How to Print Screen on Windows: A Comprehensive Guide to Taking Screenshots

Introduction

Taking screenshots is an essential skill for anyone who works on a computer, and there are many reasons why you might need to take one. Perhaps you need to capture an error message to share with tech support, save a recipe from a website, or show a colleague a project you’re working on. Whatever your reason, the ability to take screenshots quickly and easily is crucial.

However, not everyone knows how to take screenshots, and even those who do might not know about all the different methods available. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to taking screenshots on Windows. In this article, we will cover the basic keyboard shortcuts, the Snipping Tool application, third-party software, tips for capturing specific screenshots, lesser-known methods, sharing and using screenshots, and how the process on Windows compares to other operating systems.

Explaining Keyboard Shortcuts

One of the simplest and most common ways to take a screenshot on Windows is by using keyboard shortcuts. There are several different shortcuts available, depending on what you want to capture.

To capture the entire screen, press the Print Screen key (sometimes abbreviated as “PrtScn” or “PrtSc”) on your keyboard. This will take a screenshot of everything currently displayed on your screen, including open windows and the taskbar.

If you want to capture just the active window, press Alt + Print Screen. This will take a screenshot of the active window only, which is useful when you have multiple windows open and only want to capture one of them.

To capture a specific portion of the screen, you can use the Windows + Shift + S keyboard shortcut. This will activate the Snipping Tool, which allows you to select the portion of the screen you want to capture.

Step-by-step instructions for using each shortcut:

Capturing the entire screen:

1. Press the Print Screen key on your keyboard.
2. The screenshot is saved to your clipboard.
3. Open the Paint application or any image editing software of your choice.
4. Press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot into the new image file.
5. Save the image file to your desired location.

Capturing the active window:

1. Click on the window you want to capture.
2. Press Alt + Print Screen.
3. The screenshot is saved to your clipboard.
4. Open the Paint application or any image editing software of your choice.
5. Press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot into the new image file.
6. Save the image file to your desired location.

Capturing a specific portion of the screen:

1. Press the Windows + Shift + S keys on your keyboard.
2. Your screen will turn gray, and the Snipping Tool toolbar will appear at the top of your screen.
3. Click and drag your mouse to select the area you want to capture.
4. The screenshot is saved to your clipboard.
5. Open the Paint application or any image editing software of your choice.
6. Press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot into the new image file.
7. Save the image file to your desired location.

Conclusion on when and why to use each shortcut:

Each of these shortcuts is useful in different situations. If you need to capture everything on your screen, use the Print Screen key. If you only want to capture one window, use Alt + Print Screen. Finally, if you need to capture a specific portion of the screen, use Windows + Shift + S.

Using the Built-in Snipping Tool Application

Another built-in tool for taking screenshots on Windows is the Snipping Tool. This application allows you to capture a specific portion of your screen, including rectangular, free-form, and window snips.

Description of the Snipping Tool Application:

The Snipping Tool is a tool included with Windows that allows you to take screenshots of your screen. It is included with Windows 7, 8, and 10. You can access it by clicking on the Start menu and typing “Snipping Tool” in the search bar.

Step-by-step instructions on how to use the Snipping Tool to take and save screenshots:

1. Open the Snipping Tool application.
2. Select the type of snip you want to take (rectangular, free-form, window, or full-screen).
3. Click and drag your mouse to select the area you want to capture.
4. The screenshot will be displayed in the Snipping Tool window.
5. Click “File” in the upper left-hand corner, and then “Save As”.
6. Select where you want to save the screenshot and give it a name.
7. Click “Save”.

Conclusion on when and why to use Snipping Tool:

The Snipping Tool is a great tool for capturing specific portions of your screen. It’s useful when you need to capture a specific area and don’t want to include anything else in the screenshot.

Third-party Applications for Advanced Screenshot Capturing and Editing

While the built-in tools in Windows are sufficient for most users, some may want more advanced features when taking and editing screenshots. There are many third-party applications available that provide advanced functionality when capturing and editing screenshots.

Overview of some third-party applications that can be used for advanced screenshot capturing and editing:

Some examples of third-party software for advanced screenshots include Greenshot, Snagit, and Lightshot.

