Random, related wish: I've always wanted a screenshot utility that captured windows/screens as PDFs (or SVGs), with each element as separate objects at their highest-available resolutions. For example, icons would be 512×512px objects. Vector representations would be created for controls like windows, menus, and buttons.
macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
71–80 of 332 posts
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
It isn't hidden behind a keyboard shortcut. CMD+Shift+5 exposes the full screenshot UI, and under the clearly-named Options button is a menu that lets you pick the clipboard as the place to save. Holding CTRL is just a... well... "shortcut" for that.
That is literally the definition of "hidden behind a keyboard shortcut" - you have to be told or lookup CMD+Shift-5 before you can get to the full screenshot UI. It's been a while since I first used MacOS, but I don't remember it telling me how to do that.
How do you want them to inform you other than RTFM and word of mouth?
Do you want constant buttons on screen at all times for every possible OS-level functionality?
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#73This isn't totally screenshot related, but TextSniper is nice for quickly getting OCRed text from a selection on your screen, directly into your clipboard. https://textsniper.app/
Similar tool, but open source - https://github.com/amebalabs/TRex
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#74Want a quick measurement in px for something on your screen? CMD + SHIFT + 4 for the crosshairs, drag from origin to destination, observe the measurement in px. Press ESC to not capture anything. (Only works for horizontal or vertical measurements, unless you're good at doing pythagorean theorem in your head)
Free Ruler (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/free-ruler/id1483172210?mt=12) is handy to have if you find yourself needing this functionality often.
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#75Here is a key sequence I use very often. It takes a screenshot of a chosen window without the window's shadow. - First, type command + shift + 4 (the mouse pointer turns into crosshair). - Then type the space bar (the crosshair turns into a camera icon). - Hover the mouse pointer (a camera icon now), to highlight the chosen window. - Finally, hold the option key and click. This sounds like a lot of steps but it becom…
FYI, Cmd + Shift + 5 encapsulates all the various options into one UI.
and adds screen recording functionality as a video
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
That is literally the definition of "hidden behind a keyboard shortcut" - you have to be told or lookup CMD+Shift-5 before you can get to the full screenshot UI. It's been a while since I first used MacOS, but I don't remember it telling me how to do that.
How do you want them to inform you other than RTFM and word of mouth? Do you want constant buttons on screen at all times for every possible OS-level functionality?
I didn't give any value judgement to it and I don't have any suggestions as I really haven't spent a lot of time on that problem space. If I become an OS developer I'll give that problem some thought. But the idea that Mac is somehow "intuitive" is laughable, IMO (I say that as someone who has used a wide variety of computer OSes since the 80s).
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#77Here is a key sequence I use very often. It takes a screenshot of a chosen window without the window's shadow. - First, type command + shift + 4 (the mouse pointer turns into crosshair). - Then type the space bar (the crosshair turns into a camera icon). - Hover the mouse pointer (a camera icon now), to highlight the chosen window. - Finally, hold the option key and click. This sounds like a lot of steps but it becom…
> - Hover the mouse pointer (a camera icon now), to highlight the chosen window.
bruh, what, god tier shortcut here
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#78You can just hit the option key to take a screenshot of an app without the shadow. No need to go and change system wide defaults
There isn't that much practical reason to include the shadow though. In fact it tends to just make the important stuff smaller when sharing with someone because there's a bunch of border space surrounding the content, and whatever they're viewing in will show all of that unless they zoom in.
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
That is literally the definition of "hidden behind a keyboard shortcut" - you have to be told or lookup CMD+Shift-5 before you can get to the full screenshot UI. It's been a while since I first used MacOS, but I don't remember it telling me how to do that.
> That is literally the definition of "hidden behind a keyboard shortcut" - you have to be told or lookup CMD+Shift-5 before you can get to the full screenshot UI. Or more likely, new users search for "screenshot" in Spotlight the first few times, and if they do this enough maybe Google "mac screenshot shortcuts" (which leads them to https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361 ).
That's fair, particularly the "Googling it" part. Still don't think it falls under "intuitive" - it's not something I'd just try or figure out without somehow looking it up.
Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers
#80Hold control to save to your clipboard instead of a folder/desktop.
Also, you only need to hold ctrl when clicking to finish, so less finger twister.