How To Save a Portion Of a Webpage Or Document as an Image Or PDF
You can easily save a portion of a webpage or document as a streamlined PDF or Image file. However, many people take screenshots instead, which are poor resolution. Using the Open In Preview function in the Print Dialog, you can quickly and easily convert portions of webpages or documents to smooth and scalable PDFs or even higher resolution images.
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Related Subjects: Numbers (185 videos), PDF (17 videos), Safari (136 videos)
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Comments: 16 Responses to “How To Save a Portion Of a Webpage Or Document as an Image Or PDF”
Ron
5 years ago
I often use screenshots to save things; this is so much better! Thank you, Gary.
Paul
5 years ago
Could they make it more cumbersome? Also exposes Apple's biggest failure to those who use both platforms, IOS and MacOS, no PREVIEW on iPad or iPhone (IOS).
Jonathan M Hunter
5 years ago
Saving as pdf also allows links within the document to be clickable, where the image file doesn't.
Don
5 years ago
An outstanding tip succinctly presented! Thanks.
Kenneth Clayton
5 years ago
In earlier versions of iMac all I had to do was zoom in on an image on a page and press shift, command, 3 and it was converted to a desired cropped screenshot. Now, shift, command ,3 gives me the entire page. Why would Apple intentionally do away with a protocol that was so simple, convenient and easy to use in exchange for a complicated, unnecessarily frustrating and time consuming option when it clearly is lacking in quality of function? If it ain't broken don't fix it--
Kenneth: It is Shift+Command+4 to save an area. You can see that and all screenshot shortcuts in System Preferences, Keyboard, Shortcuts, Screenshots. You can change them to whatever you want.
What I am demonstrating here is something more versatile -- creating scalable, dynamic PDFs and higher-resolution images. But if all you want is the lowres screenshot as before it hasn't changed.
Paul: Not sure what you mean. Not everything can be one-step. Doing specific things with versatility takes many steps so you can choose options. As for Preview on iOS, they kinda do have that, it is just built-in. The Files app lets you preview many things like Preview and that is built into Mail and Safari for many file types. Also the Markup function from Preview is built into those too.
Jeffrey Ostermiller
5 years ago
I might have gotten it wrong, but when I tried your suggestion using a Fox News web site, the print command generated a mishmash of parts of the screen. Must be something to do with how the web page is constructed? Seems some pages are so complex the screenshot might be a better option?
Jeffrey: So websites can have multiple stylesheets (code that determines how they look). Sometimes a site has a stylesheet for the screen, and a different one for print. It sounds like that site is doing that, and has a very bad one for print. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to correct that on your end.
Shirley
5 years ago
When I want to save text from a webpage, I select the text, hesitate, then drag and drop the text onto TextEdit in my Dock. That is probably the only thing I use TextEdit for but it works for me.
Ian leckie
5 years ago
Thanks so much for this tip! I never knew you could do this, and it works so much better than doing a screenshot! So simple and yet so "hidden". Keep up the good work!!
Kathleen D
5 years ago
Safari keeps crashing every time I try to print (save as pdf). Any thoughts why or how to fix? Love the tip.
Kathleen: With any webpage, or just one that you happen to be trying now? Try the usual things (restart Safari, log out/in, restart). Other than that, get it in front of an expert (Genius Bar) to have it checked out.
Lee Taylor
5 years ago
Absolutely AMAZING!! This one I'll use frequently. Works also for "emails" which is great when I get registration forms. Keep your tips coming, so we All get to be "power users".
Marianne
5 years ago
Love it love it love it - read the newsletter this afternoon and it already changed my life tonight. Can't thank you enough on this one
I often use screenshots to save things; this is so much better! Thank you, Gary.
Could they make it more cumbersome? Also exposes Apple's biggest failure to those who use both platforms, IOS and MacOS, no PREVIEW on iPad or iPhone (IOS).
Saving as pdf also allows links within the document to be clickable, where the image file doesn't.
An outstanding tip succinctly presented! Thanks.
In earlier versions of iMac all I had to do was zoom in on an image on a page and press shift, command, 3 and it was converted to a desired cropped screenshot. Now, shift, command ,3 gives me the entire page. Why would Apple intentionally do away with a protocol that was so simple, convenient and easy to use in exchange for a complicated, unnecessarily frustrating and time consuming option when it clearly is lacking in quality of function? If it ain't broken don't fix it--
Kenneth: It is Shift+Command+4 to save an area. You can see that and all screenshot shortcuts in System Preferences, Keyboard, Shortcuts, Screenshots. You can change them to whatever you want.
What I am demonstrating here is something more versatile -- creating scalable, dynamic PDFs and higher-resolution images. But if all you want is the lowres screenshot as before it hasn't changed.
Jonathan: Great point!
Paul: Not sure what you mean. Not everything can be one-step. Doing specific things with versatility takes many steps so you can choose options. As for Preview on iOS, they kinda do have that, it is just built-in. The Files app lets you preview many things like Preview and that is built into Mail and Safari for many file types. Also the Markup function from Preview is built into those too.
I might have gotten it wrong, but when I tried your suggestion using a Fox News web site, the print command generated a mishmash of parts of the screen. Must be something to do with how the web page is constructed? Seems some pages are so complex the screenshot might be a better option?
Jeffrey: So websites can have multiple stylesheets (code that determines how they look). Sometimes a site has a stylesheet for the screen, and a different one for print. It sounds like that site is doing that, and has a very bad one for print. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to correct that on your end.
When I want to save text from a webpage, I select the text, hesitate, then drag and drop the text onto TextEdit in my Dock. That is probably the only thing I use TextEdit for but it works for me.
Thanks so much for this tip! I never knew you could do this, and it works so much better than doing a screenshot! So simple and yet so "hidden". Keep up the good work!!
Safari keeps crashing every time I try to print (save as pdf). Any thoughts why or how to fix? Love the tip.
Kathleen: With any webpage, or just one that you happen to be trying now? Try the usual things (restart Safari, log out/in, restart). Other than that, get it in front of an expert (Genius Bar) to have it checked out.
Absolutely AMAZING!! This one I'll use frequently. Works also for "emails" which is great when I get registration forms. Keep your tips coming, so we All get to be "power users".
Love it love it love it - read the newsletter this afternoon and it already changed my life tonight. Can't thank you enough on this one