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Screen Shots or Screen Grabs

1. MAC and PC

Screen shots can be created on both platforms. Once you've captured your screen shot, you'll want to optimize it for use on the web. This involves making it into the smallest file size you can without degrading the image. There are several ways to do this.

  1. You can use image editing software that you might already have, like Photoshop, PhotoDeLuxe, and Fireworks.

  2. You can have an image editing web service compress your images for you. Spinwave, Adobe Online Services, or Net Mechanic

  3. You can download software to edit your images. (Some of this is free and some of it is in a demo format)
2. Macintosh
Screen shots what you do what happens

option 1

shift > command > 3

Hold all three keys down at the same time.

The command key is the key with the apple on it.

 -Takes a picture of the entire desktop. This picture is saved to your Hard drive and is called Picture 1. It will be a large file (a .pict file) that needs to be compressed before using it in your web page. If you try to open the file, it will open up using the Simple Text application. You can highlight (by clicking and dragging your mouse) the section of the picture that you want to use and then copy it and paste it into a draw or paint document. You can also open it up from an image editing piece of software.
option 2

shift > command > 4

Hold all three keys down at the same time.

 -Gives you a cross hair to drag around the part of the screen that you want to capture. When you release the mouse you'll hear a camera shutter and the picture will be saved to your Hard drive as Picture 1 (or the next number available). This is the same file type as you get in option 1 and will be a large pict file.
option 3

caps lock > shift >command > 4

Hold all three keys down at the same time.

 -Takes a picture of the entire open window. You'll get a round cursor, click inside the window you want to capture and release your mouse. The picture is the same format and is saved the same as in Option 1 and 2.
option 4

shift > control > command > 3

Hold all three keys down at the same time.

 -Takes a picture that you can immediately paste into an open document.
3. Mac OSX

With OSX the above screen shot techniques work, however there is also a screen grabbing utility that it hidden away that you might want to use. If you go to your Utilities folder (It's usually in your OSX Applications folder). You will find a utility called Grab. Double click to open it up.

If you want to change your selection pointer, you would go to the Grab pull down menu and choose Preferences. A window will open and you will see the different choices available.

Look at the Capture menu for commands that are available. Once you choose a command, follow the directions that appear to see how to use it.

If you want to capture a menu or make a window active, you'll use the Timed Screen command (from the Capture menu) and switch to the application to set up the screen for the screen shot.

When you take screen shots in OSX they are saved as .TIFF files instead of .PICT files. They are saved to the user's desktop. If you have trouble finding them, go to File > Find and search for Picture 1 and it will take you to where your pictures are stored.

 

 OSX grab
4. PC
option 1 printscreen key  -Takes a picture of the whole desktop and then you need to paste it into a document to use it.
option 2 alt > printscreen -Takes a picture of the active window and then you need to paste it into a document to use it.
5. Third party Software

Snag It (PC)
http://www.techsmith.com - this program offers more than 40 ways to capture images, text, Web content and onscreen activities. It also has an easy-to-use graphic tool that lets you add text, callouts, arrows and highlights to your captures.

Snap'n Clip (Mac)
http://www.pixture.com/mac-snc.php -this is software that allows you to take clippings from pictures and store them as thumbnails. Within the software, there are a couple other options that you can use. One of these options lets you copy from the screen and the other lets you take pictures.

Clip2gif-freeware for converting pict files to gif files (Mac)

Image editors for PC (some free)

Recommended by Keith- Irfanviewer-PC image editor ("I discovered that IRFANVIEW, one of my recommendations for image viewing and editing, now INCLUDES a simple screen capture action. This is great because it can save directly to GIF or JPG or any of the other common formats. Although IRFANVIEW can do SELECTIVE screen captures, once you do a window capture you can crop it directly in IRFANVIEW before saving.")

ScreenSeize (PC)
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,22140,00.asp -this is what Keith Amano uses :) He says it can do a variety of capture types, has hotkeys, and also let's you choose to leave the cursor in or out of the capture. Best of all it's free.

© 2005 State of Hawaii Department of Education - Advanced Technology Research Branch - Questions regarding this web site can be emailed to Joanna Dunn. All inquiries will be routed to the appropriate source. Site last updated: 11/28/05 .