How to print screen on a Mac
Short answer: A Mac uses shortcuts instead of a Print Screen key. Press ⇧⌘3 to capture the whole screen or ⇧⌘4 to drag over part of it; Apple lists these as the Print Screen equivalents. It is saved to the desktop. Add ⌃, as in ⌃⇧⌘4, to copy it to the clipboard instead. ⇧⌘5 (macOS Mojave 10.14 or later) opens every option.
These steps describe macOS 27 Golden Gate and earlier versions; ⇧⌘5 needs macOS Mojave 10.14 or later. Checked on 2026-10-10 against Apple’s and Microsoft’s support pages.
Windows Print Screen shortcuts and their Mac equivalents
| On Windows | What it does there | On a Mac | Where it goes on a Mac |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrtScn (Windows 10) | the whole screen to the clipboard | ⌃⇧⌘3 | clipboard |
| PrtScn (Windows 11) | select a region, to the clipboard | ⌃⇧⌘4, then drag | clipboard |
| Alt+PrtScn | the active window to the clipboard | ⌃⇧⌘4, then Space, then click the window | clipboard |
| Windows logo key+PrtScn | the whole screen saved to a file | ⇧⌘3 | a file on the desktop |
| Windows logo key+Shift+S | select a region, to the clipboard | ⌃⇧⌘4, then drag | clipboard |
| Windows logo key+Shift+R | record a region of the screen | ⇧⌘5, Record Selected Portion | a .mov file on the desktop |
Checked on 2026-10-10. Sources below.
Method 1: Print the whole screen (⇧⌘3)
- Press and release ⇧⌘3.
- A thumbnail appears in the corner of the screen. Click it to mark up the screenshot, or wait and it is saved to the desktop.
- To copy the screen instead of saving a file, press ⌃⇧⌘3, then paste with ⌘V.
Method 2: Print part of the screen (⇧⌘4)
- Press ⇧⌘4. The pointer turns into a crosshair.
- Drag over the area you want. Hold Space while you drag to move the selection.
- Release to take the screenshot, or press Esc to cancel.
- To copy the area instead of saving a file, press ⌃⇧⌘4 and drag.
Method 3: Print one window
- Press ⇧⌘4, then press Space. The pointer becomes a camera.
- Click the window. Hold ⌥ while you click to leave out the window’s shadow.
Method 4: The Screenshot app (⇧⌘5)
- Press ⇧⌘5 to open the Screenshot toolbar.
- Choose the whole screen, a window or a portion, or one of the recording tools.
- Click Options for a timer, the save place and the pointer, then click Capture.
The full list of keys is in Mac screenshot shortcuts.
The Screen2Shot way: a print screen you can mark up and paste
Screen2Shot works like the Windows region capture: select, mark up, copy, paste. 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.
- Mark it up in place: pen, marker, arrow, rectangle and text, in 5 colours.
- Press ⌘C or Return to copy, then ⌘V to paste wherever you need it. ⌘S saves a file instead.
Coming from Windows? Choose the ⌃⇧S preset in the Screen2Shot menu → Shortcut to keep a Windows-style key for area screenshots. See Screen2Shot for screenshots and pricing.
Troubleshooting
- You use a Windows keyboard. Use ⇧⌘3 or ⇧⌘4, pressing the Windows logo key or Ctrl in place of ⌘.
- The screenshot is not on the desktop. You held ⌃, so it is on the clipboard; paste with ⌘V. Or Save to in ⇧⌘5 → Options points to another folder.
- A shortcut does nothing. Check System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Screenshots; the keys may have been changed or turned off.