Techsmith iconTechsmithSep 17, 2026 ~7 min source read

How to Capture Only One Monitor When You Have Multiple Displays

When Print Screen grabs both displays, use the right shortcut or tool to isolate a single monitor, capture a window, or select a precise region and avoid exposing unrelated or sensitive content.

How Do I Screenshot Only One Monitor?

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On a Mac, use Shift-Command-4 to draw a selection and add Space to capture a specific window.

Camtasia Snagit lets you explicitly choose a monitor, window, or region, and adds annotation and redaction tools for safer sharing.

Pick the capture method that matches what you need: whole monitor, single window, or a specific region to avoid unintended content.

# The problem: unwanted content in multi-monitor screenshots

# Quick rules for choosing a capture method

  • Need the whole monitor? Use a tool or method that targets that monitor specifically. Plain Print Screen often captures every connected display as a single image, which is usually the wrong choice.
  • Need only one app window? Capture the active window instead of the full desktop.
  • Need just part of a screen? Use a selection tool that confines the region to one monitor.

# Windows shortcuts that isolate one display

  • Print Screen: captures the entire extended desktop. Avoid if any other monitor shows sensitive content.
  • Alt+Print Screen: captures only the active window. Use this when the window you want is focused and fully visible on one monitor.
  • Windows+Shift+S: opens the selection tool (Snip & Sketch / Snipping Tool) so you can draw a region. The selection can be confined to a single monitor, letting you exclude other displays.

# Mac shortcuts for single-monitor captures

  • Shift-Command-4: lets you draw a selection to capture a specific region. The selection stays on the monitor where you start.

# When to use a dedicated capture app (Camtasia Snagit) Camtasia Snagit provides explicit choices for monitor, window, or region. That removes uncertainty when multiple screens are active. Use it when you need:

  • A predictable capture of only one monitor.
  • Built-in annotation, cropping, and redaction to remove or hide sensitive details before sharing.
  • A repeatable workflow for documentation, bug reports, or support tickets.

# Practical capture workflows

  1. Capture a single app window quickly: focus the window and press Alt+Print Screen (Windows) or Shift-Command-4 then Space (Mac).
  2. Capture a specific region on one monitor: use Windows+Shift+S or Shift-Command-4 and drag to select the exact area.
  3. Capture the whole monitor without including others: use a tool that lets you select the monitor explicitly (example: Snagit) rather than Print Screen.
  4. Redact before sharing: if a screenshot might contain sensitive info, use an editor or Snagit's redaction tools to blur or block those areas before sending.

# Shortcuts at a glance

  • Windows: Print Screen (full extended desktop), Alt+Print Screen (active window), Windows+Shift+S (select region)
  • Mac: Shift-Command-4 (select region), Shift-Command-4 then Space (capture window)

# Bottom line Choose the capture method that matches your goal. If you only want one monitor, avoid the plain Print Screen on Windows and prefer window or region captures. For predictable single-monitor captures plus editing and redaction, use a capture app that lets you pick the monitor explicitly and edit before sharing.

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