Mac screencapture commands: a safe starting guide

macOS includes a command-line utility named screencapture. The local macOS manual is the primary reference for its flags. Use it when a repeatable file path or a scripted region is more useful than a keyboard shortcut.

The examples below were not executed as part of this article review.

Save a full-screen capture

Use an explicit output path:

mkdir -p "$HOME/Screenshots"
screencapture -m "$HOME/Screenshots/full-screen.png"

The first command creates the folder. The second captures only the main monitor, selected by -m, and writes the image there. Without a display selector, macOS can produce a separate file for each screen. Choose a new filename when you want to preserve an earlier image.

Select a region or window

screencapture -i "$HOME/Screenshots/selection.png"
screencapture -W "$HOME/Screenshots/window.png"
screencapture -W -o "$HOME/Screenshots/window-no-shadow.png"

The -i flag starts interactive selection. The -W flag starts window-selection mode. The -o flag omits the window shadow.

To capture a fixed rectangle, use x, y, width, and height:

screencapture -R 100,200,800,600 "$HOME/Screenshots/region.png"

These values describe the rectangle passed to the command. They do not promise a fixed output size across every display scale or capture format.

Send the result to the Clipboard

screencapture -c -i
screencapture -c -W

The first command interactively selects an area and sends it to the Clipboard. The second selects a window and sends it to the Clipboard. Paste with Command-V.

Add a delay or choose a display

screencapture -T 5 -i "$HOME/Screenshots/delayed.png"
screencapture -D 2 "$HOME/Screenshots/second-display.png"

-T adds a delay in seconds before the capture. -D selects a display number. Confirm the target on your Mac before building a script around display numbering.

Choose format or suppress sound

screencapture -m -t jpg "$HOME/Screenshots/capture.jpg"
screencapture -m -x "$HOME/Screenshots/silent.png"

The local manual documents -t for the image format and -x to suppress capture sounds. A command-line format choice is per capture; it is separate from Screenshot’s HDR/SDR setting on supported Macs using macOS Tahoe 26 or later.

Keep automation bounded

An unbounded while-true loop can fill a disk with screenshots. If you need a time-lapse, capture only the main monitor with a fixed count and a named output directory, then review the files before increasing the run:

mkdir -p "$HOME/Screenshots/timelapse"
for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do
  file="$HOME/Screenshots/timelapse/capture-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)-$i.png"
  screencapture -m -x "$file"
  sleep 30
done

Do not add upload, repository-commit, or external API commands to a basic capture example. They turn a local screenshot recipe into an external write and require separate review.

Permission and blank output

If a third-party terminal app cannot capture, check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording and enable that exact terminal app if macOS requests it. Test a normal window first; Apple notes that some apps may not allow screenshots of their windows.

Related guides: How to take a partial screenshot on Mac · Mac screenshot settings: location, format, and file names.

Source note: the local macOS screencapture manual, Apple Support: Take a screenshot on Mac, Apple User Guide: Allow apps to use screen and audio recording, retrieved September 20, 2026.