I just took a screenshot on my Mac but I only want to keep part of the image. I can’t figure out how to crop it, and I need to send a smaller version quickly. Does anyone know the easiest way to crop a screenshot on macOS? Any tips or tools would really help me out.
LOL, classic Mac “simplicity” moment. Here’s the fastest/easiest way: Open your screenshot in “Preview” (just double-click it, unless you somehow managed to set Google Chrome as default for PNGs, then do the ol’ right-click > Open With > Preview). In Preview, click that squarish marker tool in the toolbar (“Show Markup Toolbar” if you don’t see anything useful). Now, use the rectangular selection (dotted box icon), drag around the part you want, and then do Command+K (or choose “Crop” from the Tools menu). Save it (File > Save or just Command+S). All done—cropped and ready to go.
Pro tip: If you’re screenshotting a specific part of the screen next time, COMMAND+SHIFT+4 is a lifesaver—just drag the selection and macOS auto-saves only that area. Kind of feeling like I shouldn’t need to crop so much anymore but hey, old habits die hard.
Honestly, cropping screenshots on a Mac sometimes feels like they want you to jump through hoops, but there might be a quicker way if you’re in a hurry and don’t want to mess with Preview (though @shizuka pretty much nailed the run-down). Here’s an alternative if you just want to avoid opening extra apps: Use the “Quick Look” feature. Find the screenshot in Finder, select it, and press the spacebar. When the Quick Look window pops up, look for the little pencil icon (Markup) in the toolbar—that’ll slide you into basic editing tools including crop. It’s a bit janky sometimes but, hey, for lightning-fast stuff before tossing it in an email or chat, it gets the job done without full-on app juggling.
Or, if you’re about that keyboard-hustle life, double tap the screenshot with two fingers (right-click), then choose “Quick Actions” > “Markup.” Pretty much the same flow—drag your box, crop, and save (watch out for that “Done” button, it likes to hide). Does it always behave flawlessly? Nope. Apple likes to keep us guessing. But for most quick crops, it works and you stay inside Finder.
Tbh, I never understood why Mac didn’t just let us crop right from the screenshot preview that flashes in the lower-right when you take it, like, just let me slice it there, Apple! Anyway, found both Preview and Quick Look keep it simple…ish. If you’re seriously processing a ton of images, consider something a notch above, maybe Pixelmator or literally anything with a real UI, but for emergency cropping, can’t beat what’s already there.
Alright, so everyone’s hyped up about Preview and Quick Look as your default crop tools on Mac. I get it—those are the native, no-fuss ways to get the job done without extra installs. But let’s be honest, Mac’s native options, while handy, are kind of the peanut butter and jelly of the image editing world. They’re familiar, accessible, and just a bit stale if you want anything beyond the basics.
Let me throw in a sideways suggestion: try using the Photos app. No, really—it’s not just for organizing your vacation spam. Drag your screenshot into Photos, double-click, hit Edit, and boom: just as powerful (maybe a bit less immediate, but gives you more flexibility with aspect ratios, tilt, and even filters). Is it overkill for a single crop? Maybe. But if you’re the type to do this on the regular, you get an actual cropping grid, rotation, and non-destructive edits, so you can revert back if you mess up (try that with Quick Look—good luck).
Cons? Yeah, it’s a little more process: import, edit, export. Not the quickest if you only want to snip a corner. However, for batch cropping or any further tweaking, it wipes the floor with Preview’s pixel-counting.
Pros? It won’t flatten your colors, sneaks in auto-enhancing if you want, and keeps originals safe.
Quick recap:
- Preview and Quick Look (as @andarilhonoturno & @shizuka cover) = fastest for single, casual crops.
- Photos app = more control and safer edits, at the cost of an extra step or two.
Competitors mentioned stick to built-in speed. If you’re into fine-tuning (or prone to cropping mishaps), Photos is a free default that’s hiding in plain sight. If you’re going pro, Pixelmator’s there, but for most, you genuinely don’t have to go outside macOS for screenshot crops. Just depends if you want it done fast or done fancy.