How to screenshot on Windows PCs: Methods To Take Screenshots on Windows 10 and 11
On a personal computer, it’s not uncommon to wish to capture a screenshot of something. You can complete the task manually if you are not utilising a tool provided by a third party. The most straightforward method is to press the Prt Sc button, also known as the Print Scrn button (the print screen key), which will capture the entirety of the display on the PC. You can take a screenshot of the entire computer by using the Windows operating system and pressing the Print Screen key, which is located in the top right corner of the keyboard. After doing so, you can either copy the image of the screen to the clipboard or save it in the folder designated for screenshots.
On the other hand, Windows provides a wider variety of options for screen capture when taking screenshots.
Tutorial on Taking Screenshots in Windows
This article will walk you through the process of taking screenshots in Windows 10, including all of the steps that are required. In addition to that, we will respond to some important questions that the vast majority of users have:
When taking screenshots with Windows 10, should the screen be maximised or left at its default size?
How can I snap a screenshot on a PC as rapidly as possible?
Utilizing the Xbox game bar on Windows in order to capture screenshots and make recordings
In the Frequently Asked Questions section, we also walk you through the process of taking screenshots on Windows 11.
This may be accomplished in a variety of different ways with Windows 10, including taking a screenshot of the entire screen, a specific window, or a portion of the screen. Let’s take a look at each of them in turn, shall we?
Easy tips and workarounds for taking screenshots on Windows 10
The following instructions will show you how to take screenshots on Windows, whether you want to capture the entire screen or only a portion of it:
Press the Print Screen key to take a screenshot of the active window, whether it’s minimised or the entire screen.
Make use of the game bar in order to grab the screen of the computer: a screenshot that can be full or minimised on the Windows operating system
Alt + Prt Sc (print screen button) screen capture
capture the screen with Windows and Print Screen.
For taking screenshots on Windows, the Snipping Tool software should be used.
Taking a screenshot by utilising the Snip & Sketch application
When taking screenshots on a PC, you should make use of a third-party application or picture editor.
Method 1. Press the key combination for the Print Screen shortcut.
The Print Screen key is the quickest and most convenient way to capture a screenshot on a Windows 10 machine (Prtscn). This button can typically be found on the top row of the keyboard, close to where the Function (F#) keys are positioned. Pressing the Windows key in conjunction with the Print Screen key will cause a snapshot to be taken of your whole screen and automatically saved. After you have successfully captured a screenshot, the screen will quickly dim to let you know that the image has been saved, and the screenshot itself will be stored in the folder under “Pictures > Screenshots.” Let’s take a closer look at this below in more detail:
Push the PrtScn button.
Taking a complete screenshot on Windows can be done with the following steps:
Simply make the screen you wish to print the active window by pressing the PrtScn button, which is located on the upper-right side of your keyboard.
You can capture a screenshot of your computer by using the keyboard, and either the Prt Sc button or the Print Sc button will do the trick. To capture the entire screen of your computer, you can use the PrtScn button, also known as the Print Scrn button. The screenshot will be copied to your clipboard immediately after it is taken.
Copy the screenshot and then paste it into an application that allows you to include images, such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Paint. This will allow you to save the file.
Or, Tap the Windows key in addition to the Print Screen key [windows key print screen] to take a screenshot that captures the entirety of your screen and saves it immediately. When you have successfully captured a screenshot, the brightness of your screen will briefly decrease as a visual cue.
A copy of the screenshot will be saved in the Pictures > Screenshots folder immediately after it is taken.
To start the screen capture on some keyboards, you might need to hit both the Function (Fn) key and the Print Screen button at the same time. This would be represented as Fn + PrtScn button/or Print Scrn (print screen)
When you press the “print screen” key, the contents of the full screen will be copied to the clipboard. You can view the saved screenshots by checking the alerts that are located in the bottom right corner of your screen.
FN key for functions
Please take note that even if you have more than one display, everything will be combined into a single picture.
This method does not save the image to a file by default; rather, it copies it to the Clipboard so that it can be used later. After you have done so, you will be able to copy and paste it (by hitting Ctrl+V or by right-clicking and selecting “Paste”) onto a document (such as one created in Word or Google) or an image processor (Like Microsoft Paint, or even Photoshop).
Method 2: Screen capture using the Alt key in combination with the Print Screen button
You can take a screenshot of only one active window by pressing the Alt and Prt Sc keys on your keyboard. This is the simplest option (print screen).
