How to Take a Screenshot on MT4
BY TIOmarkets
|June 9, 2026A screenshot of your MetaTrader 4 chart is one of the most useful tools you have outside the platform itself. Traders use chart screenshots to build a journal, share setups with peers or mentors, attach evidence to support tickets, and explain ideas in forum or social posts. MT4 includes a built-in Save As Picture feature that captures the chart or full workspace as an image file without leaving the platform.
This guide covers the Save As Picture feature, the three capture modes it supports, file format choices, alternatives using your operating system's screenshot tools, and how screenshots work on MT4 mobile.
Why Take a Screenshot of an MT4 Chart
Screenshots preserve a snapshot of the chart, indicators, and price action at a specific moment. Once a chart updates with new bars, you cannot recover the exact view you had earlier without an image. A clear screenshot supports several practical use cases.
A trade journal benefits from before-and-after images of each trade: one at entry, one at close. Sharing setups with peers, mentors, or in trading communities requires an image, since you cannot share a live MT4 chart directly. Support requests to brokers or platform vendors are easier to resolve when you attach an image showing exactly what you see. Social posts, blog content, and trading commentary all rely on chart visuals.
How to Take a Screenshot Using Save As Picture
The canonical way to screenshot a chart in MetaTrader 4 is the Save As Picture feature. There are two entry points, both leading to the same dialog.
Method 1: Right-Click the Chart
Right-click anywhere on the chart you want to capture, then select Save As Picture from the context menu. The Save As Picture dialog opens. Choose your capture mode (covered below), select a file format and location, then click Save.
Method 2: File Menu
Click the File menu in the top-left of MT4 and select Save As Picture. The same dialog appears.
The Three Capture Modes
The Save As Picture dialog offers three options for what to include in the image.
Active workspace captures the entire MT4 application window, including the Market Watch panel, Navigator, Terminal, and any open chart windows visible at the time. Use this when context matters, such as a support ticket where the broker needs to see your full setup.
Active chart (as is) captures the currently selected chart at its current display size, with all visible indicators, drawing objects, and toolbars. This is the standard option for journals and sharing setups.
Active chart (using selected sizes) captures the chart at custom pixel dimensions you specify in the Width and Height fields. Use this when an upload destination has a specific image size requirement, such as forum upload limits or recommended social media dimensions.
File Format Choices
The Save As Picture dialog typically offers GIF, BMP, and PNG. PNG is the most practical choice for most users: it compresses well, preserves chart quality, and uploads cleanly to almost any destination. BMP files are uncompressed and significantly larger. GIF files are smaller but limited in colour depth, which can degrade chart readability.
For journal storage where file size is not a concern, PNG balances quality and size best. For sharing in messaging apps or social posts, PNG is also the standard.
Alternative: Operating System Screenshot Tools
The MT4 Save As Picture feature is useful but not the only option. Your operating system includes screenshot tools that can capture any part of the screen and often include built-in annotation.
On Windows, press Windows + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool's area select. Drag to select the area you want. The captured image is copied to the clipboard and you can paste it into image editors, messaging apps, or save it to disk. The Print Screen key captures the entire screen to the clipboard.
On macOS, press Cmd + Shift + 4 to capture a selected area, or Cmd + Shift + 3 for the entire screen. Screenshots save to your desktop by default.
These tools have an advantage when you want to capture two MT4 windows at once, annotate the image immediately, or grab only a small portion of a chart.
Screenshots on MT4 Mobile
The MT4 mobile app does not have a Save As Picture menu. To capture a chart on mobile, use your device's built-in screenshot function.
On most Android devices, press Power and Volume Down together briefly. On iOS, press the side button and the volume up button together (on Face ID devices) or the home button and side button together (on Touch ID devices). The screenshot saves to your photo gallery automatically.
Practical Considerations
A screenshot reflects exactly what is visible at the moment you capture it. Before taking the screenshot, set the chart to the timeframe, indicators, drawing objects, and price range you want to preserve. Make sure trade levels are visible if you want stop loss and take profit lines to appear in the image. The Periodicity toolbar above the chart lets you switch timeframes quickly.
If you want annotations on the screenshot, arrows, text labels, or circles around key bars, capture the chart first using either the MT4 feature or an OS tool, then open the image in an image editor or annotation app. Adding annotations after capture is more flexible than trying to set them up in MT4 as chart objects.
MT4's alert system has an option to attach a chart screenshot to alert emails. To configure this, set SMTP details under Tools > Options > Email tab, then enable the relevant email options on individual alerts. This automates capture for specific price or indicator conditions, but the feature requires a working email configuration.
Trading at TIOmarkets
TIOmarkets offers MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 on desktop, web, and mobile, across four account types. The Standard account is created automatically on registration with a minimum deposit of $20 or currency equivalent. The Raw and VIP Black accounts are opened separately through the client area. The Nano account is MT5 only with a $20 minimum deposit, USD only. Hedging is supported on all accounts. A swap-free Islamic account is available; contact TIOmarkets for eligibility and instrument requirements. Copy trading is available on both MT4 and MT5.
Spreads are variable and are typically higher than minimum figures shown. Leverage on each instrument is subject to change depending on market conditions and applicable regulatory requirements. You can review the full list of account types on the TIOmarkets accounts page.
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Behind every blog post lies the combined experience of the people working at TIOmarkets. We are a team of dedicated industry professionals and financial markets enthusiasts committed to providing you with trading education and financial markets commentary. Our goal is to help empower you with the knowledge you need to trade in the markets effectively.
