How to Use Mac OS X Grab to Save Screenshots

You are in front of your Apple Computer and you need to take a screenshot of a pull-down menu in an Application. With Apple Computer's built-in utility "Grab", you can do just that with ease.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Apple Computer
• Grab Application
• Mac OS X

1. 
   grab utility

   Select your Application folder and go to Utilities. This is where the Grab utility resides.

2. 
   capture menu

   Once Grab is opened, go to the Capture menu. There are 4 different ways to capture items on your desktop - Selection, Window, Screen or Timed Screen. You can experiment with any of these captures. The capture I use the most in this application is the Time Screen capture, which is very handy when you need to take a photo of a pull-down menu, much like the screenshot I made for this step example.

3. 
   timed screen grab

   The Grab utility's Timed Screen Grab captures the screen ten seconds after you start the timer.

4. 
   screenshot

   Once the timer's white background has turned completely to red, you will see the flash on the camera's icon flash. This will take a screenshot of your entire desktop, along with the pull-down menu example we needed.

5. 
   tiff file

   Once you have your Timed Screen Grab saved on your Apple Computer - the file automatically shows up in Grab and prompts you to save it - you can reopen the file in Preview, crop the file is necessary, and resave the file as a .jpg. The Grab Application saves all files as .TIFFs.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember all screenshots done in Apple Computer's utility Grab are .TIFFs. By resaving these TIFFs to JPEGs, this saves space and reassures a screenshot can be emailed.
• Applying the age-old Command Shift-4 on an Apple Computer will still give you a screenshot of your page by providing a marquee to use to crop down your desktop. This is fine to use in lieu of Grab, except you will not be able to take a screenshot of a pull-down menu example like you can with the Grab utility. Command Shift-3 also gives you a screenshot of your whole page.

Resources

• Apple Computer

[mymukki]

on 8/23/2009 good detailed instructions and photos 5*

[mark1967]

on 1/11/2009 awesome, please rate some of mine.

[KatinaLeKerr]

on 1/10/2009 Right on! 5 stars...

[tcady]

on 1/7/2009 Hey awesome, thanks for taking the time to write this info!