How to take a screenshot on windows is a common question for everyone but this is very simple and easy. You can also do this manually if you don’t have a third-party program. You can grab the entire screen by hitting the Print Scrn/Prit Scbn key (print screen key). To take a full screenshot of your PC, use Windows OS. Press the Print Screen key (located at the top right corner of the keyboard).
How to Take a Screenshot on Windows PC
Screenshots are useful for documentation and work and can also be requested by tech support to help you better understand a bug. We’ve listed all the possible methods to help you accomplish this simple task in Windows. These methods are equally effective in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
The Snipping Tool
Snipping Tool is the best native alternative. Although this built-in screen-capture utility is useful, it’s not the best or most flexible when saving snapshots. It is, however, a utility that lets users capture a portion of their desktop as a screenshot. Here are the steps to use it.
Step 1: Type the snipping tool in the taskbar’s search field and choose the app. Windows 10 users will see a notification that the app is “moving to new homes” in Windows 10. Don’t worry. It’s still available in Windows 11, but Microsoft recommends using Snip & Sketch or the Win + Shift+ S keyboard shortcut.
Step 2: Once the Snipping Tools is open, click the Mode button to expand the menu. There are four screen-capturing options available: You can draw a window (Free Form Snip), box an area (Rectangular Snip), or capture the entire screen (Full Screen Snip).
Windows 11 has a different design. The snipping tool will open in a new rectangular mode. There is no delay. These buttons work exactly as described previously. Click the down arrow beside the rectangle mode to access the full-screen, window, and free-form modes.
Step 3: The screen will turn white if you use the Rectangular Snip and Free-Form modes. The white tint will disappear once you have defined the screenshot area. You can capture a window by using Window Snip. Your screen will tint white, except for the contents.
Step 4: The Snipping tool also has a delay function. The tool can wait up to five seconds before taking a great screenshot. This allows you to capture the exact moment in an animation or video. After you have taken a screenshot, the Snipping Tools interface expands to show your screenshot. In addition, light edits can be made with a highlighter or pen, and you can erase something.
Step 5: Once you are done editing in the Snipping Tools, click File in the upper-left corner. Next, click Save As on the drop-down menu.
Snip & Sketch
Snip & Sketch, Microsoft’s latest version of its snipping tool, is now available. This tool can be accessed via the Start menu or by entering Win + Shift + s on your keyboard. Step-by-step instructions on how to take a screenshot on windows by snip & sketch.
Step 1: When you press the keyboard shortcut, your screen darkens and displays a five-button bar along the top. The older Snipping Tool has the same functions but doesn’t save your screenshots to a file. Instead, the image is copied to your clipboard.
Step 2: A desktop notification will show you that the image was copied to your clipboard. The same notification allows you to edit the image captured within the Snip and Sketch apps. This option is available by clicking on the Desktop Notification. Click on the notification to open the app. The screenshot will load within the app. You can crop the image and add a highlighter, pen, and eraser.
Step 3: To load the Snip & Sketch instead, click on the drop-down arrow near the top-left button and choose Snip Now from the drop-down menu. The screen will darken, and you’ll see the five-button Toolbar. You can now take your snip, and the desired image will automatically load in Snip& Sketch, ready to be edited.
Step 4: Once satisfied, click the Disk-Style button to save the image. Click the Three-Dot icon in the Toolbar to open any image editor. Select the Open With option from the drop-down menu to edit the screenshot and save it.
Keyboard Shortcuts – PrintScreen
Six keyboard shortcuts allow you to capture your desktop and make it an image. Three of these methods are based on Print Screen (PrtScn), while the others use the Windows (Win) key.
You’ll find the PrtScn key in the upper-right corner of external keyboards. The Win key is usually located in the lower left between the Control (Ctrl) and Alternate(Alt) keys. Unfortunately, it is easy to miss because it sports the Windows logo. Print Screen commands can be combined on laptops with another function by pressing a single key. For example, pressing the Function key (Fn) and Print Screen key would be best.
Screen Capture Commands
Print Screen PrtScn: Captures all of the screens. This function will capture all images on multiple displays. This method doesn’t save the image as an image but sends it to the Windows clipboard.
- Alt + Print Screen: Captures one window. Before pressing these keys (or three, depending on your laptop), highlight the target window first, such as a browser or document. This method doesn’t save your image to a file but sends the image from the capture window directly to the clipboard.
- Windows saves the screenshot to C: UsersPictures>Screenshots or C: UsersOneDrive>Pictures>Screenshots on your PC by default.
- The built-in tool, Snip & Sketch, lets you capture a screenshot by pressing Win + Shift+ S. The screen dims, and a small toolbar appears with four options: Rectangular Snip (Freeform Snip), Window Snip (Window Snip), and Fullscreen Snip. In this guide, we discuss in more detail how captured images are sent to your clipboard rather than being saved as an image.
- By default, this tool will save images to C: Users>(user name)>Videos>Captures after clicking the Capture button and then the Camera icon.
- The Win + Alt + Printer Screen command only captures the active window. Images are saved to C: Users>(user name)>Videos>Captures by default.
Sometimes, your screen will flicker or dim to indicate that Windows has taken a screenshot. To see if Windows has saved your image, open File Explorer.
Use OneDrive
OneDrive allows you to save screenshots to the cloud. This makes them accessible from any device. However, it does not automatically save screenshots. Instead, click on the Cloud icon next to the System Clock or the Hidden Icons Menu marked with an upward-facing Arrow.
This icon may need to be appearing. You must first open the OneDrive app and sign in to your account. Next, click on the Cloud icon and then select Help & Setting. Next, click on Settings in the pop-up menu. Then click on the Backup tab and check the box under Screenshots. Then, click OK.
To automatically save an image to OneDrive, press the Print Screen commands. These commands will not cause your screen to flicker or dim, but you will receive a notification. If you wish to view the images on your computer, sync the Screenshots folder.
You can view and locate the screenshots you saved locally using the Photos app. If everything looks good, you can drag it, attach it as an email attachment, or upload it to the cloud. If you need to crop images, especially images taken on multiple screens, you have three options: Paint, Paint 3D, and Photos. These applications allow you to quickly copy and paste your image, crop it down, or save it in a different format.
How to Take a Screenshot on Another Device
It’s easy to take a screenshot from a Mac rather than a Windows PC. There are many ways to do it, but the easiest is to use some keyboard shortcuts. Command + Shift+ 3 will capture the entire screen. *Command + Shift+ 4 *will allow you to draw a selection box.
The same process applies to Windows tablets. For example, you can take a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface 2-in-1.
Similar steps can be used for Chromebooks. There are several ways to capture a screenshot from a Chromebook. However, the most efficient is a keyboard shortcut. For example, you can capture the entire screen with Control + Shift + Display Windows or a specific area using Control + Shift + View Windows.
Third Party App to Capture Screenshots on PC
Third party apps can help you take screenshots if Windows built-in methods don’t work well. Windows screenshot tools feature third party integrations as an integral feature. It allows you to capture scrolling screens and share them easily across multiple work productivity apps in addition to adding more functionality to your screen capture. To maximize tool efficiency and worker productivity, third-party print screen software integrates with image editing, project management, file sharing, and messaging tools.
- ScreenPresso
- Droplr
- Apowersoft Screen Capture Pro
- ShareX
- Snagit
- PicPick
- Screencast-O-Matic
- CloudApp
Conclusion
That’s it! Now you have five methods on how to take a screenshot on Windows PC or laptop. Are you using a Mac? Do you want to capture a screenshot on your Mac? Please look at our article about how to take a screenshot on Mac.
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