How to crop a screenshot on a Mac
Short answer: Click the thumbnail that appears after ⇧⌘3 or ⇧⌘4, click the Crop tool, drag the corner handles around the part to keep, then click Crop and Done. For a screenshot already saved, select it in Finder, press Space, click the Markup button and crop the same way, or open it in Preview and use Rectangular Selection, then Crop.
These steps describe macOS 27 Golden Gate and earlier versions with the floating thumbnail (macOS Mojave 10.14 or later). Checked on 2026-10-10 against Apple’s macOS User Guide, Preview User Guide and support pages.
Which method fits
| When | Where you crop | What you click |
|---|---|---|
| Right after the screenshot | the thumbnail in the corner | Crop tool → handles → Crop → Done |
| The file is already saved | Finder, Quick Look (Space) | Markup button → Crop tool → Crop → Done |
| You want an exact size or to keep editing | Preview | Rectangular Selection → Crop button |
| Before you capture | ⇧⌘4, or ⇧⌘4 then Space | drag only the area, or click one window |
| Crop, mark up and copy in one step | Screen2Shot, ⇧⌘9 | drag the eight handles of the selection |
Checked on 2026-10-10. Sources below.
Method 1: Crop from the thumbnail
- Take the screenshot with ⇧⌘3 or ⇧⌘4.
- Click the thumbnail in the corner of the screen before it disappears. Hold the pointer over it to keep it on screen.
- In the window that opens, click the Crop tool.
- Drag the corner handles until only the part you want to keep is inside the frame. Drag inside the frame to move it.
- Click Crop, then Done. Click Revert instead to start over.
Method 2: Crop a saved screenshot in Finder with Quick Look
- Select the screenshot in Finder, on the desktop by default.
- Press Space to open Quick Look.
- Click the Markup button, then the Crop tool.
- Drag the corner handles around the part to keep, click Crop, then Done.
Changes made in Quick Look cannot be undone after you close the window. Duplicate the file first if you may need the original.
Method 3: Crop in Preview
- Open the screenshot in Preview.
- If the Markup toolbar is not showing, click the Show Markup Toolbar button, then click Rectangular Selection.
- Drag over the part of the image you want to keep. Choose Tools → Show Inspector to see the size of the selection.
- Click the Crop button in the Markup toolbar.
- Press ⌘S to save.
To change the size of the whole image instead, click Adjust Size in the Markup toolbar and enter a new width and height.
Method 4: Capture only what you need
- Press ⇧⌘4 and drag over just the area you want.
- To capture one window without its surroundings, press ⇧⌘4, then Space, and click the window. Hold ⌥ while you click to leave out its shadow.
The Screen2Shot way: crop before the picture exists
In Screen2Shot the selection is the crop. You adjust it on the live screen, mark it up and copy, so there is no file to open again. It is free for screenshots, with a thin Screen2Shot strip at the bottom of free exports that PRO removes, and needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later on Apple silicon.
- Press ⇧⌘9 and drag over an area. The size in pixels shows beside the selection.
- Drag any of the eight round handles on the frame to make the selection larger or smaller. Your drawings stay where they are on the screen.
- Mark it up with the toolbar under the selection, then press ⌘C or Return to copy, or ⌘S to save a PNG.
See Screen2Shot for screenshots and pricing.
Troubleshooting
- The thumbnail disappears before you can click it. Hold the pointer over it to keep it on screen. If it does not appear at all, turn on Show Floating Thumbnail in ⇧⌘5 → Options.
- Crop does nothing in Preview. Select an area with Rectangular Selection first; the Crop button works on that selection.
- You cropped too much in Quick Look and closed the window. That change cannot be undone; take the screenshot again.