Built-in macOS shortcuts
| Shortcut | Result |
|---|---|
| ⌘ ⇧ 3 | Full screen, one file per display, saved to the Desktop. |
| ⌘ ⇧ 4 | Crosshair — drag to select an area. |
| ⌘ ⇧ 4 → Space | Window or menu capture; click the one you want. |
| ⌘ ⇧ 5 | Screenshot toolbar: modes, timer, save location, screen recording. |
| ⌘ ⇧ 6 | Captures the Touch Bar. Only does anything on a Mac that has one. |
| ⌃ + any of the above | Copies to the clipboard instead of saving a file. |
Modifiers that only work while you drag
These do nothing before you start dragging, which is why so few people find them.
| Hold | Effect |
|---|---|
| Space | Moves the whole selection box, keeping its size. |
| ⌥ | Resizes from the centre rather than the anchor corner. |
| ⇧ | Locks one axis — only width or only height changes. |
| ⌥ while clicking a window | Captures without the window's drop shadow. |
| Esc | Cancels. No file is written and nothing goes to the clipboard. |
When a shortcut stops working
Almost always one of three causes, in order of likelihood:
- Another app grabbed it. Global shortcuts are first-come, first-served. A launcher, a meeting app or a clipboard manager may have taken the combination out from under macOS.
- The shortcut is switched off. System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Screenshots lists all of them with checkboxes. It is easy to disable one by accident.
- Screen Recording permission is missing. Any app that captures the screen needs it, including third-party tools. macOS only applies the permission after the app restarts, which is the step people miss.
In Shotcake every capture mode has its own global shortcut and all of them are rebindable in Settings → Hotkeys. If macOS or another app already owns a combination, the conflict is reported right under the list instead of failing silently.
Rebinding the built-in shortcuts
System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Screenshots. Double-click the shortcut next to an entry and press the new combination. If you use a third-party capture tool on ⌘ ⇧ 4, turning the built-in one off here is the cleanest way to avoid a conflict.
Once you have the capture, the next question is usually what to do with it — see how to annotate a screenshot with arrows and numbered steps.