Mac computers are known for their easy-to-use operating systems and intuitive user experience. That makes them the preferred option for people who want a wide range of features at their disposal.
A screenshot is a well-known and favorite trick among Mac users because it allows you to capture whatever is currently on your screen with the touch of a few buttons. However, as useful as they are, a screenshot only captures one still image at a time.
Sometimes, you need the ability to take a shot of an entire page. That’s where the scrolling screenshot comes in.
Read on if you want to know how to quickly capture a scrolling screenshot on a Mac.
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The Quick Answer
Many people think you need to get an app or additional software to capture a scrolling screenshot on a Mac. While that’s certainly one route you can take, you can also do it with the keyboard shortcut below.
We’ll take a look at some app/software options later on in this article, but for now, follow the below steps to take a scrolling screenshot on your Mac.
The keyboard shortcut to take a scrolling screenshot on a Mac is Command + Shift + 5. However, as a scrolling screenshot takes a few more steps to complete than a simple screenshot, you’ll need to know a few additional keys as well.
- Open the window you wish to capture.
- Hold the Command, Shift, and 5 keys at the same time.
- This shortcut will bring up the screen record function and you will see a menu bar appear at the bottom of your screen.
- Click on the Record Entire Screen button on the menu.
- Your cursor will now appear as an icon of a camera. Click this camera anywhere on the screen.
- Scroll through the entire page or document you want to capture.
- Hold the Command, Shift, and 5 keys at the same time again.
- You’ll see the same window pop up, but this time select the Stop Screen Recording button.
- You’ve just captured a scrolling screenshot that you can edit or share as you wish.
Other Ways to Take a Scrolling Screenshot
In addition to the keyboard shortcut method shown above, there are a few other ways to capture a scrolling screenshot. That includes downloading an app or software program to complete the task.
As such, I would definitely recommend starting with the shortcut method unless you have another reason to have that specific software or app. If it’s free, you should download whatever you want, but sometimes those need to be purchased.
One method is to use QuickTime Player to capture a screen recording that can be used in a similar way to the recording captured through the shortcut method.
To make a scrolling screenshot on a Mac with QuickTime Player use the following steps:
- Open QuickTime Player from your dock or applications folder
- Click on the File menu
- Select New Screen Recording from the dropdown menu
- The next steps will be very similar to the shortcut method as you will see the same toolbar pop up on the bottom of your screen.
- Click on the Record Entire Screen button on the menu
- Your cursor will now appear as an icon of a camera. Click that camera anywhere on the screen
- Scroll through the entire page or document you want to capture
- Click on the File menu
- Select New Screen Recording from the dropdown menu
- Click Stop Screen Recording from the toolbar
- You know have a scrolling screenshot
There are also third-party applications you can use to capture scrolling screenshots. If you want to go this route, check out ones like BrowseShot or Snagit. Such programs can do much more than capture a scrolling screenshot and they are worth exploring if you have a personal or professional reason to share screengrabs.
What is a Scrolling Screenshot Good for?
A scrolling screenshot is handy for different reasons. First, it’s obviously more convenient than sending multiple single screenshots if you need to share more information than what’s contained on a single page.
If you want to share an entire webpage with someone and it’s larger than your screen, the only way to do that is with a scrolling screenshot. You might want to use this web page type of screenshot to share important information with family or friends that’s not as obvious as simply sending them a link.
I’ve edited a scrolling screenshot with a highlighted circle to direct my parents to a certain part, for instance.
The method is also a handy way to share a document that’s longer than a single page. As a writer and editor, I’ve used scrolling screenshots to point out where a certain line or phrase is on a document to other people.
You can always attach the entire file in an email or something as well, but I’ve found a scrolling screenshot to be a bit more useful.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to take a scrolling screenshot on a Mac is a useful tool for any number of reasons. It’s always good to learn another shortcut to help your workflow, and when you follow the shortcut method mentioned here, you’ll be able to grab a scrolling screenshot in seconds.
There are other apps and programs out there to complete the task as well, but those aren’t always necessary.
Do you take scrolling screenshots? What do you use them for? Let us know in the comments below!
