# How to take a partial screenshot on Mac LazyScreenshots publishes a public search API over its indexed pages; the guide is at https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/agent-access. Source: https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/partial-screenshot-mac/ Source observed: 2026-09-21T09:23:17.338Z Last checked: 2026-09-21T21:19:21.866+00:00 Indexed: 2026-09-21T09:26:16.493+00:00 --- # How to take a partial screenshot on Mac Canonical: https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/partial-screenshot-mac/ Author: Ali Abouelatta (https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/authors/ali-abouelatta/) Published: 2026-06-28 Updated: 2026-09-21 Research type: Sourced how-to guide Method: Apple screenshot documentation and the saved local macOS screencapture manual, retrieved September 20, 2026. Command examples are syntax references only and were not executed; pixel dimensions are intentionally not benchmarked. A partial screenshot is the right choice when the reader only needs one error, control, chart, or part of a window. It avoids making someone crop a full-screen capture later. ## Fastest method: Shift-Command-4 1. Press Shift-Command-4. 2. Drag the crosshair over the area you want. 3. Release the mouse or trackpad button. Press Escape if you change your mind. Hold Space while dragging to move the rectangle without changing its size. By default, the saved file goes to the Desktop. The Screenshot toolbar can change that destination. ## Use the Screenshot toolbar Press Shift-Command-5 and choose the tool for capturing a portion of the screen. Drag the frame to resize or reposition it, then click Capture. The current Mac user guide includes a “Remember Last Selection” option in Screenshot > Options. Turn it on when you are repeating the same region, such as before-and-after UI states. It is useful for consistency, but it does not guarantee the same output dimensions across different displays or display settings. The toolbar’s Options menu also controls the save destination, timer, floating thumbnail, pointer, and—on supported Macs using macOS Tahoe 26 or later—the HDR/SDR capture format. ## Copy a partial capture instead of saving a file Hold Control while pressing the shortcut: Control-Shift-Command-4, drag over the area, then release. The capture goes to the Clipboard. Paste it with Command-V. Apple also lets you Control-click the floating thumbnail and choose Save to Clipboard. ## Optional Terminal captures macOS includes the screencapture command. The local macOS manual documents interactive selection and fixed rectangles: mkdir -p "$HOME/Screenshots" screencapture -i "$HOME/Screenshots/selection.png" screencapture -R 100,200,800,600 "$HOME/Screenshots/region.png" screencapture -c -i The first command creates the destination folder. The next two save an interactive selection or a rectangle; the last sends an interactive capture to the Clipboard. Use an explicit path so you know where the file will go. These commands were not executed as part of this article review. The rectangle form uses x, y, width, and height values. Treat those as screen-coordinate inputs, not as a promise that a 400-by-300 selection will always produce a particular output pixel size. Display scaling, capture format, and the selected surface affect the result. ## If the result is wrong - If the crosshair never appears, check System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Screenshots. - If a saved capture is not where expected, open Shift-Command-5 > Options and inspect Save to. - If a window or media surface is blank, test a normal document window. Apple notes that some apps may block screenshots of their windows. - If the floating thumbnail is missing, check Show Floating Thumbnail in Screenshot > Options. Related guides: [Mac screenshot keyboard shortcuts that still work](/blog/mac-screenshot-keyboard-shortcuts/) · [Mac screenshot settings: location, format, and file names](/blog/mac-screenshot-settings-location-format/). Source note: [Apple Support: Take a screenshot on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102646), [Apple User Guide: Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/take-a-screenshot-mh26782/mac), and the local macOS screencapture manual, retrieved September 20, 2026. ## Disclosure Ali owns LazyScreenshots. That creates a conflict when he writes about LazyScreenshots or reviews competitors, so relevant pieces say so plainly. These articles are research and opinion, not independent third-party ratings. --- [Read this page’s summary](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/api/public/v1/page-tldr?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lazyscreenshots.com%2Fblog%2Fpartial-screenshot-mac%2F&trace=t_8b965f9c5bc6) ## Ask a follow-up about this page Need a more specific answer? Ask the exact question you have. It returns a fresh, cited answer from LazyScreenshots’s knowledge base. No account or API key required. Open this URL with your own question, URL-encoded. Only q is required. No account or setup. `GET https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/agent/faq?q={question}&trace=t_8b965f9c5bc6` [Tool guide and examples](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/agent-access) · [OpenAPI](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/api/public/v1/openapi.json) · [Page TLDR form](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/agent-tools/page-tldr?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lazyscreenshots.com%2Fblog%2Fpartial-screenshot-mac%2F). Opening a form does not execute a tool.