How to Crop a Screenshot on Mac

Posted By Volodymyr Chubei | 09 Jul 2025

If you need to quickly crop a screenshot on your MacBook, macOS has several convenient ways built in, thanks to which you can do it without third-party applications. In this article, we'll tell you how to take a cropped screenshot on Mac, edit already saved images, and what keyboard shortcuts will help simplify the process.

5 Ways to crop a screenshot on Mac

Here are five basic ways to crop a screenshot on a Mac, using both built-in and third-party tools. Each method is useful in certain situations, from instantly selecting the required area to later adjusting an already saved screenshot.

1. Use the keyboard shortcut

To crop a screenshot on Mac, press ⌘+Shift+4. The cursor will turn into a "scope" - coordinates indicating the cursor position will appear on the screen.

Select the needed area of the screen. Press the left mouse (or trackpad) button and stretch the rectangle to the part you want to capture.
Release the mouse to take a screenshot. macOS will automatically save the cropped screenshot file on the desktop or in a selected folder (Desktop by default).

If you need to adjust the selection position of the cropped screenshot on Mac, press the spacebar after you select an area. The rectangle will move as a whole, which is convenient for fine-tuning.

Also: How to Screen Record on Mac

2. Cropping after creation - via Preview on the screen

Take any screenshot (for example, with the same combination ⌘+Shift+3 or ⌘+Shift+4).

Once you press the keys, a small screenshot thumbnail will appear in the lower right corner of the screen.
Click on the thumbnail to open the Markup window. It provides tools for annotation, cropping, and drawing.
Drag the edges of the image to crop it to the desired size. After adjusting, click "Done" in the upper right corner of the window.

If you don't click the thumbnail in time, it will disappear after a few seconds and the screenshot will be saved automatically. In such a case, use the following method for crop screenshot Mac - via the Viewer app.

Also: How to fix sticky keys on MacBook

3. Editing a saved screenshot in Preview

Find the screenshot in the folder where it was saved (Desktop by default) and then follow the below instructions:

Double-click the file to open it in the Preview application.
Click the "Markup" button (pencil icon or "Markup Toolbar") at the top of the window. Additional editing tools will appear, including area selection.
Use the Selection tool (usually a dotted rectangle). Click the left mouse button and select the part of the image you want to keep.
Click Tools → Crop (or use the keyboard shortcut ⌘+K). As a result, only the selected part of the screenshot will remain. Save the changes (⌘+S).

In "Preview" you can also add captions, arrows, and other elements before cropping the image.

4. Using the Photos application

If your screenshot is automatically uploaded to iCloud Photo Library or you manually added it to your Photos library, you can crop it right there:

Open "Photos" and find the screenshot you need. Most often it will be in the "Import" or "Recent" section.
Click on the "Edit" button in the upper right corner. The editing toolbar will appear.
Switch to the Crop tool). Pull the corners or sides of the frame to set the needed size.
Save your changes by clicking "Done". Your screenshot in the library will be automatically updated.

The advantage of Photos is fast synchronization with iCloud. If you use multiple Apple devices, cropped screenshots on the Mac will appear on your iPhone/iPad as well.

5. Third-party applications

If you need advanced editing features or are used to working using certain software, you can use third-party editors:

GIMP (free, with a wide range of tools).
Pixelmator or Skitch (paid, but with a user-friendly interface and additional features - e.g. quick annotation, editorial functionality, etc.).

To crop a screenshot:

Open the image in the selected editor.
Use the Crop Tool or a similar one.
Highlight the needed area and apply the changes.
Save the file in a convenient format (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc.).

The choice of application depends on your goals: for quick basic cropping, the built-in tools are sufficient, while complex editing may require an advanced editor.

If you can't take or edit a screenshot - the problem may be related to an outdated macOS or faulty trackpad/buttons. From keyboards and screens to touchpads, batteries and even accessories, Techtoro.io has a wide selection of genuine MacBook parts available.

We carry guaranteed certified Apple parts. If you're not sure you can replace a component yourself, just take advantage of our convenient mail-in repair service. Go to Techtoro.io and submit a request - our trained technicians will take care of the rest.

FAQ

1. How do I crop a screenshot on Mac?

Press the ⌘+Shift+4 key combination and select the needed part of the screen - then the screenshot will be immediately saved in cropped form. If you need to adjust the capture area, hold down the spacebar or the arrow keys.

2. How to edit a screenshot on a Mac?

Immediately after creating a screenshot, click on the thumbnail in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Quick Edit window. There you can crop the image, add text notes and various annotations.

3. How to crop a screenshot on Mac after saving?

Open the saved screenshot in the Viewer app, select the needed area and click Crop. Then save your changes (⌘+S) to apply the new version of the file.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Volodymyr Chubei
Computer Repair Specialist at TechToro.io

Volodymyr was born in Ukraine and has found his passion for electronics from his childhood. At the age of 13, he was capable of soldering some basic elements of a logic board and today he is one of the co-founders of TechToro.io