How many times have you captured a screenshot from your laptop or computer? Well, it can be countless times! Screenshots are now quite normal things that you use for different purposes. You may use it to store information, show some interesting facts to your friends and families, or even just for entertainment purposes.
Despite being nominal, screenshots allow us a new way to communicate and often help us share a few laughs. In the case of computers or PCs, a screenshot is often called a snippet. While Windows users have easy ways to capture a snippet with a tool, Mac users often run into trouble.
If you are a Mac user and are looking for ways to capture a snapper from your device, this is the right place for you to learn the tricks! Yes, snipping is possible with Mac computers. The device has an in-built snipping procedure that allows you to take screenshots like your Windows device. There are also other tools for snipping purposes.
How to Snip on Mac
The easiest shortcut to capture a snippet on Mac is using a shortcut through the keyboards.
How to Snip on Mac Using Keyboard
- To capture your entire screen, simply press Command (⌘) + Shift + 3.
- If you only need to capture a specific portion of your screen, press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then drag your cursor to select the area you want.
- For capturing a specific window, press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then press the Spacebar and click on the window you want to capture.
Remember, you can customize these shortcuts in your Mac’s System Preferences under “Keyboard” and then “Shortcuts.
Taking a Snip on a Mac with the Screenshot Toolbar
The screenshot toolbar on your Mac offers a user-friendly interface for capturing snips with ease. Whether you’re a visual learner or prefer a simplified approach, utilizing the toolbar can streamline your snipping process.
Activating the Screenshot Toolbar:
To access the screenshot toolbar, press “Command + Shift + 5” on your keyboard. This action summons a control panel at the bottom of your screen, showcasing various snipping options.
How to Use Different Snipping Modes:
Within the screenshot toolbar, you’ll find a range of snipping modes tailored to diverse needs. From capturing the entire screen to selecting specific windows or regions, each mode offers versatility.
- Full-Screen Snip: Click the “Capture Entire Screen” button to capture the entirety of your screen in one go. This mode is ideal for comprehensive screenshots or when you need to share your entire display.
- Selected Window Snip: Choose the “Capture Selected Window” option to focus solely on a specific application window. This mode eliminates clutter and ensures precision when capturing content within a particular program.
- Selected Portion Snip: Opt for the “Capture Selected Portion” tool to define a custom area for snipping. Click and drag to create a selection box around the desired content, allowing for targeted snips with precision.
Alternative Methods for Capturing Screens:
There are multiple tools that you can use for capturing snippets from a Mac device. There is a comprehensive table for your information:
| Tool | Price | Security | Integration | Mark-ups | Extra features |
| Droplr | $6 per month | Enterprise-level encryption and SSO | 12 integrations | Basic tools | A screen recorder, cloud storage, link sharing |
| Snagit | Flat $49.95 with add on price | Medium level security | 12 integrations | Advanced tools | Cloud storage and screen recorder available for extra price |
| CloudApp | $9.95 per month | High-level security | 30 integrations | Basic tools | Screen recorder and cloud storage |
| Skitch | Premium features come for $7.99 per month | Medium level security | 6 integrations with the main priority of Evernote | Basic tools | none |
| Apowersoft Pro | Personal $129.99 and business $259.99 | Medium level to high security | Few available apps | Advanced image editing effect | Cloud storage, screen recorder, pro editing tools |
Best Snipping Tool for Mac
If you are not comfortable using the snipping shortcuts of your Mac device or tend to forget them, do not worry. There are multiple snipping tools that you can use. Here are the best tools for a Mac device-
1. Droplr
Droplr can be a good choice for organizations that need high-quality snippets for future use. This snipping tool is a value-for-money application with advanced security, cloud storage, and flexible pricing options.
Droplr also allows users to create customized GIFs using their screenshots and screen recordings. With it, you get exclusive cloud storage that you can use with your Droplr account credentials. Your screenshots will be stored in the cloud storage in a properly organized library with tags and bookmarks.
Moreover, Droplr offers enterprise-level advanced encryption and SSO to keep your data safe. Its best feature is the integration system. You can integrate Droplr with other apps or platforms to share snippets or screenshots. You can use Slack to share your device screen with others. Additionally, you can integrate this snipping tool with Photoshop with multiple editing effects.
Droplr offers a three-day free trial for Mac users. Its initial price starts at $6 per month with features like 1TB storage, click analytics, 500 GB bandwidth per month. Interested organizations can also contact the Droplr executive team for customized plans.
2. Snagit
Snagit is a specialized snipping tool for creating visual instructions for teams and others. Hence, it often helps organizations or small teams that use audiovisual images for communication.
