How to Use the Snipping Tool on a Mac [Full Guide]

How to Use the Snipping Tool on a Mac [Full Guide]

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What should you do when you need to capture and edit a screenshot on your Mac? Whether you have a MacBook Pro, Air, an iMac, or any other model, let's explore how to use the snipping tool on a Mac.

Índice
  1. How to snip on a Mac using keyboard shortcuts
  2. How to take a snip on a Mac with the screenshot toolbar
  3. Custom settings: How to get snipping tool on Mac to work better for you
  4. Changing the location for your saved screenshots
  5. How to capture videos using the snipping tool on a Mac
  6. How to add the snipping tool to the Touch Bar
  7. Summary: Snip a picture or video on your Mac

How to snip on a Mac using keyboard shortcuts

First, let’s discuss how to snip on a Mac using your keyboard shortcuts (commonly referred to as hotkeys). This approach is quick and simple, with hotkey combinations available for various types of screenshots, including full screen, a specific window, or a custom section of the screen. Here’s how you can do it:

To capture a screenshot of your entire screen, press Shift + Command + 3 simultaneously. Your Mac will automatically take a picture of your full screen, and you’ll see a small preview of the image appear in the lower right corner of your desktop. To make edits, copy, or...clip the image, click on this preview. If you miss the preview, your screenshot will automatically save to the desktop.

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To capture a screenshot of a specific section of your screen, press and hold Shift + Command + 4 simultaneously. Once you do this, you'll see that your cursor transforms from an arrow into a crosshair. Click on one corner of the desired area and drag it across the entire section you want to capture in your screenshot. When you release the mouse button (or trackpad), your computer will automatically take the screenshot and save it to your desktop.

If you want to take a screenshot of a particular window, hold down Shift + Command + 4 again. However, this time, instead of dragging your cursor over the screen, simply press and release the Spacebar. The crosshair will change to a camera icon. Position the camera over the window you wish to capture and click on it to take your screenshot.

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How to take a snip on a Mac with the screenshot toolbar

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Now that we've discussed hotkey combinations, let's explore how to take a screenshot on a Mac using the screenshot toolbar. To open Apple’s screenshot toolbar, simply press Shift + Command + 5. This action will display the toolbar on your screen (and on your Touch Bar, if your device has one). You will see that most of your screen is dimmed, with a highlighted rectangle in the center. This occurs because the toolbar is set by default to capture a portion of your screen. To take a screenshot of your entire screen or a specific window, just click on the appropriate icon in the toolbar that suits your needs.

Additionally, accessing the screenshot toolbar allows you to record a video of part or all of your screen. To do this, select either the Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion icon to quickly create a video of your screen rather than just a still image.

Custom settings: How to get snipping tool on Mac to work better for you

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What should you do if you need to take several screenshots or frequently capture images with specific configurations? Luckily, the toolbar includes an Options menu that enables you to use the snipping tool on a Mac to carry out the same types of screenshots with fewer steps. So, how can you snip on a Mac with custom settings? First, activate the toolbar by pressing Shift + Command + 5. Next, to the right of the icons for screen capture and video capture, click on Options. A dropdown menu will show up, allowing you to check or uncheck various settings, such as whether to display the cursor in your screenshot and if you want a timer to run before capturing the screenshot.

Changing the location for your saved screenshots

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By default, when taking a screenshot on a MacBook or iMac, the images will automatically be saved to your desktop. If you want to choose a different destination, open the screenshot toolbar by pressing Shift + Command + 5, then click on Options. At the top of the dropdown menu, there is a Save to section. Here, you can select from various locations such as your desktop, documents, clipboard, or mail. Additionally, you can click on Other location to set a custom save spot.

How to capture videos using the snipping tool on a Mac

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The simplest method to capture a video of your screen on a Mac is to open the screenshot toolbar by pressing Shift + Command + 5. To the right of the screenshot options, you'll find two icons for screen recording. If you wish to record your entire screen, select the Record Entire Screen icon. To capture a specific area of your screen, choose the Record Selected Portion icon. Once selected, the toolbar will vanish, and your recording will start. When you’re finished, press Shift + Command + 5 again and click on the Stop icon. Your screen recording will be saved in the same location as your screenshots.

How to add the snipping tool to the Touch Bar

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If you own a MacBook equipped with a Touch Bar, you can enhance the screenshot process by following a few easy steps:

  1. Access the Keyboard settings within your System Preferences.
  2. Locate the option next to Touch Bar shows, click on the dropdown menu, and choose App Controls.
  3. Click on Customize Control Strip.
  4. From the list of options available, select Screenshot and drag it onto the Touch Bar.

Summary: Snip a picture or video on your Mac

Now you should have all the necessary information to capture a picture or video on your Mac. However, it’s important to note that while Apple’s built-in snipping tool is quite useful, if you require the ability to snip and sketch or need to incorporate live-drawing and annotations, you may want to explore additional options.

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