To ensure that the screenshot you capture is of the active window you want, and not just any window, you will first need to pick the window you want to take a screenshot of by clicking on it.
Then you need to hit the print screen button, which is either the Alt + Prt Sc combination or the Windows key + Print Screen.
The image will be copied to the clipboard, from which you can later retrieve it by pasting it somewhere else.
screen shot taken through a single window
There is also a shortcut on the keyboard that you may use if you wish to save the image as a file on your computer.
Simply press the Windows key (which has the Windows logo on it) in conjunction with the Prt Sc key (print screen key). [Print Screen Button] located on the Windows Key.
This creates a file that contains the image.
It is found in the C: drive by default. Screenshots can be found under the “Users” menu under “Pictures.”
Method 3: Windows logo followed by a screen shot using Print Screen
instructions for creating screenshots on Windows
Pressing the Windows key in combination with the Prt Sc (print screen) key will cause your screen to dim, and a screenshot of your whole display will be saved to the Pictures folder under the Screenshots subfolder.
Check out How to Fix the Print Screen Not Working on Windows 10 if you’re having problems with the functionality of the Print Screen button on your version of Windows.
Method 4: To take a screenshot, you can make use of the Snipping Tool.
You should take screenshots on Windows using the snipping tool if you want to be able to alter, annotate, or share the screen captures you take. The Snipping Tool app is an amazing tool for taking screenshots, and it is available for free on iOS and Android. Since the release of Windows Vista, it has been available. It is available for your usage to;
Take a screenshot on the computer of the entire screen, a rectangular portion of the screen, or the entire screen in a free-form screenshot.
Note, however, that utilising a snipping tool to take screenshots does not automatically save the screenshot as an image file; however, users have the choice to save the screenshot in this manner.
Take a snapshot on your personal computer by following these instructions and using the snip & snipping tool:
You will need to use the search bar to locate the application for the screen snipping tool in order to launch it. If the search bar is not visible, you may enable it by right-clicking on the taskbar, navigating to the Search menu, and selecting the Show Search Box option. A tool for making snip sketches a window that is active will appear.
tool for making snips and sketches
There will be a new window that appears. Here is where you may choose the Mode of the “snip” that you want to take. You can take a full-screen capture, a window capture, a free-form snip, or a rectangular snip. We are going to walk you through the process of taking a rectangle screen clip.
method of cutting (snipping)
You also have the ability using the Snipping Tool to specify a delay before taking a screenshot, which enables you to take screenshots after a predetermined length of time has passed. This comes in handy when capturing pop-up menus as well as tooltips. To set the amount of time, in seconds, that you would want to elapse before taking the screenshot, click on the delay button.
set delay time
When you are ready to take the snapshot, select the New option from the drop-down menu. The image on the screen will gradually disappear, and the pointer will transform into a cross. If you chose the delay option, the screen will gradually dim after the period of time that you specified in the drop-down menu.
If you have the Rectangular screen snip option chosen, you can make a rectangle on the screen by clicking and dragging with your mouse. The image of the screenshot will be the rectangle you draw.
If you chose the Free-form cut option, all you have to do is click and drag to create the shape you need. Remember that the screenshot will be taken as soon as you stop pressing the right-click button, so keep your finger off it.
If you choose the Window snip, you can now select which windows you want the screenshot to include by clicking on those windows individually.
Last but not least, if you click on the full-screen snip button, the programme will create a screenshot of the entire screen in full-screen mode.
make a screen capture
After you have captured the screenshot, you will have a number of alternatives to choose from.
You can save the image to your computer as a file by going to the “File” menu, selecting “Save as,” and then putting it wherever you choose.
You can attach it to an email or send it as an attachment to an email by going to the File menu and selecting “Send to” followed by “Email recipient.”
You can print the snapshot by going to the File menu and selecting Print from there.
By selecting Edit > Copy from the menu bar, you will be able to save the screenshot to your clipboard.
The screenshot can also be edited by using the Pen or Highlighter tool, respectively. The colour of the pen can be changed at your discretion. If you want the viewer’s attention to be drawn to a certain part of the snapshot, you can use this feature to do so.
Windows allows you to alter screenshots.
Method 5: To take a screenshot, open the Snip & Sketch app on your device.
