If you need to keep a part of an important document or show something on your screen to a friend or coworker, taking screenshots is a fast and helpful way. When you crop a screenshot, you can zoom in on what’s important and eliminate what you don’t need. Fortunately, macOS makes it easy to crop screenshots without needing third-party software.
In this article, we have discussed how to crop a screenshot on Mac using the built-in screenshot app, preview and photos app.
Keyboard shortcut to take screenshots
Before you can crop a screenshot, you need to capture the content you want to edit. Mac provides several ways to take screenshots.
- Capture the Entire Screen: Press Shift + Command + 3 to capture the entire screen. The screenshot will be saved to your desktop by default.
- Capture a Selected Area: Press Shift + Command + 4, and your cursor will turn into a crosshair. Click and drag to select the portion of the screen you want to capture. Release the mouse button to take the screenshot.
- Capture a Specific Window: Press Shift + Command + 4, then press the Spacebar. Your cursor will change to a camera icon. Click on the window you want to capture.
Also read: How to delete screenshots on Mac?
Crop a screenshot using the built-in screenshot app
You can use the built-in screenshot app to capture a cropped screenshot on a Mac. This app works like the Snipping Tool on various other devices and platforms. It’s a lightweight, user-friendly application that is perfect for beginners. You can start it by pressing specific keyboard shortcuts or accessing it through the Launchpad. The Screenshot app allows you to capture various dimensions and screen sections screenshots. Additionally, it offers screen recording capabilities and includes useful features such as a timer.
Follow the steps below to crop a screenshot using the built-in screenshot app.
Step 1: Press the Shift + Command + 5 to open the screen capture tool.
Step 2: Select the appropriate button to capture your screenshot after opening the tool. You can use buttons that allow you to take screenshots, such as the whole screen, a specific window, or a portion of the screen.
Step 3: You can use the options tab to use extra features of the tool.
Step 4: After selecting the type of screenshot you want, click on the Capture button or the window you want to capture.
Step 5: A thumbnail of your capture will appear, which you can click on and crop as needed.
Also read: How to check the clipboard history on Mac?
Crop a screenshot using the Preview
Alternatively, you can use the Preview tool on your Mac to crop screenshots. Preview is typically used for viewing image files on your device or new images, like screenshots you’ve taken. With this, you can easily crop the image and use Preview for other tasks like resizing, adding notes, or adjusting the colours of images, including screenshots.
To crop a screenshot using Preview on Mac follow the steps below.
Step 1: Double-click on the screenshot you want to crop to open the image in the Preview.
Step 2: Click on the Show Markup Toolbar (Pencil) icon.
Step 3: Now, click and drag to select the area you want to keep.
Step 4: In the menu bar, click on Tools and then in the dropdown menu click on the Crop option.
Crop a screenshot using the Photos app
You can also use the Photos app with your Mac to crop screenshots easily. This app is not just for cropping; it’s also handy for doing more advanced edits on your images and screenshots, like changing colours, resizing, adding filters, and more.
To crop a screenshot using the Photos app on Mac, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open the Photos app and double-click the screenshot you want to crop.
Step 2: Click on the Edit button at the top right corner of the screen.
Step 3: Now, click on the Crop tab at the top and then crop the screenshot by clicking and dragging.
Step 4: After you are done cropping the image, click on the Done button.
Also read: Can you record a FaceTime call?
