Overview
You can take pictures (called screenshots) of a computer, or mobile device, screen in order to help customers better understand an article's content.
In this article:
Taking Screenshots on macOS
There are many methods available to take a screenshot on macOS. By default macOS will save all screenshots as a file on the current individuals desktop folder with a file name that looks like "Screen Shot 2020-06-08 at 7.56.41 AM".
macOS Screenshot Keyboard Commands
| Type |
Keyboard Commands |
Notes |
| Capture the entire screen |
Press Command + Shift + 3 |
The Mac captures the entire, primary, screen. |
| Capture a portion of the screen |
Press Command + Shift + 4 |
A target cursor will appear. Use a mouse/trackpad to draw a selection to specify what to capture, or press the spacebar and then click on the desired object (e.g. a window) to capture it. |
| Open Screenshot |
Press Command + Shift + 5 |
Launches the Screenshot application. See the Screenshot section below for more details. |
| Capture the Touch Bar |
Press Command + Shift + 6 |
On Mac laptops equipped with a Touch Bar. |
| Capture to clipboard |
Press Control + any of the combinations above |
The Mac will take a screenshot and copies it to the clipboard instead of saving it to a file. You'll need to paste the image into another program (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Preview, etc.) in order to do something with it. |
macOS Screenshot using Preview
If you do not prefer to use keyboard commands you can use the Preview.app instead.
- Open Preview.
- Click File menu.
- Click Take Screenshot.
- Select desired option:
- From Selection...
- From Window...
- From Entire Screen
macOS Screenshot using Screenshot
You can take screenshots, or recordings of the screen using the Screenshot.app. Screenshot provides a panel of tools, displayed on the screen, that allows you to easily control what you capture.
- On your Mac, press Command+Shift+5 (or via the Launchpad, or from the Utilities folder) to open Screenshot.
- A set of onscreen tools will be displayed.
- Click the desired tool to select what you want to capture, or record.
| Tools |
Description |
 |
Capture the entire screen |
 |
Capture a window |
 |
Capture a portion of the screen |
 |
Record the entire screen |
 |
Record a portion of the screen |
- Click Options if you want.
The options available will vary based on whether you're taking a screenshot, or a screen recording.
- Start the screenshot, or screen recording
- For the entire screen, or a region of it: Click Capture.
- For a window: Move the cursor to the window, and click the window.
- For recordings: Click Record. To stop recording, click the Stop Recording button in the menu bar.
Taking Screenshots on Windows
There are many methods available to take a screenshot on macOS. By default Windows will place all screenshots into the system Clipboard. You'll need to paste the image into another program (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Paint, etc.) in order to do something with it.
Windows Screenshot Keyboard Commands
| Type |
Keyboard Commands |
Notes |
| Capture the entire screen |
Press PrtScrn |
Windows captures the entire, primary, screen. |
| Capture a single active window |
Press Alt + PrtScrn |
Windows captures only the currently active window. |
| Capture a portion of the screen |
Press Shift + Windows + S |
The Screen snip tool will open. Select the desired selection type, and use the mouse/trackpad to draw a selection to specify what to capture. Note: Available since Windows 10 Creator Update (version 1703). |
| Capture the entire screen and save to file |
Press Windows + PrtScrn |
Windows (8 or 10) captures the entire screen and saves it as a file in your ~/Pictures/Screenshots folder with a file name that looks like "Screenshot (n)" where n is a increasing integer value. |
Taking Screenshots on iOS/iPadOS
Taking a screenshot on an iOS, or iPadOS device is straightforward. By default screenshots are saved within the Photos app.
iOS/iPadOS Screenshot Commands
| Type |
Keyboard Commands |
Notes |
| Capture the entire screen |
Press Home + Sleep/Wake |
The screen flashes white. Your device captures the entire screen, and saves it as a photo. |
The Sleep/Wake button is the isolated button either at the top (e.g. iPhone 5, 5s, 6, 6s, etc.), or on the right side (e.g. iPhone 8, X, 11, etc.)
Taking Screenshots on Android
Taking a screenshot on Android 4.0, or later, device is straightforward. By default screenshots are saved within the Gallery or Photos app.
Android Screenshot Commands
| Type |
Keyboard Commands |
Notes |
| Capture the entire screen |
Press Power + Volume Down |
The screen flashes white. Your device captures the entire screen, and saves it as a photo. |
Need additional help or have issues
For additional assistance contact the IT Services Technical Support Center via phone at (907) 786-4646, toll-free at (877) 633-3888, email us at uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu, or visit the Services section to open a support ticket.