With Snagit, you can create videos with screenshots and audio or panoramic views of web pages. It also comes with many professional tools to enhance the snippets and allows further customization. Moreover, this snipping tool allows you to extract texts from a screenshot and paste that into a word document.
On top of that, you can also integrate this tool with Google Drive, Facebook, or Microsoft Suite for sharing snippets easily.
Snagit has a single License plan at $49.95 which supports two different devices. Government organizations, NGOs, and educational institutes can get a discounted price also. The 2021 upgrade with some added features cost an additional $34.99 alongside the base price. You can also purchase cloud storage at a yearly price of $99.95
3. CloudApp
CloudApp is ideal for those who want an alternative to Mac’s own snipping tool with a proper integration facility.
ClousApp is a cloud-based snipping tool that allows you to click screenshots, record screens, and make GIFs as per your preference. You can also share these using a URL. It also offers editing tools such as emoticons, basic drawing tools, blurring tools, etc.
It offers integration with nearly 30 apps with Zapier, Sketch, WordPress, etc.
You can use the free version, which comes with 1 minute screen recording time, 15-second GIFs 100MB/file upload size 5GB/link/day bandwidth, and 25 drop limit. The premium plan comes with 1 1-minute GIF, 1GB/file upload limit, and 2GB/link/day bandwidth at a monthly plan of $9.95.
4. Skitch
If you want a user-friendly tool, Skitch is the best option for you. Skitch is an app-based tool that allows you to capture snippets, and edit screenshots. Its user interface is straightforward. It also offers seven editing tools, including text, color palette, eight colors, shapes, highlighter, a tool for blurring, cropping, and drag and drop for sharing files through emails or messaging apps.
Suppose you have an Evernote premium account (priced at $7.99 per month). In that case, you can access the Skitch premium features without any extra cost.
5. Apowersoft Screen Capture Pro
Apowersoft Screen Capture Pro comes with a Mac snipping tool. It offers cloud storage, screen recording, cloud storage, window, or full-screen recording. It allows you to save the files in different formats like jpg, png, BMP, or pdf. You can also save the videos in MP4, WMV FLV, or AVI.
It also allows you to edit and highlight the snippets or screen recordings with its pro editing tools. Moreover, you can directly share the file using an image link, or HTML link format. The best feature of it is the screenshot scheduler feature.
Apowersoft Screen Capture Pro has two different plans. The personal lifetime plan comes at a price tag of $129.99. On the other hand, the business plan costs $259.99. You can also purchase individual tools at a discounted price (maximum 40% off).
| Note: –
But here’s the catch: this tool doesn’t work everywhere. Some apps, like Apple TV and Netflix, won’t let you use them to take pictures. Why? Well, it’s because of something called Digital Rights Management (DRM). These apps have special protections that stop you from saving or sharing their content in certain ways. So, while the Screenshot app is great for most things, it has its limits too.
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Why Can’t I Take a Screenshot on My Mac?
Encountering difficulties in taking screenshots on your Mac can be frustrating, but fear not – we’re here to troubleshoot common issues and provide solutions to ensure smooth sailing with your snipping endeavors.
Common Issues and Solutions:
- Permission Settings: If you’re unable to take screenshots, check your Mac’s privacy settings. Navigate to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy tab > Screen Recording. Ensure that the application you’re using to capture screenshots is listed and enabled.
- Keyboard Shortcut Conflicts: Conflicting keyboard shortcuts with other applications or system functions may hinder your ability to take screenshots. Review your keyboard settings and ensure that no other programs are using the same shortcuts for different purposes.
- Insufficient Disk Space: If your Mac’s storage is nearing capacity, it may impact your ability to save screenshots. Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files or transferring data to an external drive to alleviate storage constraints.
- Corrupted System Files: Occasionally, corrupted system files can disrupt screenshot functionality. Run the Disk Utility tool to check for and repair any disk errors that may be affecting your Mac’s performance.
- Outdated Software: Ensure that your Mac’s operating system and relevant applications are up-to-date. Outdated software versions may contain bugs or compatibility issues that hinder screenshot functionality. Update your Mac and associated software to the latest versions available.
Conclusion
Mac devices come with an in-built screenshot tool, which you can use on your keyboard to capture snippets of a window, a part of the screen, or even the toolbar as per your preference. But, many people often require some extra features for capturing snippets. In such cases, using a snippet tool becomes convenient. You can choose any of these apps if you need some extra features for further editing the snippets.
Well, Mac devices have an in-built snipping tool that a user can use to capture screenshots. Besides that, there are many independent tools available in the market. The best snipping tool should be picked according to your purpose and requirements. The inbuilt tool can be enough for you if you capture screenshots only for regular usage and entertainment purposes.
On the other hand, if you need to edit the snippets further, you can use any of the tools described in this article. The choice finally lies with you.
