Are you tired of manually scrolling the screen whenever you want to take a screenshot? Or does the snipping tool capture a static area without adding all the screen portions required? The screenshot feature does make a Mac user’s life easy.
But when it comes to taking a long and detailed screenshot, most users get frustrated. Taking a series of static snapshots and joining them together can tire anyone. Therefore scrolling screenshots are a necessity.
But if you’re wondering how to take a scrolling screenshot, you’re in the right place. Keep on reading to know more about this handy little feature.
What is a scrolling screenshot?
A scrolling screenshot means you can capture your Mac’s screen and scroll up or down to capture that portion too. Unlike a traditional screenshot that only captures what’s currently displayed on the screen, a scrolling one means you can add extra detail to the captured image.
Simply put, a scrolling screenshot is no different than a traditional one. The only distinction is:
- The size of captured screen
- The process of taking one
- Details included in the picture
Taking a scrolling screenshot on Mac is a straightforward process. This guide will discuss the three main ways of capturing your Mac’s screen. Which are:
- Screen record feature
- Zoom out feature
- A third-party tool
The scrolling screenshot will be stored on your Mac’s desktop. You can then perform post-capture edits using Mac’s inbuilt editing tools.
Using these three ways to capture your screen’s display is relatively easy. The best part? All these methods are uncomplicated and fast. Keep reading to learn more.
How to Take a Scrolling Screenshot on Mac
1. Use a snipping tool
The snipping tool is Mac’s native software for taking screenshots. It has various screen
capturing options like screen recording, capturing specific windows, and screenshotting the whole display.
To use this tool for clicking a scrolling screenshot, follow these steps:
- Press the keys ‘Command, Shift, and 5’ together until the main snipping tool menu appears
- Click the ‘Record entire screen’ button
- A camera-shaped pointer will appear. Click anywhere on the screen to start capturing the display
- You can then scroll up/down to capture all the portions required
- Again press the same ‘command, shift, and 5’ keys
- Lastly, click the ‘stop screen recording’ tab to stop and save the recorded file
- You can find the saved file on your Mac’s desktop
2. Zoom out
You can easily take a scrolling screenshot by zooming out the desired screen. But, it will only work if the desired screen size is not too huge. Also, you can only zoom out the screen up to a set limit.
Therefore, if you want to capture a slightly larger than a typical screenshot, use this feature. To take a scrolling screenshot by minimizing the screen size, follow these steps:
- Launch the webpage you want to save and put the browser on ‘full screen‘ mode
- Press the ‘command’ key and simultaneously press the (-) key to minimize the screen to the desired size
- Once everything is visible on the screen, press ‘shift, command, and 4’ keys
- A new bull’s eye-shaped pointer will appear. Drag it across the desired screen and release the pointer’s button (shaded area)
- A screenshot will be captured and saved on your Mac
- You can then open the screenshot from the desktop and also perform edits
The zoom-out method is the easiest way to take a scrolling screenshot on a Mac. Users can easily use Mac’s short commands to make the process swift.
3. Download browser extension/apps
Lastly, installing browser extensions is another reliable method for taking a scrolling screenshot. Users can also use third-party apps or compatible software to capture their screens.
Two such apps called, Capto and QuickTimePlayer can aid in taking a scrolling screenshot. You can use these apps if you regularly need to take long screenshots and Mac’s native features are too limiting.
Here’s how a new user can use the two apps on their Mac:
i. Capto
Capto is a screen recorder and screenshot taker for your Apple device. It also offers editing features for videos and images. It is a Mac-compatible tool for all your screenshot-related worries.
Capto is a paid app available to download on the Mac Apple store. To download and use this app for taking a scrolling screenshot, follow these steps:
- Download Capto for the Apple store for free
- Open the app and select the ‘record’ tab, then press the ‘screen’ option to start recording the displayed screen
- You can then scroll up or down to capture all the details required
- Lastly, stop the recording. You can find the saved file in Capto’s library
ii. Movavi Screenshot
Movavi screenshot is a Google Chrome extension to take different kinds of screenshots. It offers different selections for taking screenshots, including visible parts, the entire screen, or a selected window pane.
To use the Movavi extension on your Chrome browser, follow these steps:
- Open the Movavi Screenshot page on Chrome’s web store and click on the ‘Add to Chrome’ tab
- When the extension is successfully added to the Chrome browser, you’ll see a camera-shaped icon on the top right corner of the screen
- Pin the icon to the upper right corner of the web browser
- Then open the web page you want to capture and click the ‘capture entire screen’ option from the dropdown menu
- Once the screenshot appears, click on ‘save JPEG’ to save it on your device
Conclusion
The screenshot feature on smart devices has made the user’s life easy. No more downloading, saving, or copying images to save them to your device. Instead, a quick tap on the ‘Command, Shift, and 5’ keys will swiftly capture the displayed screen.
Scrolling screenshots are just like your normal ones but with added screen portions. Taking a scrolling screenshot on Mac is easy. There are over a dozen ways to do so.
So, are you ready to start capturing the screen better?