The Snip & Sketch software, also known as the Snip Sketch Tool, is one of the drawing tools that users of Windows can take use of. It replaced the Snipping Tool on Windows. If you want to customise, annotate, or share your screen captures, the Snip & Sketch programme is the finest way to take screenshots on Windows.
You can launch the Snip & Sketch application by using the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + Shift + S, or you can search for the Snip & Sketch app using the search bar.
The brightness of your screen will decrease, and a little menu will appear at the top of the screen, offering you the choice to record the screen in one of four different shapes and sizes: rectangle, free-form, window, or the entire computer display.
Make screenshots with the help of snip and sketch.
You have the option of selecting how you would want to take a screenshot. The Snipping Tool contains the same options that are presented here. In order, from the left to the right:
Snips of the following shapes can be taken from a computer screen: the rectangular Snip, the freeform Snip, the window Snip, and the full screen.
By taking a screenshot of this area, the information will be copied to your Clipboard.
After that, you may paste it (by hitting Ctrl+V or by right-clicking and selecting the Paste option) onto a document (such as one created in Word or Google) or an image processor (Like Paint, or even Photoshop).
A new window will show up once you open the Snip & Sketch window by searching for it in the bar at the top of the page.
open snip & sketch
You have the option in this window to either click on the New button to begin capturing your screenshot immediately or to click on the arrow next to it that is pointing downward to Snip in 3, 10, or 15 seconds.
set delay time
Following the selection of one of the available choices, the screen will become darker, and a toolbar will be displayed at the very top of the screen. The Snipping Tool contains the same options that are presented here. The order in which they appear is as follows: Rectangular Snip, Freeform Snip, Window Snip, and Snip for the entire computer screen.
free-form cut and paste
After you have chosen one of them, you will be able to capture the snapshot that you require, be it a rectangle, a freeform, a specific window, or the entire screen.
When you have finished taking the screenshot, the Snip & Sketch app will open automatically, and you will be able to view it there. You have the option of using a highlighter, a ballpoint pen, or a pencil to make annotations in this section. You can get rid of them by using the eraser, and you can also write comments at the angles you want to use a ruler, which you may adjust by using the mouse wheel. In addition to that, you have the choice to crop the screenshot.
cut a screenshot to size.
If you want to save, copy, or share the image once you’ve finished modifying it, you can use the buttons in the upper right corner of the screen. When you click the Save button, you will be given the option to select a location to save the image. If you click the Copy button, the image will be copied to your clipboard. If you click the Share button, you will be able to send the image to your contacts through email or through other applications.
the steps to do in order to save a screenshot as a file
Summary: You can copy words or images from all or parts of your personal computer screen using the snip sketch tool, which is part of the Windows operating system. You can also use this tool to take screenshots. Launch the Screen Snipping Tool to make edits or add comments, after which you should save and share the document. When utilising the snip sketch tool, you have the ability to capture any of the following types of snips:
Snip in free-form format
Create a free-form shape that surrounds the thing you want to draw.
Rectangular snip
To create a rectangle around an object, simply drag the pointer around it.
Window snip
Choose the window that you want to capture, such as a dialogue box or another window.
capture of the entire screen
Take a screenshot of the entire screen.
When you take a screenshot with the Snipping Tool, the screenshot is automatically duplicated to the Snipping Tool window, where it may be edited, saved, and shared with other people. This is an important fact to keep in mind.
Take note that the keyboard shortcut Windows key plus Shift plus S is the quickest and most convenient way to launch Snip & Sketch. You may also find the Snip & Sketch tool listed in the alphabetical list of applications that can be accessible from the Start button. Additionally, you can find it labelled as Screen (full) snip in the notification panel that is located in the lower right corner of the screen. If you don’t want to commit the keyboard shortcut to memory, another option is to just search for it. (We suggest pinning the programme to the taskbar if you take screenshots on a frequent basis.)
In addition, once you have taken the screenshot, it will be immediately copied to your clipboard, and a notification will display in the bottom-right hand corner of your screen to provide you with a preview of the image (notification panel). Before you save or share the screenshot, launch the Snip & Sketch app by clicking on the preview notice. Once the app is open, you can change the screenshot using the drawing tools that are offered.
Method 6: Taking a screenshot with the help of the Game Bar.
