How to copy a screenshot to the clipboard on Mac
Most of the time you take a screenshot to paste it somewhere: a message, a document, a bug report. Copying it skips the file on your desktop.
The shortcut: add ⌃ Control to any screenshot shortcut. Press ⌃ ⇧ ⌘ 4 and drag to copy part of the screen, then press ⌘ V to paste it.
Every way to copy a screenshot
| To copy | Press |
|---|---|
| Part of the screen | ⌃ ⇧ ⌘ 4, then drag |
| One window | ⌃ ⇧ ⌘ 4, then Space, then click the window |
| The whole screen | ⌃ ⇧ ⌘ 3 |
You can also hold ⌃ while you drag or click with the regular ⇧ ⌘ 4 shortcut. Holding Control at the moment you finish sends the screenshot to the clipboard instead of a file.
Copy screenshots by default
If you rarely want screenshot files, change where screenshots go:
- Press ⇧ ⌘ 5 to open the Screenshot toolbar.
- Click Options.
- Under Save to, choose Clipboard.
Screenshots you take with ⇧ ⌘ 3, ⇧ ⌘ 4, or the toolbar are then copied instead of saved. Choose Desktop again to go back.
Paste it
Click where you want the screenshot, in Messages, Mail, Slack, Notes, or a document, and press ⌘ V. To get a file after all, open Preview and choose File › New from Clipboard (⌘ N), then save it.
When it doesn’t paste
- You copied something else since. The clipboard holds one item, so the next copy replaces the screenshot.
- The app only accepts text. Terminal and many plain-text fields ignore images. Paste into a document or a chat window instead.
- The shortcut took a file instead. If a thumbnail appeared in the corner, Control wasn’t held down. Drag the thumbnail where you want it, or try again with ⌃.
With On Hand
Because the clipboard keeps only your last copy, a screenshot you copied an hour ago is gone. On Hand, the free clipboard manager for Mac, keeps every screenshot you copy and reads the text in it on your Mac, so you can find a screenshot by a word in it and paste it again.
Questions
What is the shortcut to screenshot to the clipboard on a Mac?
Control-Shift-Command-4 copies the part of the screen you select. Control-Shift-Command-3 copies the whole screen. Then press Command-V to paste.
How do I make screenshots go to the clipboard by default?
Press Shift-Command-5, click Options, and choose Clipboard under Save to. Screenshots you take from that toolbar are then copied instead of saved to the desktop.
Where do screenshots copied to the clipboard go?
They aren’t saved as files. The screenshot waits on the clipboard until you paste it or copy something else, which replaces it. A clipboard manager like On Hand keeps every screenshot you copy.
How do I screenshot a single window to the clipboard?
Press Control-Shift-Command-4, then press Space. The pointer turns into a camera. Click the window you want, and it’s copied.