Symptoms
Capturing a snapshot of your computer screen is called a screenshot or screen capture. Once captured, the screenshot is automatically copied to your computer clipboard.
You can then paste the screenshot into a document, email message, file, or image editor (Paint, for example). Alternately, you can save the screenshot as a file, and then insert it as a picture into a document, email message, another file, or image editor.
NOTE: The Print Screen key is typically located in the upper right corner of the keyboard. Some keyboard models label the Print Screen key differently, such as PrintScreen, PrntScrn, PrntScr, PrtScn, PrtScr, PrtSc, or a similar abbreviation. In this article, we use the PrntScrn abbreviation to represent any key label variations.
Other keyboards may not have a separate Print Screen key. In this case, you can perform the Print Screen function by pressing and holding down the Fn + Insert keys together.
Figure 1: Illustration of the print screen key on Dell KM5221W wireless keyboard.
Figure 2: Illustration of the print screen key on Dell Precision 5550 mobile workstation keyboard.
Cause
The Print Screen function operates slightly differently in each Windows operating system.
Resolution
Using the Print Screen Key in Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8
To capture the entire screen:
- Press the Windows logo key + PrntScrn key together.
On tablets, press the Windows logo button + the volume down button together. (The screenshot is saved in the Screenshots folder in the Pictures folder.)
To capture all active windows:
- Press the PrntScrn key.
To capture a single active window:
- Tap or click the
window that you want to capture.
Press the Alt + PrntScrn keys together.
Once you have captured the desired screen or window using the Print Screen key, you must take additional steps. Paste the captured image into an image editor such as Microsoft Paint or Photoshop to edit or save it. Open the appropriate application and use the Ctrl-V key combination to paste the image into a new image document.
For more complex screen captures, refer to the Snipping Tool in Windows.
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How do I take a screenshot?
| hold down | ⊞ Win | and | Shift | and press | S | = | Use your mouse to draw a rectangle in order to specify what to capture. Windows then copies it to the clipboard. |
I guess it’s in the clipboard now. How can I paste it into a document or something? | |||||
| hold down | Ctrl | and press | V | = | Windows pastes the screenshot (that is in the clipboard) into a document or image you are currently editing. |
Where should I paste it? I just need a (graphics) file. | |||||
| |||||
Is there a dedicated program for taking screenshots? How can I find it? | |||||
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How to screenshot or print a screen on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP
What to Know
- On Windows 10 and 8, Windows Key+PrtScn to capture entire screen. On Windows 7 and earlier, press PrtScn.
- To capture only the active window, press Alt+PrtScn.
- To capture specific parts of the screen, use the Windows Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch.
This article explains how to take screenshots on a Windows PC. Instructions apply to Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.
How to Take a Screenshot
The basic way to take a screenshot in Windows is the same way no matter what version of Windows you're using, and it's very easy: press the PrtScn key on the keyboard.
- PrtScn: Pressing the button once saves a screenshot of the entire screen. If you have multiple monitors connected, a single press of the print screen button will save a screenshot of all the screens in one single image.
- Alt+PrtScn: Press these buttons at the same time to take a screenshot of a single window that you're focused on. Select the window once to make sure it's in focus, and then hit these keys.
- Win+PrtScn: Using the Windows key with the print screen button (in Windows 8 and newer) will take a screenshot of the whole screen and then save it in the default Pictures folder in a subfolder called Screenshots (e.g. C:\Users\[user]\Pictures\Screenshots).
How to Paste or Save a Screenshot
The easiest way to save a screenshot is to first paste it in the Microsoft Paint application. This is simple to do in Paint because you don't have to download it—it's included with Windows by default.
You do have other options like to paste it in Microsoft Word, Photoshop, or any other program that supports images, but for the sake of simplicity, we'll use Paint. The quickest way to open Paint in all versions of Windows is through the Run dialog box.
Press Win+R.
Type mspaint into the Run field, and select Enter.
With Microsoft Paint open, and the screenshot still saved in the clipboard, use Ctrl+V to paste it into Paint, or select Paste.
Press Ctrl+S, or select File > Save as to save the screenshot.
At this point, you may notice that the image you saved looks a bit off. If the image doesn't take up the entire canvas in Paint, it will leave white space around it. To fix this, drag the bottom right corner of the canvas toward the top left of the screen until you reach the corners of your screenshot.
Take a Screenshot on PC With the Windows Snipping Tool
Another way to take screenshots is to use the Windows Snipping Tool.
- In Windows 10, type snipping tool in the search box on the taskbar and select the Snipping Tool from the list of results.
- In Windows 8, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, select Search, type snipping tool in the search box, and select Snipping Tool from the list of results.
- In Windows 7, select the Start button, type snipping tool in the search box, and select the Snipping Tool from the list of results.
How to Use Snip and Sketch
Download a Print Screen Program
Although Windows works great for basic screenshotting abilities, you can install both free and paid third-party applications for more advanced features like fine-tuning the screenshot by pixel, annotating it before you save it, and easy saving to a predefined location.
One example of a free print screen tool that's more advanced than the Windows one is PrtScr. Another, WinSnap, is good, but the free edition lacks some of the more advanced features of the premium version.
FAQ
How do I take a screenshot on a Mac?
To take a screenshot on a Mac, press Command+Shift+3 to screenshot the entire screen. Press Command+Shift+4 to draw and select an area to screenshot. Press Command+Shift+5 for additional options, including screen recording.
How do I take a screenshot on Android?
To take a screenshot on Android, use a voice command to tell Google Assistant to take a screenshot by saying, "OK Google, take a screenshot." Another option: Press and hold Power + Volume Down. Find your screenshot in the Photo Gallery or Screenshot folder.
How do I take a screenshot on iPhone?
To take an iPhone screenshot on iPhones without a Home button, simultaneously press the Side and Volume Up buttons. The screenshot will save to the Photos app. On older models, press the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously.
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