record
4. To stop recording:
   • Click the Stop button in the menu bar
   • Press Command (⌘) + Control + Esc

QuickTime Player Method

1. Open QuickTime Player
2. Click File > New Screen Recording
3. Click the Record button
4. Choose to record:
   • The entire screen (click anywhere)
   • A selected portion (drag to select)
5. To stop recording:
   • Click the Stop button in the menu bar
   • Press Command (⌘) + Control + Esc

Advanced Options and Tips

Screenshot Options

• Change Save Location
  1. Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 5
  2. Click Options
  3. Under “Save to,” select your preferred location
• Timer Delay
  1. Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 5
  2. Click Options
  3. Select a timer delay (5 or 10 seconds)
• Show Mouse Pointer
  • Enable/disable in the Options menu
  • Useful for tutorials

Recording Options

• Record with Audio
  1. Click Options in the Screenshot menu
  2. Select a microphone under “Record Audio From”
• Show Mouse Clicks
  • Enable in Options to highlight clicks during recording
  • Perfect for creating tutorials

Managing and Editing Captures

Quick Editing

• Markup Tools
  • Click the thumbnail that appears after taking a screenshot
  • Use markup tools to:
    • Draw
    • Add text
    • Crop
    • Add shapes
    • Highlight areas

File Management

• Default Save Format: PNG
• Change Format:
  1. Press Shift (⇧) + Command (⌘) + 5
  2. Click Options
  3. Choose format (PNG, JPG, etc.)
• Naming Convention:
  • Screenshots: “Screenshot [Date] at [Time].png”
  • Screen Recordings: “Screen Recording [Date] at [Time].mov”

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

• Screenshots Not Saving
  1. Check storage space
  2. Verify save location
  3. Reset screenshot commands:
     defaults write com.apple.screencapture type png
     killall SystemUIServer
• Grey Screen When Recording
  1. Check Screen Recording permission in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy
  2. Restart your Mac
  3. Reset SMC if problem persists
• No Audio in Recording
  1. Check microphone permissions
  2. Verify audio input selection in Options menu
  3. Test microphone in System Preferences

Tips for Better Results

• File Size Management
  • Use JPG for smaller file sizes
  • Crop screenshots immediately
  • Use selected portion instead of full screen when possible
• Quality Tips
  • Use maximum screen brightness for better quality
  • Clean your screen before important captures
  • Consider using an external microphone for better audio in recordings
• Keyboard Shortcuts Summary
  ⇧ + ⌘ + 3 Capture entire screen
  ⇧ + ⌘ + 4 Capture selected area
  ⇧ + ⌘ + 5 Screenshot menu
  ⇧ + ⌘ + 6 Capture Touch Bar