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At this point, make sure you're logged into your computer and have both screens powered up. After connecting everything, your Mac will begin mirroring its display to the new monitor automatically. Mac Monitor Buyer’s Guide. We’ve compiled this buyer’s guide for you Mac users out there looking for the best monitor for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air in 2019. Can I use an external monitor for my MacBook. Generally, you can use an external monitor such as a 4K monitor or a 4K Ultra HD TV with the following Mac computers.
By Roger Fingas
Wednesday, August 29, 2018, 07:16 am PT (10:16 am ET)
If a MacBook Pro is your primary computer, you're probably going to want a big-screen monitor for your desktop. These are some of the top-rated options compatible with Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C, in no particular order.Wednesday, August 29, 2018, 07:16 am PT (10:16 am ET)
Dell U3818DW
Truly a behemoth, the U3818DW ($874.99) is a 38-inch, 3,840-by-1,600 IPS panel which not only has USB-C, DisplayPort, and HDMI connections, but additional USB 3.0 ports, 9-watt speakers, and integrated Bluetooth. As with all of the monitors on this list it can charge an attached MacBook, in this case supplying 95 watts of power, enough to run and charge a 15-inch MacBook Pro without issue.
BenQ PD2710QC
For people looking to keep costs semi-reasonable, the PD2710QC ($549.99) is a 27-inch, 2,560-by-1,440 IPS display that supplies up to 61 watts to an attached laptop. Beyond USB-C, ports are limited to DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and 3.5mm audio.
Dell S2718D
Still less expensive is the 27-inch S2718D ($348.95). This delivers 2,560-by-1,440 resolution, but you will make some sacrifices — there's no DisplayPort option, and power delivery is capped at 45 watts, which is only enough to slow down battery drain on a MacBook. There are at least audio-out and two USB 3.0 ports.
LG 27MD5KA UltraFine 5K
The 27-inch UltraFine 5K was designed in cooperation with Apple, and as its name suggests, supports resolutions up to 5,120 by 2,880. This hits 99 percent of the P3 color gamut, and provides up to 85 watts of power via Thunderbolt 3, while also including a camera and three USB-C ports, the latter capped at 5 gigabits per second. You'll pay a hefty fee: it typically retails for $1,299.95.
Acer XR382CQK
Back to the big ones — the XR382CQK ($949.99) measures 37.5 inches, and runs at 3,840 by 1,600. It's also marketed as a gaming monitor, with an incredibly fast 1-millisecond response time. MacBooks are connected via a USB 3.1 Type-C port, and four USB 3.0 ports are provided for peripherals. Other video options include DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0, and MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) 2.1.
Asus Designo MX27UC
The Designo MX27UC ($525.19) is 27-inch 4K monitor notable for its slim design, while having a decent assortment of ports on the back: USB-C, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort, and two Type-A USB 3.1 connections. You can also plug in external audio, but the monitor's speakers are rated at just 3 watts.
LG 27UK850-W
The 27UK850-W ($594.90) is another 27-inch, 4K USB-C display, and indeed even has bezels similar to those on the Designo. Secondary ports include DisplayPort, two HDMI, and two USB Type-A options.
Samsung C34H890WJN
Samsung is big on curved displays, a prime example being the 34-inch C34H890WJN ($699.99). This one has a 3,440-by-1,440 panel in a 21:9 ratio, and ports for USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, 3.5mm audio, and three USB 3.0 peripherals.
Samsung CJ79
This one ($899.99) was just announced. Like the C34H890WJN it's a 34-inch, 3,440-by-1,440 monitor, the main difference being the replacement of USB-C with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one of which can deliver 85 watts to a connected MacBook. Other ports include HDMI, DisplayPort, and two USB 3.0 connections.
If you've upgraded to macOS Mojave or later, you can use the Screenshot app to take all types of screenshots, or make video recordings of your screen. You can open Screenshot by pressing Shift-Command (⌘)-5, or use Spotlight to find and open the app.
Other keyboard shortcuts, such as Shift-Command-3 and Shift-Command-4, continue to work in all versions of macOS.
![Best screens for mac Best screens for mac](https://cdn2.macworld.co.uk/cmsdata/slideshow/3642376/best_mac_monitor_2018_thumb800.png)
Capture the entire screen
Press Shift-Command-5 or Shift-Command-3 as described below.
In macOS Mojave or later
- Press Shift-Command-5 on your keyboard to see the onscreen capture controls:
- Click Capture Entire Screen . The pointer changes to a camera .
