Today, we will take look at some useful screenshot tools for Mac. Taking screenshot is an essential part when it comes to reviewing the output of your work. You can also make use of them for different purposes, like previewing the changes you made to a file or maybe recreate a certain image on your desktop screen. There are plethora of similar tools available in the market but we have come with a list of best ones available for Mac users.
While Mac users might be happy with the built-in screen capture function of Fn+Command + Shift + 4, Power Users will definitely need a third party tool to take beautiful screenshots. After hours of research, we finally found the best Mac screenshot tool on Reddit: Lightshot. Lightshot is a popular third-party app for taking screenshots on both Windows and Mac, especially for power users. The main feature of the app is that it allows you to add annotations to your screenshot (such as text), which makes it easier for you to share with others or provide further instruction.
There are two main types of screen capture tools. One type is effective in capturing a specific area of the screen and can be used to take multiple screenshots within a short time period. The other type of screen capture tool is a complete suite that allows you to do many screenshots. This article shall look into the various screen capture tools available today, evaluate their effectiveness, and outline some of their strengths and weaknesses.
While you can use the keyboard with OS X to take screenshots, there are occasions where you will want a dedicated tool — namely when using 8 forms of special effects. Mac users can take screenshots easily with the built-in OS X and Preview app, but sometimes third party software will offer better options. Here we look at some of the best screenshot tools for mac, including Skitch and Snoop.
How to Snip on Mac
For you to snip on Mac, all you need is basic screenshot skills. Mac offers you various options, such as using a screen shortcut for different types of screen capturing (area, window, and the entire screen).
Read on to know the ropes of snipping on Mac.
1. Command + Shift + 2
This method is one of the fastest ways to screenshot on your Mac. The technique comes in handy when you need to capture something temporarily. It involves holding the COMMAND + SHIFT + “3” simultaneously, and as a result, the captured part is pasted directly to your desktop.
The keys function similarly to the ones on Windows. After the screenshot is captured, a thumbnail preview appears on the lower right side of your screen. If you want to view the whole Mac snipping tool, click the thumbnail.
You can now perform annotating, editing, and rotating tasks before saving on the desktop with the entire screen.
2. Command + Shift + 4
Preferably, you can screenshot using CMD+SHIFT+4 to capture your content seamlessly. With this technique, you can select the section you need to be captured. Additionally, you can specifically select what is needed and leave the rest. Here is the simple process.
- Press the CMD + SHIFT + 4 simultaneously until a small bull’s eye appears on the screen.
- Click the top-left corner of the area you need to screenshot using your mouse or touchpad.
- Hold and drag the cursor to mark the entire area you need to screenshot.
- Release the mouse to capture the image.
After that, a tiny screenshot preview appears on the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Unfortunately, the image disappears after a few seconds, so you might need to make your edits fast. Notably, if you make a mistake while editing, cancel the box to copy the initially captured image on your screen.
3. Command + Shift + 5
The feature is the newest technique you can use to screenshot your apple screen. When you use this method, an overlay window pops out to allow you to select a full-screen, a window, or a selection screenshot.
1. Monosnap – Editor’s choice
Monosnap provides the most utility among all the tools listed. While it offers a free version, you can also avail of a 30-day free trial before buying its subscription. The app has good developer support and gets updated regularly. Besides, you can revamp the hotkeys to your liking.
When I say this tool has a lot of functionality and features, I actually mean it. For e.g., as soon as you click a screenshot, you can open it in the app’s native editor, external editor or even copy the screenshot to the clipboard.
Further, there is an option to change the font of the tool’s interface. If you come across some bugs or glitches, you can directly report them in the embedded feedback section of the tool itself.
The user is also offered the ability to screen record in two formats, MPEG and GIF, and, you know what the icing on the cake is? You can not only set the quality of the video but also the FPS it records the screen in. Too good, right?
Pros
- Annotate and Highlight
- Revamp Hotkeys
- Record Videos/GIFs
- Blur images
Cons
- No significant cons
Price: Free (Paid monthly subscription starts at $4.99)
2. Lightshot Screenshot – Easy sharing
Lightshot Screenshot is for people who want basic things done right. It is clean and minimal. Once the screenshot is captured, it lets you annotate.
Also, sharing these screenshots is quite easy too. Once you select the screen area, you can directly share it with Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you want to share it elsewhere, you can also directly share the link.
While the tool has these perks, it comes with its set of quirks too. The motion is slow and lagging while dragging the cursor to grab a screenshot.
And this tool can only capture screenshots. It offers no other features like timer, scrolling screenshot, etc. Further, you can’t capture the screen with the press of a button. You will need to select the area manually.
Pros
- Completely free
- Provides a link right away
- Annotate easily
Cons
- Limited functionality
- Time-consuming for beginners
Price: Free
3. Shottr – Fastest among all
Shottr is the fastest screenshot tool on this list. A screenshot is taken within 17ms. This is made possible as the company specially optimized this tool for Apple’s M1 SoC’s. Moreover, it occupies just 1.2MB of space.
