So many blogs I run across have some of the nastiest screenshots. Pictures of files, programs, browsers, desktops, you name it! Here is a quick tip on how to get a nice clean screenshot without any special tools.
Hopefully most of you know how to take a screenshot on a Mac ( *nods head yes* ). If not there are two ways.
- Shift + Command + 3 (takes a shot of your full screen)
- Shift + Command +4 (allows you to drag an area to capture)
To keep this simple and quick, let’s say the site/blog your posting on has a white background. Right click on your desktop and choose “Change Desktop Background”
Then choose “Solid Color” and pick White.
Now make sure you don’t have a messy desktop or any icons in the way. center up your browser/folder and hit the Shift + Command + 4 to drag out an area around the browser/folder. TA DA! Nice clean screenshot!
Like I said above, this works if you’re putting it on something with a white background. The implication is to change your desktop color to match the color of the background that will seat beneath your screenshot.
I’m glad I got that off my chest was able to help.
UPDATE!
Okay I totally got pwnd by the community. Highfive to you guys. The best way to do this is….
Shift + Commmand + 4 + Space
*bows head in shame…
Shawn says
I think there’s an easier way than changing your desktop color… at least it’s easier for me.
Press Shift + Command + 4 [then let go] Tap spacebar [let go] – your cursor changes to a camera.
Click said camera inside a window and voila…perfect screenshot of just that window with transparent edges and drop shadow in tact. See: http://cl.ly/1ynI
(Not sure how far back in OSX history this works, I’m using Snow Leopard)
Travis Paulding says
You left out the useful “tap the spacebar after hitting Command-Shift-4” to allow you to get a pic of a full window with shadow.
Todd McKee says
I personally use either Snagit (free while in beta) or Jing. Both of these are FREE and give you the option to select the window you want to capture. Snagit also give the option to “autoscroll” a web page to capture the entire page. After the capture, both of these allow you to edit or add markup to the image.
If you do a lot of screen captures, I recommend setting up spaces on your Mac and using one the pages for screen captures.
Clay says
Don’t forget about Shift + Command + 4 + Spacebar.
Nick LeFors III says
Perhaps an easier way: Shift + CMD + 4, then hit the space bar. You can then take a snapshot of any window open with a transparent background. No need to change the desktop background — no one likes doing that.
Chance says
Don’t forget you can do this:
Shift + Command + 4 + Space Bar
This lakes you take a very good shot of a specific window (and it even ads shadows when you place it in Keynote, Pages, etc).
Sam says
Or you can do Shift + Command + 4 and then hit the spacebar to turn the crosshairs into a camera. This will let you take an image of just the selected window so you dont have to change your background
Michael Novotny says
Or, for a quick and handy tool to hide those desktop icons, use a free little app from Many Tricks called Desktop Curtain. =)
http://manytricks.com/desktopcurtain/
Ben says
Thanks for sharing. I’ve been meaning to figure out how to do that but never did.
Graham says
oh man… I’ve been using the native grab application for mac. Didn’t know about this! I like that it makes them a .png file instead of a .tiff file! WIN!