{"id":465653,"date":"2022-06-20T15:00:48","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T12:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-do-we-push-shiftcommand3-to-take-a-screenshot-on-mac\/"},"modified":"2022-06-20T15:00:48","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T12:00:48","slug":"why-do-we-push-shiftcommand3-to-take-a-screenshot-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-do-we-push-shiftcommand3-to-take-a-screenshot-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Do We Push Shift+Command+3 to Take a Screenshot on Mac?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3d7e24b13ab\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3d7e24b13ab\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-do-we-push-shiftcommand3-to-take-a-screenshot-on-mac\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_Do_We_Push_ShiftCommand3_to_Take_a_Screenshot_on_Mac%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why Do We Push Shift+Command+3 to Take a Screenshot on Mac?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-do-we-push-shiftcommand3-to-take-a-screenshot-on-mac\/#The_Answer_Goes_Way_Back_to_1984\" >The Answer Goes Way Back to 1984<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-do-we-push-shiftcommand3-to-take-a-screenshot-on-mac\/#What_Does_ShiftCommand1_Do_Today\" >What Does Shift+Command+1 Do Today?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_Do_We_Push_ShiftCommand3_to_Take_a_Screenshot_on_Mac%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why Do We Push Shift+Command+3 to Take a Screenshot on Mac?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage alignnone size-full wp-image-809116\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/mac_screenshot_question_1200x675_2.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Every time you take a screenshot on a Mac, you press Shift+Command+3, Shift+Command+4, or Shift+Command+5. But what h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened to Shift+Command+1 and Shift+Command+2? It\u2019s a trivial question, but the answer reaches back into early Mac history. Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Answer_Goes_Way_Back_to_1984\"><\/span>The Answer Goes Way Back to 1984<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Recently on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a>, tech historian Marcin Wichary <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mwichary\/status\/1528157959812837378?s=20&amp;t=9uKpQUGmmjG0ZHMvmtd5QA\">posed an open question<\/a>: Why does the Mac screenshot shortcut, Shift+Command+3, start with 3? Why not start with 1 or 2?<\/p>\n<p>As it turns out, as far back as 1984 with the release of the original Mac, Shift+Command+1 ejected the internal (first) floppy disk, and Shift+Command+2 ejected what was then the second (external) floppy disk if one was attached. Here\u2019s a selection from the original Macintosh manual describing it.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-811559\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/command_key_1.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Shift+Command+1 explained in the original 1984 Apple manual.\" width=\"650\" height=\"205\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Apple \/ Marcin Wichary<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Originally, the Macintosh keyboard did not include distinct function keys (such as F1-F12 on an IBM PC), so Apple included a way to simulate them by pressing Command+Shift+1 through Command+Shift+9. Using a system called \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/developer.apple.com\/library\/archive\/technotes\/os\/os_01.html\">FKEYS<\/a>,\u201d it was possible for people to install custom actions linked to these function shortcuts using the System software folder.<\/p>\n<p>So where did Shift+Command+3 come in? At some point\u2014possibly <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/developer.apple.com\/library\/archive\/technotes\/os\/os_01.html\">around System 2.0<\/a> in 1985\u2014Apple added a few special FKEY shortcuts to Mac OS that allowed users to capture screenshots as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/MacPaint\">MacPaint<\/a> files. Wichary <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mwichary\/status\/1528163708903428096?s=20&amp;t=9uKpQUGmmjG0ZHMvmtd5QA\">discovered<\/a> Shift+Command+3 described in the Macintosh II manual, released in 1987. Here\u2019s a description of how it works from that manual:<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-811558\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/original_mac_screenshot_shortcut.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The original Mac keyboard shortcut explained in the Macintosh II manual from 1987.\" width=\"650\" height=\"259\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Apple \/ Marcin Wichary<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019ll notice that Apple calls the Command key the \u201cApple\u201d key here since older Mac keyboards included both a Command symbol and an Apple symbol on that particular key as a holdover from earlier Apple computers. Interestingly, at the same time, Shift+Command+4 output the contents of the active window to a connected printer, sort of like a Mac version of Print Screen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Macintosh System 1: What Was Apple&#8217;s Mac OS 1.0 Like?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Does_ShiftCommand1_Do_Today\"><\/span>What Does Shift+Command+1 Do Today?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>At some point, Apple changed Mac OS so that Shift+Command+1 no longer ejected disks (if we had to guess, probably around the time Macs got rid of floppy drives in the late 1990s).<\/p>\n<p>Since then, a number of different Mac programs stepped in and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/defkey.com\/what-means\/command-shift-1\">began<\/a> using the Shift+Command+1 shortcut, such as showing the \u201cPhotos and Audio\u201d sidebar in Final Cut Pro or selecting all layers in Corel Painter. But it no longer has an official function in macOS.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, if you want to eject a mounted disk, select it in Finder and press Command+E or select File &gt; Eject in the menu bar. And if you need to take a screenshot, press Shift+Command+3 on your keyboard, and you\u2019re all set. Happy snapping!<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Screenshot on a Mac<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/811299\/why-do-we-push-shift-command-3-to-take-a-screenshot-on-mac\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why Do We Push Shift+Command+3 to Take a Screenshot on Mac?&#8221; Every time you take a screenshot on a Mac, you press Shift+Command+3, Shift+Command+4, or Shift+Command+5. But what happened to Shift+Command+1 and Shift+Command+2? It\u2019s a trivial question, but the answer reaches back into early Mac history. Let\u2019s find out. The Answer Goes Way Back to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":465654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/mac_screenshot_question_1200x675_2.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-465653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=465653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/465654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=465653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=465653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=465653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}