The tool allows you to copy text from the screen right away by mapping shortcut keys, and if that wasn’t enough, the preview window also displays color codes from a screenshot as you move your cursor over it.
Another unique feature of the tool is that it allows scrolling screenshots to set the speed for it. The app interface is also minimal and extremely user-friendly. Further, the preview window offers annotation and other features like copying the image to share, uploading it on the Shottr cloud, etc.
Pros
- Fastest screenshot tool
- Supports scrolling screenshots
- Copy text on the go
- Optimized for M1
Cons
- Doesn’t support screen recording
Price: Free
4. Xnip: Screenshot and Annotation – Jack of all trades
Xnip is a basic screenshot tool. It allows you to pin a screenshot on any tab you’re working on. This nifty feature is exclusive to Xnip on this list. The app interface is straightforward and has great developer support. Support for scrolling screenshots can be seen here as well. Revamping the hotkeys is also possible. While the tool isn’t the fastest on the list, it isn’t slow either. You have to drag and select the area you want to capture and can annotate it on the go.
While the tool is free to use, subscribing to the paid version will remove the watermark from scrolling capture and step annotation. Additionally, it will also allow custom file names.
Pros
- Screenshot pinning
- Can save images in multiple formats
- Supports revamping hotkeys
Cons
- Lacks screen recording
- Watermark on certain screenshots
Price: Free (Paid subscription starts at $4.99)
5. Cleanshot X – Hide files and folders
When you take a screenshot with Cleanshot X, a smart overlay pops up at the corner of your screen. This small preview has quite-useful options. As soon as you move your cursor on the small preview window, you can copy the image and save it or even upload it to the cloud and annotate it. You can also upload the image to the cloud and get a link to share.
Scrolling screenshots and screen recording are present on this tool. If you get a lot of notifications and they usually keep showing up in your screenshots, this tool has a feature that can automatically mute notifications in the screenshot. Amazing, right?
Our desktops are cluttered with files and folders, and this tool provides you with the feature to hide everything on your desktop while taking a screenshot. The tool also allows you can also set a custom wallpaper for it. Also, it is one of the few tools that allows you to pin the image.
Pros
- The best preview interface
- Cloud storage
- Screen recording and Screen recording
Cons
- Paid
Price: $29 for one-time payment | $8 per user/mo
6. LightShot
If you’re looking for a lightweight Mac screenshot solution, LightShot is probably for you. With it, you can edit screenshots using colors, shapes, text, and more. You can also take successive screenshots quickly, a feature that’s missing from other solutions.
Completely free, LightShot is available for Mac and Windows and offers one of the easiest-to-follow interfaces around.
7. SnapNDrag
My favorite feature of SnapNDrag is the library. Rather than capturing screenshots to your Desktop or another directory, it instead embeds them in a library file. This avoids cluttering up your directory with five slightly different images of the same interface. When you get the one you like, you can export it as your choice of image format. You can take many different types of screenshots, with timed and instant options available. The annotation aren’t as great as Skitch, however.
But the main drawback of SnapNDrag is the cost. The full version of the app is $10, and functionality like resizing screenshots to arbitrary dimensions costs another $10 on top of that. With core features locked behind a fairly steep paywall, it’s hard to recommend the app.
8. Snagit
Snagit is another professional-grade screenshot utility with a cost to match. It might be the most powerful utility on the list, with a nearly bewildering array of annotation options and features. It’s truly immense, and it’s perfect for users that need to create screenshots constantly. Professionals that need extensive annotation might find the extended utility to be worth the $50 cost. If you want to try it out, you can get a 15-day free trial with all features unlocked. And if you like Snagit but you can’t get behind the cost, you mighty try Jing instead. It’s by the same developers but free and sharing images over their social service.
9. Snapz Pro X
Snapz Pro X is the favorite of many long-time Mac users with aged adherents to the platform remembering its long lost version one. It’s one of the longest-lived screenshot apps as well as one the more powerful. In addition to a robust screenshot capability, the app can create video from your any part of your Mac’s screen. It can capture both system output and microphone input, which makes it especially well-suited to creating tutorials. You can use it to take static screenshots, and you’ll find an impressive range of functionality.
The app’s cost, however, is pure madness: a full license is $69. Unless you need something to make videos with constantly, you’re better off with a cheaper application.
Take Better Screenshots
Windows and Mac may have their native screenshot tools, but when you need more advanced features to annotate and edit your snaps, you can always choose any of the five listed here. The best part is they’re free to download and use, so you’re sure to find something that’ll fit your needs.
We’d love to hear your recommendations on other free screenshot tools you use that didn’t make it to our list. Tell us in a comment below.
Conclusion
Taking screenshot is very simple for the people who have used PC. For Mac user, it’s a major task because there are no default ways of taking screenshots. The only way that can be done is by the help to buy $60+ software. Moreover, not everyone is qualified enough to use these tools.
Mac is usually considered to be the best system for graphic designers and artists. As almost every known graphic designer artist prefers Mac system with its inbuilt graphic designing tools that are compatible with majority of the popular software used by the designer and by other professionals.