How to take a screenshot on your Mac (Mojave or later)

• Link to How to take a screenshot on your Mac (Mojave or later) podcast on anchorfm

Often I have to take screenshots either for support tickets, issues I open on Github repositories, or technical posts I write on interglobalmedianetwork.com. I always knew how to take them either with a Chrome extension called Fireshot Capture or by pressing the Shift key + Command key + 3 key (or 4 key). The Shift key + Command key + 3 key captured the whole computer screen (pain in the ass), and Shift key + Command key + 4 key only captured a portion (selected). But you had to select and drag the Capture Selected Portion Box, and often you would inadvertently lose it because you accidentally deselected it. Or you would end up with a selection larger than the selection you wanted to capture. It made for ugly screenshots.

Today I was doing some research on VS Code, and I ended up digressing into OSX. Especially since I had recently upgraded to OSX Catalina, and it had been giving me some problems because of the changes it produced in the OSX operating system.

What I found makes the Fireshot Capture Chrome extension obsolete. Now you can take screenshots (or recordings) in a clean and quick fashion. All you have to do is press the Shift key + Command key + 5 key and the Capture Selected Portion Box appears above the specific window you are in. Make the adjustments (easily and accurately) to the Capture Selected Portion Box that you want, and then click the Capture button. A small thumbnail of the screenshot will first appear which you have to click on to open. Then, if you are satisfied with the screenshot, close out of it and it will save to the desktop by default. And that is it! So awesome.

I know there are a lot of other cool features that have been added in Catalina and to the past few system updates prior to it, so I am definitely taking time to get re-acquainted with my computer. Knowing what it has to offer is also very important towards software development, both for frontend and back, as well as simplifying your personal life or work life if outside the realm of software development.

I will be embedding this episode of Plugging in The Holes along with a transcript in the form of a post on interglobalmedianetwork.com for your hearing and reading pleasure. I will be including the related resource links mentioned in the podcast of course. Always do. Bye for now!

Related Resources

• How to take a screenshot on your Mac