{"id":1608,"date":"2016-07-14T09:01:04","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T13:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/?p=1608"},"modified":"2016-08-03T21:53:38","modified_gmt":"2016-08-04T01:53:38","slug":"taking-screenshots-three-tricks-for-the-mac-and-one-for-ios","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/taking-screenshots-three-tricks-for-the-mac-and-one-for-ios\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking Screenshots: Three Tricks for the Mac and One for iOS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you ever want to capture what\u2019s on your screen, or at least a part of it? Screenshots aren\u2019t just for technical writers trying to document app behavior\u2014you might also use them to provide feedback on a photo, to document an error message for someone who helps you with your Mac, or to record a particularly funny auto-correct fail in Messages on your iPhone.<\/p>\n

OS X and iOS have both long included built-in screenshot features that make it easy to take a high-resolution picture of what you see onscreen. (You can, of course, use a camera to take a photo of your screen, but that will never look as good.)<\/p>\n

Taking a screenshot in iOS is super simple, and it works the same on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Just press the Home and Sleep\/Wake buttons simultaneously. You\u2019ll see the screen flash, and iOS saves the screenshot to your Photos app\u2014look at the bottom of the Camera Roll or, if you\u2019ve turned on iCloud Photo Library, the All Photos album. The same technique works on the Apple Watch, where you press both the digital crown and the side button simultaneously. (Accidental presses of those buttons explains why random Apple Watch screenshots might appear in Photos.)<\/p>\n

On the Mac, you can take your pick from three built-in methods of taking screenshots:<\/p>\n

If you take a lot of screenshots, consider memorizing OS X\u2019s keyboard shortcuts. For a full-screen screenshot, press Command-Shift-3. For a screenshot of an arbitrary size, press Command-Shift-4 and drag out a rectangle. To capture just an object like a window, press Command-Shift-4, hover the pointer over the window, press the Space bar to show the camera cursor over the highlighted object, and then click to take the screenshot. The Command-Shift-4 shortcut is the only way to capture a menu. All screenshots are saved as PNG files on your Desktop and automatically named with the date.<\/p>\n

\"Grab-icon\"If that sounds geeky and hard to remember, try Apple\u2019s Grab app, which is hidden away in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder. It\u2019s a simple app, but it can take full-screen, window, and selection screenshots, and it walks you through the process. You can also use Grab to capture a full-screen screenshot with a timer, which is handy if what you want to record appears only while you\u2019re dragging an icon or other object, for instance. Captured screenshots appear in Grab as Untitled TIFF documents that you can close, copy, save, or print.<\/p>\n

\"PDF-Preview-icon\"Want to mark up a screenshot with circles and arrows and a paragraph of text, just like the photos in Arlo Guthrie\u2019s\u00a0Alice\u2019s Restaurant<\/i>\u00a0song? For that, use Apple\u2019s surprisingly powerful Preview app, which can take screenshots and opens them as graphic documents that you can edit. Choose File > Take Screenshot > From Selection, From Window, or From Entire Screen. That last option is automatically a timed screenshot so you can set up any temporary conditions while the timer counts down. To access the tools you need to \u00a0add shapes or text to your screenshot, choose View > Show Markup Toolbar. When you\u2019re done, you can save the screenshot in a variety of formats.<\/p>\n

