To take a screenshot on your computer, here are the most common methods depending on your needs and Windows version:
Basic Screenshot Methods
- Full screen capture: Press the Print Screen (PrtSc) key on your keyboard. This copies an image of your entire screen to the clipboard. Then open an image editor like Microsoft Paint, press Ctrl + V to paste, and save the file
- Active window capture: Click the window you want to capture to make it active, then press Alt + PrtSc. Paste it into an image editor with Ctrl + V and save
- Automatic save full screen: Press Windows key + PrtSc together. Your screen will dim briefly, and the screenshot will be saved automatically in the Pictures > Screenshots folder as a PNG file
Using Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch
- Press Windows key + Shift + S to open the snipping tool overlay. You can then select the type of snip:
- Rectangular snip (drag to select area)
- Freeform snip (draw any shape)
- Window snip (select a window)
- Fullscreen snip (capture entire screen)
- The captured snip is copied to the clipboard and opens in the Snipping Tool window, where you can annotate, save, and share it
- You can also open the Snipping Tool app by searching for it in the Start menu for more options and editing features
Additional Tips
- On some laptops, you may need to press Fn + PrtSc if the Print Screen key alone doesn’t work
- Screenshots can be pasted into documents, emails, or image editors for further use.
These methods cover most Windows PCs and laptops for quick and flexible screenshot capture