- Click anywhere on any screen to capture the screen of that display, or click Capture to capture the screen of every display.
- A thumbnail of the screenshot briefly appears in the corner of your screen. Interact with the thumbnail to edit the screenshot, move it, or take other actions. Or wait for the screenshot to appear on your desktop.
In all macOS versions
- Press Shift-Command-3 to capture the screen of every display.
- Find the screenshot on your desktop.
Capture a window
Press Shift-Command-5 or Shift-Command-4 as described below.
In macOS Mojave or later
- Press Shift-Command-5 to see the onscreen capture controls.
- Click Capture Selected Window . Your pointer changes to a camera .
- Click a window to capture that window.
To exclude the window's shadow from the screenshot, press and hold the Option key while you click. - A thumbnail of the screenshot briefly appears in the corner of your screen. Interact with the thumbnail to edit the screenshot, move it, or take other actions. Or wait for the screenshot to appear on your desktop.
In all macOS versions
- Press Shift-Command-4.
- Press the Space bar. The pointer changes to a camera .
- Click a window to capture that window.
To exclude the window's shadow from the screenshot, press and hold the Option key while you click. - Find the screenshot on your desktop.
Capture a selected portion of the screen
Press Shift-Command-5 or Shift-Command-4 as described below.
In macOS Mojave or later
- Press Shift-Command-5 to see the onscreen capture controls.
- Click Capture Selected Portion .
- Drag to select an area of the screen to capture. To move the entire selection, drag from within the selection.
- Click Capture.
- A thumbnail of the screenshot briefly appears in the corner of your screen. Interact with the thumbnail to edit the screenshot, move it, or take other actions. Or wait for the screenshot to appear on your desktop.
In all macOS versions
- Press Shift-Command-4.
- Drag to select the area of the screen to capture. To move the entire selection, press and hold Space bar while dragging.
- After you release your mouse or trackpad button, find the screenshot on your desktop.
Capture a menu
Press Shift-Command-5 or Shift-Command-4 as described below.
In macOS Mojave or later
- Click the menu to reveal its contents.
- Capture the menu using either of these methods, which use Shift-Command-5:
- Capture a window (the menu is treated like a window).
- Capture a selected portion of the screen that includes the menu.
In all macOS versions
- Click the menu to reveal its contents.
- Press Shift-Command-4.
- Drag to select the area of the menu to capture, then release your mouse or trackpad button to capture that area.
- Or press Space bar to change the pointer to a camera , then click the menu to capture it.
- Find the screenshot on your desktop.
Capture the Touch Bar
If you have a Mac with a Touch Bar and macOS Sierra 10.12.2 or later, press Shift-Command-6 to capture what is currently displayed on the Touch Bar. Then find the screenshot on your desktop.
You can also customize the Control Strip region of your Touch Bar to include a Screenshot button.
Use the screenshot thumbnail
When you take a screenshotin macOS Mojave or later, a thumbnail of the screenshot appears briefly in the lower-right corner of your screen.
- Take no action or swipe the thumbnail to the right: The screenshot is automatically saved to your chosen save location, which by default is the desktop.
- Control-click the thumbnail to choose more actions, such as change the default save location, open the screenshot in an app, or delete the screenshot without saving it.
- Drag the thumbnail to move the screenshot to another location, such as to a document, an email, a Finder window, or the Trash.
- Click the thumbnail to open the screenshot. You can then use the markup tools in the toolbar to crop, rotate, annotate, and take other editing actions. Or click the share button to share the screenshot.
Clicking the thumbnail opens it in editing view. Hover your pointer over each button in the toolbar to see its function.
If you don't want the thumbnail to appear, click Options in the onscreen controls, then use the ”Show Floating Thumbnail” option to change the setting.
Learn more
- Screenshot controls in macOS Mojave or later are provided by the Screenshot app, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. This app replaces the Grab app from earlier versions of macOS.
- By default, screenshots are saved with the name ”Screen Shot date at time.png”.
- To cancel taking a screenshot, press the Esc (Escape) key before clicking to capture.
- To store the screenshot in the Clipboard instead of saving it, press and hold the Control key while you click to capture. You can then paste the screenshot into a document, message, or other location. Using Universal Clipboard, you can even paste it on another Apple device.
- You can open screenshots with Preview, Safari, or other apps that can edit or view images. Preview can export to a different format, such as JPEG, PDF, or TIFF.
- Some apps, such as DVD Player, might not let you take screenshots of their windows.