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Exclude desktop from Apple screen region images Desktop
When you use the shift-command-4 keystrokes to take a screenshot, you need to include the window border to make the window edge stand out. This means you get some of your desktop wallpaper in the background, which looks un-professional. So I have found a work around. Open up TextEdit (or any word processor), drag the window to fill the whole screen, then switch to the app you wanted to take a screenshot of and you'll have a nice white background for the image!

[Editor's note: While this is a good workaround, if you do a lot of screenshot work, you owe it to yourself to try out one of the third-party screenshot utilities. I prefer SnapzPro for its ease of use and feature sets, but there are a few you can try out and make your own decision.]
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Exclude desktop from Apple screen region images | 4 comments | Create New Account
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Use the space bar instead
Authored by: Elander on Sep 15, '02 11:40:59AM

In 10.2, if you hit command-shift-4 and then hit the spacebar once, your cursor changes to a camera. Click on any window, menu, menu bar or Dock region you want, to capture only that window, menu, menu bar or Dock region.

The object you point the camera cursor at will change colour to indicate what you will capture. In the Dock, the region captured will be indicated by a pale blue rectangle.

If you want to capture a menu, you will need to toggle it open first by clicking it before you hit command-shift-4.

Hitting the space bar again will toggle back to the normal region capture mode.

Add the Ctrl-key to capture the image directly to the clipboard (also works with command-shift-3 and the normal region capture mode).



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The camera is fantastic
Authored by: chabig on Sep 15, '02 12:15:00PM

Yes, hit cmd-shift-4, then tap the spacebar. It\'s fantastic. If you have the camera displayed and then decide you don\'t want the picture after all, hit esc to return the normal mouse cursor.

Chris



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The camera is fantastic
Authored by: blgrace on Sep 15, '02 07:52:39PM

Stolen from OSXFAQ:
> Command-Shift-3 [window to disk] OS 9, 10.1.x and 10.2
> Command-Shift-3 + then Control [window to clipboard] OS 9 and 10.2
> Command-Shift-4 [part of the display to disk] OS 9, 10.1.x and 10.2
> Command-Shift-4 + Control [part of the display to clipboard] OS 9 and 10.2
> Command-Shift-4 + Capslock [active window to disk] OS 9
> Command-Shift-4 + Capslock + then control [active window to clipboard] OS 9
> Command-Shift-4 + Spacebar [active window to disk] OS X 10.2
> Command-Shift-4 + Spacebar + Control [active window to clipboard] OS X 10.2

So Boris gets a book and I get to stop stashing those commands away for future use.

But wait, there's more. I happened to visit Ken Bereskin's WebLog again the other day to find he'd also covered Screen Capture. Rather than link to it, here's his bit (it's short and I'm pretty sure he won't mind):

> Screen Capture has also been improved big time in Jaguar. When you use the
> interactive version (command-shift-4), the space bar will toggle between the
> regular marquee selection mode and a new mode to capture just a single window,
> the Dock or the menu bar. The cursor changes to a camera icon when you are in
> this new mode and as you mouse over different areas of the screen the screen
> capture target is highlighted for you.
>
> And of course, there's more... Screen captures can be triggered from the
> command line (and therefore AppleScript, perl, etc.) using the new
> screencapture command found in /usr/sbin/
>
> usage: screencapture [-icmwsWx] [file] [cursor]
>
> -i
> capture screen interactively, by selection or window
>
> control key
> causes screen shot to go to clipboard
>
> space key
> toggle between mouse selection and window selection modes
>
> escape key
> cancels interactive screen shot
>
> -c
> force screen capture to go to the clipboard
>
> -m
> only capture the main monitor, undefined if -i is set
>
> -w
> only allow window selection mode
>
> -s
> only allow mouse selection mode
>
> -W
> start interaction in window selection mode
>
> -x
> do not play sounds
>
> file
> where to save the screen capture


From: Ken Bereskin's Radio Weblog
http://radio.weblogs.com/0100676/

So there you have it. Mac OS screen shooting has never been easier, better, or more flexible. (But Snapz Pro still rocks!!)



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White Desktop
Authored by: River on Oct 03, '02 02:43:51AM

Rather than opening textedit, you could just put a white wallpaper on your desktop.



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