Screen recording has become an increasingly common practice, so much so that many people now take it for granted. However, getting started with screen recording on Mac can be difficult if you don’t know how or where to begin! Fortunately, this article will guide you on how to screen record on Mac through every step of the process and help you get up and running in no time!
Contents
How To Enable/Disable Screenshots
You can take a screenshot on your Mac by pressing Shift-Command-3. This will save a screenshot of your entire screen to your clipboard, which you can paste into another program like Preview or Microsoft Word.
If you want to take a screenshot of just a portion of your screen, press Shift-Command-4 instead.
This will bring up a crosshair cursor that you can use to select the area you want to capture. You’ll be able to mark it and hit enter, at which point it will copy that selected area to your clipboard and place it in a file called Screen Shot in the same folder as the document you’re working on.
It’s worth noting that if you have AutoSave enabled in any apps you’re using, this is probably happening automatically for anything with unsaved changes.
If you would rather not have screenshots created automatically, there are a few options if you would still like to make them manually. One option is to go into System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts and set an app shortcut for taking Screenshots under the All Applications tab.
Another way is to hold down Command-Shift-4 and click the mouse button. A third option is to open Terminal (located in Applications/Utilities) and type: defaults write com. apple. screen capture type IMG;killall SystemUIServer
Quickly Switch Between Screenshot Modes
You’ll need to use the Command + Shift + 3 shortcuts to take a screenshot on your Mac. However, if you want to record your screen, you’ll need to use the Command + Shift + 5 shortcut instead. This will create a recording toolbar that lets you choose whether to record your entire screen or just a portion.
You can also choose to record audio from your microphone or your computer’s system. Simply click the option and then hit start. Once you’re done recording, save the video file to your desktop by clicking Save. If you want to edit the video, drag it into iMovie. If not, export it as a .mov file by hitting Export Video > Desktop Movie File. Now you’re ready to upload it straight to YouTube!
Alternatively, open QuickTime Player (located in Applications), select File > New Screen Recording, and follow the instructions below:
Click on the toolbar’s center of your desired recording area and press R to record.
To stop recording, press X.
To capture a screenshot while recording with QuickTime Player, hold down Command+Shift+4.
Related: How to Clear Cache On Android
How to use the Screen Recorder Tool
The first step is to open up the QuickTime Player application. Once the application is open, click on File located in the top left corner of the screen and then select New Screen Recording from the drop-down menu.
You will then be given the option to choose where you would like your recording to be saved and whether you would like to record with or without audio.
Once you have made these selections, hit the red circle button at the bottom right-hand side of the screen that says Record.
After a few seconds, your recording should start playing back automatically. If it does not, just press play manually by pressing the space bar while watching playback via QuickTime Player.
When finished viewing playback, hit stop at the bottom right-hand side of the screen next to the record. You can also use this same technique for taking screenshots using keyboard shortcuts.
For capturing everything displayed on your computer’s desktop: Command + Shift + 3 will take a screenshot of the entire desktop; Command + Shift + 4 will take a screenshot of a specific window or program (such as an iTunes window).
For capturing an image of one particular app: Command + Shift + 4 followed by Spacebar will create a screenshot of whatever app is currently active on your desktop. Alternatively, you can command+shift+4 which will bring up a selection of apps on your computer and allow you to pick whichever one you want to capture. Hit enter after selecting the desired app.
What Are The Basic Keyboard Shortcuts?
If you want to start screen recording on your Mac, there are a few basic keyboard shortcuts you should know. First, press Command + Shift + 5 to open the screen recording options. From there, you can choose to record your entire screen or just a portion of it. To start recording, simply click the Record button. Once you’re finished, press Command + Shift + 5 again and click Stop. And that’s all there is to it! You now have a video file saved to your desktop with the name of whatever program you used when you recorded it. You can edit this file in programs like QuickTime or Final Cut Pro X if you need to, but they will be saved as QuickTime movies (iMovie).
If you only want to take screenshots without creating a video file, use Command + Shift + 4 instead. Hold down the Control key while pressing those duplicate two keys together to do both. When you’ve taken a screenshot, you’ll see an icon in the upper left corner of your screen for one second before disappearing. Pressing Command + Shift + 4 and then taking a screenshot will result in a .png file being saved to your desktop. Pressing Command + Shift + 3 will create a .avi video file with audio and video captured from what you see on your screen.
