Notes

Screenshot shortcuts on macOS, Linux and Windows

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Workflow
2 minutes

macOS

Screenshots

  • Cmd + Shift + 3 capture the entire screen

  • Cmd + Shift + 4 capture selected portion of the screen

  • Cmd + Shift + 5 see all screenshot/screencast controls on screen

  • Cmd + Shift + 6 capture the Touch Bar

  • Files ares saved as .png on your Desktop

Screencasts

  • Cmd + Shift + 5

Ubuntu

Screenshots

In Ubuntu 22.04 and GNOME 42 the default shortcuts for using the screenshots are:

  • Prt Scrn to take a screenshot interactively
  • Alt + Prt Scrn take a screenshot of current application window
  • Shift + Prt Scrn to take a screenshot of entire screen (all monitors)

The images will be saved in your ~/Picture/Screenshots folder.

Ubuntu 22.04 introduced a screenshot utility that allows you to take a screenshot interactively instead of taking a screenshot directly with the shortcuts. You can change this behaviour under Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts > Screenshots

You can also enable the old screenshot utility to save screen selections. You’ll have to install gnome-screenshot and add a custom shortcut for the command gnome-screenshot -a. (The -a or --area option lets you grab an area of the screen instead of the entire screen). You should also then disable the interactive utility shortcut if needed

The old shortcuts used to be:

  • Prt Scrn to take a screenshot of entire screen (all monitors)
  • Alt + Prt Scrn take a screenshot of current application window
  • Shift + Prt Scrn to take a screenshot of an area you select

And the images were be saved in the ~/Pictures folder. Holding Ctrl with above shortcuts would copy to clipboard instead of saving images.

Screencasts

  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R start/stop recording your screen

The screencasts will be saved in your ~/Videos folder.

Ubuntu Keybaord Shortcuts for Screenshots

Windows

Screenshots

  • Prt Scrn - entire screen, copied to clipboard
  • Win + Prt Scrn - entire screen, saved to Pictures > Screenshots
  • Alt + Prt Scrn - active window, copied to clipboard
  • Win + Shift + S - selected area, copied to clipboard

Screencasts & Game bar

  • Win + G - Game bar (will bother you most times asking if the app is a game)
  • Win + Alt + Prt Scrn - take screenshot
  • Win + Alt + R - sart/stop recording

Recordings are saved in Username > Videos > Captures in MP4 format. Screenshots are saved in PNG