Taking screenshots is a valuable skill that allows you to capture and share moments, information, or important content from your MacBook Pro’s screen.
Whether you’re trying to save an inspiring quote, troubleshoot an issue, or create visual tutorials, knowing how to take screenshots is essential.
In this article, we’ll explore various methods of taking screenshots on your MacBook Pro, and you’ll be equipped to master this handy skill in no time.
Quick Tip To Take Screensho on Macbook Pro:
- Entire screen:
Shift+Command+3 - Selected area:
Shift+Command+4 - Specific window:
Shift+Command+4+S
What is a screenshot?
Before we delve into the how-to part, let’s understand a screenshot. A screenshot is a digital image of your computer or device’s screen at a specific moment. It’s like taking a photo of what’s currently displayed on your MacBook Pro, allowing you to capture everything from apps and websites to messages and videos.
Why take screenshots?
There are many reasons why you might want to take a screenshot. Here are a few of the most common:
- To capture information that you need to refer to later.
- To share a bug report with a developer.
- To create a tutorial or guide.
- To document your work.
- Simply save a funny or interesting moment.
How to take screenshots on a MacBook Pro
There are three main ways to take screenshots on a MacBook Pro:
- Using keyboard shortcuts
- Using the Screenshot app
- Using a third-party screenshot app
Using keyboard shortcuts
The easiest way to take screenshots on a MacBook Pro is to use keyboard shortcuts. Here are the shortcuts for taking screenshots of the entire screen, a selected area, and a specific window:
- Entire screen:
Shift+Command+3 - Selected area:
Shift+Command+4 - Specific window:
Shift+Command+4+Space
When you use a keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot, the screenshot will be saved to your desktop as a .png file.
Using the Screenshot app
The Screenshot app is a more versatile way to take screenshots on a MacBook Pro. It allows you to take screenshots of the entire screen, a selected area, or a specific window, and it also gives you the option to annotate your screenshots.
Using a build-in app
To open the Screenshot app, go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Screenshot. Once the app is open, you can use the following buttons to take screenshots:
- Full Screen: Takes a screenshot of the entire screen.
- Selected Area: This brings up a crosshair cursor that you can use to select the area you want to screenshot.
- Window: This brings up a camera icon that you can use to click on the window you want to screenshot.
Using a third-party screenshot app
There are several third-party screenshot apps available for macOS. These apps offer a variety of features that the Screenshot app doesn’t have, such as the ability to take screenshots of scrolling windows, record your screen, and add annotations to your screenshots.
Some popular third-party screenshot apps include:
- Snagit: This app is a bit more powerful than Screenshot and Skitch, and it offers a wider range of features. You can use it to record your screen, take screenshots of specific parts of your screen, and even add animations to your screenshots.
- LightShot is a free screenshot software and online image editor available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It lets you take screenshots of your entire screen, a selected area, or a specific window. You can also add annotations to your screenshots, blur sensitive information, and save them in different file formats.
- Monosnap: This app is a great option if you want a free screenshot app with a lot of features. It lets you take screenshots of your entire screen, a selected area, or a specific window. You can also add annotations, blur sensitive information, and share your screenshots with others.
Using Browser Extensions to Screenshot on Macbook Pro
Here are the descriptions, feature lists, pros and cons, and browser compatibility for the requested browser extensions:
1. Awesome Screenshot:
Capture, annotate, and share screenshots with ease using Awesome Screenshot.
Features:
- Full-page or selected area capture
- Annotate with text, shapes, and arrows
- Blur sensitive information
- Save to local device or upload to cloud storage
- Share screenshots via links
Pros (Free): Intuitive interface, robust annotation tools, cloud storage integration.
Pros (Premium): Additional features like advanced editing, team collaboration, and priority support.
Cons: Limited editing options in the free version.
2. Nimbus Screenshot:
- Description: Capture, edit, and share screenshots directly from your browser using Nimbus Screenshot.
- Features:
- – Capture visible area or entire webpage
- – Annotate with text, arrows, and shapes
- – Crop and resize images
- – Record screencasts
- – Save to local storage or cloud services
- Pros (Free): Wide range of annotation tools, easy sharing options, screencast recording.
- Pros (Premium): Additional cloud storage, password protection for shared links, priority support.
- Cons: Some advanced features limited to premium version.
3. Lightshot:
Description: Capture and share screenshots quickly with Lightshot’s simple and user-friendly interface.
Features:
- Capture selected area or entire screen
- Annotate with text, lines, and shapes
- Save to local device or upload to the Lightshot server
- Share screenshots via links
Pros (Free): Easy-to-use, quick sharing options, simple editing tools.
Pros (Premium): No premium version available.
Cons: Limited editing options, reliance on Lightshot’s server for sharing.
4. Fireshot:
Description: Capture, edit, and annotate screenshots directly in your browser with Fireshot.
Features:
- Capture visible area or entire webpage
- Annotate with text, shapes, and highlights
- Crop, resize, and apply filters
- Save to local device or share via email
Pros (Free): Versatile editing options, easy sharing via email, customizable keyboard shortcuts.
Pros (Premium): PDF creation, extended editing tools, cloud storage integration.
Cons: Limited storage for free version, some advanced features require premium upgrade.
Browser Extension Comparison:
| Extension | Google Chrome | Mozilla Firefox | Microsoft Edge | Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awesome Screenshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Nimbus Screenshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lightshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fireshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Customizing your screenshots
In addition to taking screenshots of the entire screen, a selected area, or a specific window, you can also customize your screenshots in several ways. For example, you can add annotations, blur sensitive information, or save screenshots in different file formats.
Adding annotations
You can add annotations to screenshots using the Screenshot or third-party screenshot apps. Annotations can include text, arrows, shapes, and other elements.
Blurring sensitive information
You can blur sensitive information in your screenshots using the Screenshot app or a third-party screenshot app. This is a useful way to protect your privacy when sharing screenshots.
Saving screenshots in different file formats
You can save screenshots in various formats, including .png, .jpg, and .pdf. Your file format will depend on how you plan to use the screenshot.
Additional tips
- If you want to take a screenshot of a menu, you can hold down the Option key while you use the keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot.
- If you want to take a screenshot of the menu bar, you can hold down the F key while you use the keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot.
- You can use the Screenshot app to take screenshots of your webcam.
- You can use the Screenshot app to record your screen.
Conclusion
Taking screenshots on a MacBook Pro is easy, and there are several ways to do it. By following the steps in this article, you can take screenshots of your screen like a pro.