Things to Know
- Simple keyboard shortcuts exist that let you not only take a screenshot on your Mac, but also copy it.
- There are three different Mac clipboard screenshot shortcuts: one that captures the full screen, a portion of the screen, and an app window.
Taking screenshots on a Mac is a useful skill, and copying them directly onto the clipboard can save you lots of time. Skip searching for the location of your screenshot and automatically copy it, then jump directly to pasting with a simple keyboard shortcut. You can capture the entire screen, a portion of it, or just an app window.
Jump To:
- How to Screen Grab Full Screen on Mac & Copy to Clipboard
- How to Screen Grab Part of Mac's Screen & Copy to Clipboard
- How to Screen Grab a Single App Window & Copy to Clipboard
- FAQ
Three macOS Screenshot-to-Clipboard Keyboard Shortcuts
In past articles, we’ve covered how to screenshot on Mac, but these keyboard shortcuts add the step of automatically copying the screenshot to your clipboard. If you have a device that’s Universal Clipboard-compatible, you can paste the screenshot directly onto another Apple device. All three keyboard shortcuts require you to press the Command, Control, and Shift keys, and then you can press one more key depending on whether you want to capture the entire screen, a specific portion of the screen, or an individual app window.
How to Screen Grab Mac (Full Screen) & Copy to Clipboard
Here's how to screenshot on a Mac and automatically copy the full-screen capture to your clipboard:
- Press the Command, Control, Shift, and number 3 keyboard keys simultaneously.
![Press the Command, Control, Shift, and number 3 keyboard keys simultaneously.]()
- Now, you can paste this full-screen screenshot into any compatible app or even to an Apple device via the Universal Keyboard.
Pro Tip
You can check the content of your Mac’s clipboard by opening the Finder app, selecting Edit, and clicking on Show Clipboard.
Keyboard Shortcut for Screenshot of a Select Portion of Mac Screen
If you want to screenshot just a portion of your Mac screen and have that automatically copied to your clipboard:
- Press the Command, Control, Shift, and number 4 keyboard keys simultaneously.
![Press the Command, Control, Shift, and number 4 keyboard keys simultaneously.]()
- Now, you can paste this partial screen screenshot into any compatible app or even to an Apple device via the Universal Keyboard.
This is also known as the Mac screen print command but with the extra copy step. Some users refer to this as the snipping tool Mac. For more Apple device tips, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter.
How to Print Screen Mac App Window
A lesser-known Mac keyboard shortcut lets you take a screenshot of a specific app window while simultaneously copying it to the clipboard:
- Press the Command, Control, Shift, and number 4 keyboard keys simultaneously.
![Press the Command, Control, Shift, and number 4 keyboard keys simultaneously.]()
- Next, press the spacebar key.
![Next, press the spacebar key.]()
- Now, you can select the app window on your Mac to screenshot it.
The screenshot will capture the entire app window, even if an app looks partially hidden on your Mac’s display.
Now you know how to use the macOS shortcut for screenshots that not only capture the full screen, part of the screen, or app window but also automatically copy it to the Mac's clipboard. Next, learn how to allow paste in all apps for items copied to the clipboard
FAQ
- What is the clipboard on a Mac? The clipboard is the location where copied content goes and is stored until you paste it. Once copied, you can paste it as many times as you want until you either clear the clipboard or copy something new to it.
- Where do screenshots go on Mac? When you take a screenshot on your Mac, it will be saved to your Desktop by default.
- How do you screen record on Mac? If you press the Shift, Command, and five keys at the same time, the screen recording options will appear. You can also learn how to screen record on Mac using the native Quicktime app.
- How do you take a screenshot on your iPad? Learning how to screenshot on iPads is easy, and it is similar to doing it on iPhones; just press the Sleep/Wake button and either of the volume buttons simultaneously.
