"How to screenshot on Mac" and "how to screenshot on Windows" are searched a combined 750,000+ times every month in the US alone — not because it's hard, but because the shortcut is easy to forget between the rare times you actually need it. Here's every method, for both systems, in one place.
How to screenshot on Mac
| Shortcut | What it captures |
|---|---|
| Cmd + Shift + 3 | Entire screen, saved as a file |
| Cmd + Shift + 4 | Drag to select any area, saved as a file |
| Cmd + Shift + 4, then Space | Click a single window, saved as a file |
| Cmd + Shift + 5 | Opens a toolbar: choose screen, window, area, or screen recording |
Add Ctrl to any of the first three (for example Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4) to copy straight to the clipboard instead of saving a file — handy for pasting directly into an email or doc.
How to screenshot on Windows
| Shortcut | What it captures |
|---|---|
| PrtScn | Entire screen, copied to clipboard only |
| Win + PrtScn | Entire screen, auto-saved to a file |
| Alt + PrtScn | Just the active window, copied to clipboard |
| Win + Shift + S | Opens Snip & Sketch: pick rectangle, freeform, window, or full screen |
Win+Shift+S is the one worth memorizing — it copies your selection to the clipboard immediately, and a notification pops up letting you click through to annotate or save it. For more options (a capture delay, for example), search "Snipping Tool" in the Start menu and open it directly.
Quick answer, side by side
- Fastest full-screen capture: Mac: Cmd+Shift+3 · Windows: Win+PrtScn
- Fastest custom-area capture: Mac: Cmd+Shift+4 · Windows: Win+Shift+S
- One window only: Mac: Cmd+Shift+4 then Space · Windows: Alt+PrtScn
Screenshotting a number you need to keep — a paycheck breakdown, a budget split, a savings target — is a perfectly good way to save it without creating an account anywhere. Every calculator on Calcoras works instantly with no sign-up, so there's nothing to lose if your browser tab closes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the keyboard shortcut for a screenshot on Mac?
Cmd+Shift+3 captures the whole screen as a file. Cmd+Shift+4 lets you drag-select an area. Cmd+Shift+5 opens a toolbar with every option, including screen recording.
What is the keyboard shortcut for a screenshot on Windows?
Win+Shift+S opens Snip & Sketch to select an area, rectangle, window, or the full screen, copied to your clipboard. Win+PrtScn captures the whole screen straight to a file in Pictures > Screenshots.
How do I screenshot just part of the screen?
On Mac, press Cmd+Shift+4 and drag over the area you want. On Windows, press Win+Shift+S and drag over the area — both copy the result so you can paste or annotate it.
Where do my screenshots save by default?
On Mac, to the Desktop as a .png file. On Windows, Win+PrtScn saves to Pictures > Screenshots; plain PrtScn and Win+Shift+S only copy to the clipboard until you paste and save them yourself.
