How to screenshot part of the screen on Mac
The short answer: press ⌘⇧4, then click and drag a box over the part you want. Release to capture just that area — macOS saves a PNG to your Desktop, or add the Control key (⌃⌘⇧4) to copy it to the clipboard instead. ShotScreen uses the same ⌘⇧4 shortcut and adds a magnifier for pixel-perfect edges.
Step by step
- 1
Press ⌘⇧4
Hold Command and Shift and press 4. Your pointer turns into a crosshair with pixel coordinates, ready to select a region.
- 2
Drag a box over the area
Click and drag to draw a rectangle around exactly the part you want. Hold Space while dragging to move the whole selection, Shift to resize one edge, or Option to resize from the centre. Press Esc to cancel.
- 3
Release to capture
Let go of the mouse or trackpad and macOS captures just that region. By default it saves a PNG to your Desktop; add the Control key (⌃⌘⇧4) to copy it to the clipboard instead.
- 4
Do it the ShotScreen way
Press ⌘⇧4 in ShotScreen for the same area capture with a magnifier loupe for pixel-accurate edges, a crosshair that spans every display, and an instant preview thumbnail you can annotate, copy, save or drag onward.
Modifier keys while you drag
Once you have started dragging the selection, macOS gives you three handy modifiers: hold Space to reposition the whole box, Shift to lock every edge but one, and Option to resize symmetrically from the centre. Esc cancels without taking the shot. These work in both the native tool and ShotScreen.
Where ShotScreen makes it sharper
The built-in crosshair works fine, but it can be hard to hit an exact pixel. ShotScreen adds a magnifier loupe that zooms in around the cursor as you drag, so a one-pixel border is easy to land on. The crosshair spans every connected display for clean multi-monitor selections, and the moment you release, a preview thumbnail appears — annotate it, copy it, save it to any folder or drag it into another app without ever hunting for the file.
FAQ
What is the shortcut to screenshot part of the screen on Mac?
Press ⌘⇧4, then drag a rectangle over the area you want. Add the Control key (⌃⌘⇧4) to copy the selection to the clipboard instead of saving a file.
How do I copy a partial screenshot instead of saving a file?
Hold Control together with the shortcut — ⌃⌘⇧4 — and drag your selection. The image goes to the clipboard, ready to paste, and no file is written to the Desktop.
How do I select an exact area with pixel precision?
The built-in crosshair shows live coordinates. For pixel-perfect edges, ShotScreen adds a magnifier loupe that zooms in on the cursor while you drag, so you can land the selection on the exact pixel.
Capture exactly the part you need
ShotScreen is free to use, with 5 popup-free screenshots a day. The magnifier crosshair and instant preview are included from the start.
Related guides: Where screenshots go · Annotate a screenshot · Screenshot shortcuts · Scrolling screenshot · FAQ