The utilisation of the Game Bar as a screen capture tool is going to be the subject of our final methodical examination. The game bar in Windows 10 gives you the ability to record gameplay footage, capture screenshots, and record videos, in addition to a variety of other features that are not relevant to the topic of this post. Even when you are not currently playing a game, the game bar can be used to capture screenshots. Find out how to utilise it by reading on:
Pressing the Windows Key in combination with the letter G will open the Game Bar overlay (windows key G). Before you press this button, you need to make sure that the active window represents the screen or window that you wish to capture.
using the game bar, you can take a screenshot.
capture a screenshot by making use of the game bar on windows.
You should see a window that is called Broadcast & capture in the top right hand corner of the display screen. To take a screenshot, you need to click the icon that looks like a camera. This will save the snapshot as a PNG file and save it in the “C:UsersUsernameVideosCaptures” directory on your computer. This picture will take up the entire screen.
Make screenshots with your camera by using it.
In Windows 10, you can record your gameplay with the help of the game bar.
Windows 10 comes pre-loaded with the Game Bar in its default configuration. (If for any reason you are unable to locate it, you can download it from this location.) However, if you haven’t used it before, it could be worthwhile to check to make sure that it is functioning properly, particularly before you attempt to shoot movies on it. For this purpose
On your keyboard, press the Windows Key and the letter G to bring up the Windows Key G menu. It should now be possible to access the Game Bar. In the event that it does not, the following is how to activate it:
Go to the menu labelled “Start.”
To access the Settings menu, click the gear symbol.
Select “Gaming” from the menu.
Make sure that the switch that is labelled “Record game clips, snapshots, and broadcast using Game bar” is toggled to the “On” position at the top of the screen. On Note: The page you’ve accessed also offers keyboard shortcuts for Game Bar commands including opening the Game Bar, taking a screenshot, and beginning and pausing a PC screen recording. These keys may be found on the page you’ve opened. If you choose, you may also create your own keyboard shortcuts for these instructions and input them here. This is completely optional.
You are now able to start screen recording and record game clips of your preferred game because the game bar has been activated.
Tutorial on how to take screenshots using the Game Bar
Bear in mind that the Game Bar can only capture the screen of a single application or active window at a time. This window will typically be the one that you most recently clicked into. Also, you can’t move to recording another window after you start recording. The gaming bar won’t also let you record your complete screen, thus you can’t record your Desktop or File Explorer or a few other apps, such as Maps. Experimenting in advance, if at all possible, is something we strongly advise you to do.
Here are the methods to undertake the screen record and record game clips using the game bar (using x box Game Bar):
Launch the Windows programme that you want to record using the Record button. It is possible that you will need to minimise or dismiss any other windows or applications in order to prevent yourself from mistakenly recording the wrong one. You should also make sure that any audio that you do not want to be included in the recording is turned off, even if it is coming from a different programme or window. This could be helpful. The screen recorder is capable of recording any and all audio that is being played by any application on the device.
It is recommended that you read How to Fix Discord Screen Share Audio Not Working (2022)
Simply press the Windows key and the letter G. The Xbox Game Bar will now be accessible.
To begin recording audio from the external source, you must first activate the microphone button. You will have the ability to add commentary or to do a voiceover using this. (You will continue to record the audio coming from within the computer.)
To begin recording, select the button labelled Record (it looks like a circle with a dot in it). Alternately, if you want to begin recording without going into the Game Bar, all you have to do is hit Windows + Alt + R.
In either case, a little pop-up bar containing a timer and two recording controls will be presented to you.
Simply clicking the microphone button will turn your external mic on and off, but your device’s built-in mic will continue to operate normally throughout the recording process.
When you are finished, you can either click the stop button or hit the Windows key plus Alt plus R to stop recording the screen. The recording of the screen will be saved on your personal computer.
The phrase “Game clip recorded” will appear as a notification in the panel of notifications located in the lower right corner of the screen. If you click on that notification, File Explorer will open the folder labelled “Captures,” which is also known as the folder labelled “screenshots.”
You can also search for your recording using File Explorer as an additional option. Navigate to “This PC” > “Videos” > “Captures” or the folder labelled “screenshots.”
If you need more information about how to record the screen of your Windows PC using Xbox Game Bar, read the article that can be found here.
Method 7: Take screenshots on your personal computer using an application not developed by Microsoft.
You can use applications that are not offered by Windows if the ways that are provided by Windows are unable to assist you in taking clear screenshots. Integrations with third-party applications are an essential component of the screenshot tools available in Windows. They provide additional functionality to your screen capture, such as the ability to capture the scrolling screen and simple sharing between a variety of work productivity programmes. The print screen software that is provided by third parties incorporates a variety of integrations with various applications for image editing, project management, file sharing, and communications in order to maximise the effectiveness of the tools and the productivity of the workers.
