How to Take a Screenshot

Post date: Oct 13, 2011 3:57:07 PM

Ever need to take a screen shot to add to a document?

On the MacBook you have a couple of simple shortcuts:

Command+Shift+4

This turns on a selection tool (⌖). Click at one corner of the item you wish to capture, hold down your mouse to click and drag the selection tool in order to encompass the item.

Command+Shift+3

This shortcut takes a screen shot of your entire screen.

If you need to stop the screen shot action, simply hit the "Escape" button on your keyboard.

It automatically saves to your desktop as a screen shot. Once you locate the icon for the screen shot, simply double-click to view in Preview.

If you need a bit more to your screen shot actions, you can turn on the "Grab" application that is listed under the Utilities in your application folder.

This utility gives you several different options for capturing a screen shot.

• "Selection" works similarly to the Command+Shift+4 option, in that you click and drag the area you want to capture in a screen shot.
• "Window" allows you to choose an open window and take a screen shot of only that window.
• "Screen" takes a screen shot of the entire screen.
• "Time Screen" allows you to work through a process in order to take a screen shot of something that is not something that can stay open on its own, such as a drop-down menu. It starts the countdown timer 10 seconds after you select this option. After 10 seconds, it takes a screen shot.

Each option under the "Capture" menu has an informational pop-up that gives you directions on how to accomplish the screen shot task.