Screenshot Shows a Cropped Window
If a captured screenshot shows part of a window pushed off the visible area, here is what's happening and how to fix it.
Symptom
In Pulse certificates, timelapses, or exports, a window in the screenshot appears partially cropped — only part of the content is visible, with the rest replaced by another app's content or the desktop background.
Why this happens
Pulse uses the OS-level screen capture API. It can only capture pixels that are actually on-screen. This is not a Pulse limitation — every screen capture tool on macOS works the same way.
If you drag a window so part of it sits past the screen edge, or you place it on a monitor that's smaller than the window itself, the off-screen portion simply does not exist in the OS screen buffer for Pulse to read.
How to fix
Move the window fully on-screen. Grab the title bar and reposition the window so all four edges are inside the visible monitor area before resuming work.
Use the primary monitor on a multi-monitor setup. Pulse captures the screen the active window is on; keeping the work window inside one monitor's bounds avoids partial captures.
Resize or change resolution. If your monitor is smaller than the window, shrink the window or raise the display resolution so the entire window fits.
Related
Verifying Records — what counts as a valid frame and what is flagged as an error
Why Did My Recording Stop? — if recording itself is halting
Fixing macOS Permission Errors — if Screen Recording permission is at issue