Where Are All the Other Features?
If you’re new to screen recording on a Mac, you might wonder where all the other features are. Unlike some other screen recording software, QuickTime Player doesn’t have a bunch of bells and whistles. That’s not to say it isn’t powerful, though. QuickTime Player is simple to use and can do everything most people need.
All you need to do is hit record and then stop when you’re done. Once your video is processed, it will appear in your timeline as an icon with a white bar underneath it. You can also find your videos in the Library -> Movies folder or by clicking File -> Show Sidebar in the menu bar. Your video will appear next to any movies that are already there.
The player window will pop up when you click on it and start playing your video. Clicking on Edit -> Trim Video allows you to select what parts of the footage you want to keep while editing out what features you don’t want. You can also go to View -> Playback Options for more settings about how long you want each frame to stay on the screen.
There are even keyboard shortcuts for quick access! If you accidentally close the movie player, double-click on your video from within Finder, and it’ll open right back up.
Is There a Built-In Video Editor?
Yes! Apple’s built-in video editor is called QuickTime Player, a great tool for simple screen recording projects. QuickTime Player is free to use, and it’s already installed on every Mac. To start a new project, you can either import footage from your computer or camera or start recording immediately. When you’re ready to save your file, just click the Share button in the upper left corner of the window and choose Save As…
from the dropdown menu. You’ll have the option of saving your project as a .mov file that will play back at full quality or as a .mp4 that will compress the footage to take up less space while maintaining good playback quality.
If you’re going to be editing with Final Cut Pro X, then I recommend choosing MP4 so that your projects will be compatible with the software. Otherwise, go ahead and save it as MOV if you don’t need any additional editing features.
Is There A Way To Take Longer Clips?
While the QuickTime app with every Mac has a screen recording feature, it only allows you to record up to three minutes simultaneously. If you need to record for longer, there are a few different ways to do it.
1) You could use iShowU, a $2.99 in-app purchase, allowing you to record as long as your battery lasts or until your hard drive fills up.
2) You could also use Apowersoft Screen Recorder, which is a $2.99 in-app purchase and will allow you to record for as long as your battery lasts or until your hard drive fills up.
3) There is an open-source video editing software called OpenShot that records video and lets you edit and make movies.
4) Lastly, if you want something free, there is an open-source program called LICEcap which will allow you to take screenshots of your desktop and record them. It’s limited, so while it’s free, we don’t recommend using this option unless all other options have been exhausted.
Can I Still Use My Keyboard When Recording Videos?
When you screen record on a Mac, you can use either the built-in screen recorder or QuickTime Player. If you want to use your keyboard while recording, you’ll need to enable accessibility features. Here’s how
1) Open System Preferences and select Accessibility
) Select Display and check to Enable access for assistive devices
3) Next, select Input and check to Enable access for assistive devices
4) Click the + icon at the bottom of the list of input devices and select Keyboard, then make sure the box next to Keyboard is checked, then close out of all those windows
5) When you go back into QuickTime Player and start a new recording, press F7 (or ⌘+⇧+K). You should see your cursor disappear and reappear in the top left corner so that it won’t be in the way of what you’re trying to film
Can I Edit Recorded Files After Saving Them?
You can edit your recorded files after saving them on your Mac. Here’s how to edit the recorded video on a Mac:
1) Launch the QuickTime Player application and open the file.
2) Click Edit from the menu bar at the top of the screen and select Trim. A preview window will appear with a slider at the bottom for trimming or splitting clips.
3) Drag the slider left or right to adjust your desired start point.
4) Drag the sliders left or right to adjust endpoints.
5) After editing, click Done in the lower-right corner of the QuickTime Player window.
6) After that, click File > Save As and give it a new name if needed.
7) Finally, click Save, and the newly edited version will be saved onto your Mac.
8) Click Edit from the menu bar at the top of the screen and select Trim. A preview window will appear with a slider at the bottom for trimming or splitting clips.
9) Drag the slider left or right to adjust your desired start point.
10) Drag the sliders left or right to adjust endpoints.
Conclusion
In conclusion, learning to screen record on your Mac is a great way to create video content for yourself or others.
By following the steps in this guide, you’ll be able to create high-quality videos with ease. And, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the community of screen castes for help. Thanks for reading!