You can also take screenshots using a cornucopia of third-party screenshot utilities. In general, they don\u2019t offer much more than Apple\u2019s options when it comes to capturing screenshots. Where they stand out is providing better tools for marking up and manipulating screenshots, and in offering an interface for managing and sharing screenshots. Choosing among them is largely a matter of personal preference, but check out Evernote\u2019s free\u00a0Skitch<\/a>, Global Delight\u2019s $29.99\u00a0Capto<\/a>, and Aged & Distilled\u2019s $39.99\u00a0Napkin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whatever method you choose, remember that a picture is worth a thousand words, and the right screenshot can be even more valuable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the screenshot that captures a confusing error message or funny auto-correct fail is far more valuable. Pop over to our site and we\u2019ll explain how to capture screenshots on your iPad or iPhone, and three different ways you can take screenshots on your Mac.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[39,48,53,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-ios","category-mac-blog","category-os-x"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/iMac-photo-with-edits-1080x675.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6YLEm-pW","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":30454,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/heres-how-to-mark-up-photos-and-screenshots-with-text-and-graphics-in-ios-13\/","url_meta":{"origin":1608,"position":0},"title":"Here\u2019s How to Mark Up Photos and Screenshots with Text and Graphics in iOS 13","author":"computeradv","date":"February 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ever needed to circle an item on an expense receipt, add some text to a photo, or sign a PDF\u2026on your iPhone or iPad? iOS 13\u2019s Markup tools are surprisingly capable\u2014learn more about what they can do I this article.","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/heres-how-to-mark-up-photos-and-screenshots-with-text-and-graphics-in-ios-13.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/heres-how-to-mark-up-photos-and-screenshots-with-text-and-graphics-in-ios-13.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/heres-how-to-mark-up-photos-and-screenshots-with-text-and-graphics-in-ios-13.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/heres-how-to-mark-up-photos-and-screenshots-with-text-and-graphics-in-ios-13.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/heres-how-to-mark-up-photos-and-screenshots-with-text-and-graphics-in-ios-13.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26158,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/take-screenshots-to-aid-tech-support\/","url_meta":{"origin":1608,"position":1},"title":"Take Screenshots to Aid Tech Support","author":"computeradv","date":"January 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"If you experience something weird on your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, it\u2019s essential to get a record of what happened. That way, when you talk to a more experienced friend or tech support rep, you can share exactly what you saw. The best way to do this is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple Watch"","block_context":{"text":"Apple Watch","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/apple-watch\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Take screenshots on Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tip-screenshots-support-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tip-screenshots-support-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tip-screenshots-support-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tip-screenshots-support-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tip-screenshots-support-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27923,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/sneak-preview-of-whats-coming-from-apple-this-fall\/","url_meta":{"origin":1608,"position":2},"title":"Sneak Preview of What\u2019s Coming from Apple This Fall","author":"computeradv","date":"June 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"At Apple\u2019s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote on June 4th, the company unveiled the first developer versions of all four of its operating systems: macOS 10.14 Mojave, iOS 12, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12. They won\u2019t be available until this fall, likely in September or October, but here is a glimpse\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple Pros"","block_context":{"text":"Apple Pros","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/apple-pros\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/WWDC-2018-Stacks-1024x789.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/WWDC-2018-Stacks-1024x789.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/WWDC-2018-Stacks-1024x789.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/WWDC-2018-Stacks-1024x789.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28213,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/use-continuity-camera-to-scan-documents-and-take-photos-right-into-mac-documents\/","url_meta":{"origin":1608,"position":3},"title":"Use Continuity Camera to Scan Documents and Take Photos Right into Mac Documents","author":"computeradv","date":"October 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you found yourself composing an email message on your Mac while staring glumly at the receipt or document you need to scan and attach to the message? Adding that scan to the message isn\u2019t impossible, but until macOS 10.14 Mojave, it hasn\u2019t necessarily been easy. It\u2019s super simple now,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple Pros"","block_context":{"text":"Apple Pros","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/apple-pros\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Continuity-Camera-on-Desktop.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":27209,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/why-ios-11-is-the-most-important-version-yet-for-ipad-users-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1608,"position":4},"title":"Why iOS 11 Is the Most Important Version Yet for iPad Users","author":"computeradv","date":"October 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Apple has long argued that you can use the iPad for productivity but hasn\u2019t backed that claim up with the necessary features in iOS. Until now, that is, with the new iPad-centric capabilities of iOS 11. These changes mean that an iPad running iOS 11 is more like a Mac,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "App Switcher"","block_context":{"text":"App Switcher","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/app-switcher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/iOS11-iPad-Dock-1080x160.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/iOS11-iPad-Dock-1080x160.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/iOS11-iPad-Dock-1080x160.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/iOS11-iPad-Dock-1080x160.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1660,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/share-photos-via-icloud-photo-sharing\/","url_meta":{"origin":1608,"position":5},"title":"Share Photos via iCloud Photo Sharing","author":"computeradv","date":"August 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The best part of photos is sharing them, but if you don\u2019t want to put them on Facebook and risk everyone seeing them, you can use iCloud Photo Sharing to create an album that you share with just a few select people. Better yet, they can add photos to it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/icloud-photo-sharing-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/icloud-photo-sharing-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/icloud-photo-sharing-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/icloud-photo-sharing-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/icloud-photo-sharing-photo-1080x675.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}