The following are examples of screen capture tools provided by third parties:
ShareX PicPick ScreenPresso Snagit Apowersoft Screen Capture Pro Droplr CloudApp Screencast-O-Matic ShareX PicPick ScreenPresso Snagit Apowersoft Screen Capture Pro
This article will walk you through the process of capturing scrolling screens using third-party applications.
View this video to learn how to take a screenshot on Windows 10 Video.
Take a look at this guide to learn how to start using Windows 10, including how to take screenshots on Windows 10.
The guide to taking screen captures in Windows 11
In Windows 11, there are multiple options available for capturing a screenshot. The following guide will demonstrate how to take a screenshot with Windows 11 using four distinct methods.
Method 1: Pressing the Print Screen button will capture a picture of the complete screen.
On an active window in Windows 11, you will need to press the PrtSc key, same as you did in Windows 10.
To cancel, press the Delete key.
You won’t be given any evidence that the screenshot was successfully taken, but it will be copied to your clipboard anyway.
Copy the screenshot and then press “Ctrl-V” to paste it into an application such as Microsoft Paint or Microsoft Word, or even into the body of an email. This will allow you to view the screenshot in its entirety.
Method 2: To take a snapshot of the entire screen and save it to your computer, press the Windows key and the PrtSc key simultaneously.
If you want to take a screenshot of your entire desktop, you can do so by pressing the Windows key in combination with the Print Scren key. However, this will only work on the currently open window.
But in addition to that, it will save the screenshot to a file on your personal computer.
When you have successfully taken a screenshot, the entire display will flash to let you know that the image has been captured and will be preserved in the background.
Under the Pictures menu, select Screenshots to locate all of the full-screen screenshots you’ve taken.
Method 3: Take a screenshot of just a portion of the screen with the help of the Snip & Sketch Tool.
You might simply want to capture a certain portion of the screenshot, such as the active window on the computer. Using the snip and sketch tool, Windows 11 provides you with the ability to capture only a portion of the screen when the situation warrants it:
Hit windows keys Pressing Win, Shift, and S simultaneously will cause a brief flash on the screen, followed by the appearance of a Snipping Tool menu at the very top of the display.
On this screen, you will have the ability to accomplish the following (beginning in the upper left):
Rectangular screen Snip: if you want to capture something, draw a box around it.
Freeform Snip allows you to capture whatever you want by allowing you to draw any shape around it.
Choose a window to capture with the Window Snip tool.
Snippet for the whole screen: Capture your entire screen (same thing as PrtScr).
You will have the option to save the screenshot to your clipboard after it has been taken, just like when you use the Prt Scr key.
After that, you can copy it and paste it somewhere else to examine it.
However, if you click the Snipping Tool preview that shows at the bottom of the screen, you’ll find options to modify the screenshot (including options to crop, rotate, and save it to your desktop), as well as options to save the edited screenshot.
Method 4: To snap screenshots at a later time, make use of the Snipping Tool.
Windows 11 includes the Snipping Tool by default, exactly like previous versions of Windows, including Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. It is the same tool that is used in the Snip and Sketch tool; the only difference is that a few minor changes have been made to it. To put it to use,
In order to capture a snapshot of your computer, you will need to look for an application called Snipping Tool and then launch it.
When you access the tiny menu for the Snipping Tool by clicking on the New button, you will see a list of different snips from which you can select one.
However, with the complete version of the Snipping Tool, you have the ability to select any one of the four different snipping options (rectangular, freeform, window, and fullscreen) and then select a delay option.
In the sketch window, you have the option of selecting a delay of three, five, or ten seconds.
This will allow you some time to prepare whatever it is that you’re trying to capture in a screenshot, which could make the process simpler than manually taking the picture itself.
Simply hitting Win-Shift-S will allow you to take the delayed snapshot, which will then be copied to your clipboard after it has been taken. You can also make any necessary modifications to the screenshot by clicking on the preview that appears and then either save it to your computer as a JPEG, PNG, or other image format.
The Last Word
That wraps up the discussion! You now have five different options available to you that will show you how to take screenshots on Windows 10. Do you have a Mac and would want to snap a screenshot on your Mac? Read our post for more information on how to take screenshots on a Mac.
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