Description of features of each software:

• Greenshot: This software is a lightweight and open-source screenshot tool that allows you to take screenshots of a selected region, window, or full screen. It also has tools to add annotations and highlights to your screenshots.
• Snagit: Snagit is a popular paid screenshot software that offers advanced features such as video and image capture, markup tools, and customization options. Its editor is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to edit and share your captures seamlessly.
• Lightshot: Lightshot is a fast and lightweight screenshot tool that allows you to select and capture any part of your screen. With this tool, you can add annotations and upload screenshots to the cloud for easy sharing and collaboration.

Step-by-step instructions on how to use the software:

Here, we’ll use Greenshot as an example.

1. Download and install Greenshot from their official website.
2. Open Greenshot and select the capture region (region, window or full-screen).
3. Click and drag your mouse to the region you want to capture.
4. Once you have finished capturing, the Greenshot editor will open. From here, you can add arrows, highlights, and other annotations.
5. After you are done editing your screenshot, click “Save As” to save it to your desired location.

Conclusion on when and why to use third-party applications:

Third-party applications are useful when you need more advanced features when capturing and editing screenshots. They offer features such as video capture, markup tools, and cloud storage, which are not available on the built-in Windows tools.

Tips for Capturing Specific Screenshots

There are times when you might need to capture specific types of screenshots, such as a full webpage, a portion of a video, or an error message. Here are some tips for capturing these specific screenshots.

Description of tips for capturing specific things like full webpages or portions of a video, etc.:

• Full Webpages: To capture a full webpage, you can use a browser extension such as Full Page Screen Capture for Google Chrome or FireShot for Mozilla Firefox. These extensions allow you to capture entire webpages, even if the content extends beyond the visible area of your screen.
• Portions of a Video: To capture a portion of a video, you can use the VLC media player. With this software, you can take screenshots of the video while it is playing, and you can also specify the start and end times for the screenshot.
• Error Messages: To capture error messages or pop-up windows, you can use the Windows + Print Screen shortcut. This will capture everything on your screen, including the error message.

Step-by-step instructions for capturing these types of screenshots:

Here we’ll use Full Page Screen Capture as an example for capturing full webpages.

1. Download the Full Page Screen Capture extension for Google Chrome from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Visit the webpage you want to capture.
3. Click on the Full Page Screen Capture icon in the Chrome toolbar.
4. Wait while the extension captures the entire webpage.
5. The captured screenshot will be displayed in a new window.
6. You can save the captured screenshot to your desired location.

Conclusion on why this is important and when to use these tips:

These tips are useful when you need to capture specific types of screenshots that are not covered by the basic keyboard shortcuts or built-in tools. They are especially helpful for those who often need to capture specific types of screenshots.

Lesser-known Methods for Taking Screenshots on Windows

While keyboard shortcuts and built-in tools are the go-to options for most users, there are some lesser-known methods for taking screenshots on Windows. These methods are not as well-known but can be useful in certain situations.

Brief overview of some lesser-known methods for taking screenshots on Windows, such as through the command prompt or using the Game Bar:

• Command Prompt: You can use the command prompt to take screenshots by using the “wmic” command followed by the “screenshot” command.
• Game Bar: If you’re a gamer, you can use the Game Bar to take screenshots of your gameplay. To activate the Game Bar, press Windows + G, and then click on the camera icon.

Step-by-step instructions on how to use these methods:

Here we’ll use Command Prompt as an example to demonstrate how to take screenshots using this method.

1. Press Windows + R and type “cmd” in the Run dialog box. Press Enter.
2. Type “wmic” in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
3. Type “screenshot” and press Enter.
4. The screenshot will be saved in your Pictures folder under the name “Screenshot (X).png”, where X is a number.

Conclusion on when and why to use lesser-known methods:

Lesser-known methods for taking screenshots can be useful when the basic keyboard shortcuts and built-in tools are not available or not working correctly.

Sharing and Using Screenshots

Once you’ve captured a screenshot, you might want to share or use it in another application. Here are some methods for sharing and using screenshots on Windows.

Description of how to share and use screenshots once they’ve been captured, such as through email or image editing software:

• Email: One of the simplest ways to share a screenshot is through email. Simply attach the screenshot to your email and send it to the desired recipient.
• Image Editing Software: Once you’ve captured a screenshot, you can use image editing software such as Paint or Adobe Photoshop to edit, crop, or annotate the screenshot as needed.