How To Capture and Printing Screenshots on Windows 10
Do you need to take a quick Windows screenshot for work or fun, but can’t figure out how to do it? Don’t worry: Our guide will show you just how it’s done.
Copy the Screen for Posts
Traditionally, the “Print Screen” option is the quickest way to take an easy screenshot that you can use later. The only problem here is that Print Screen looks a little different based on what type of keyboard you may have. These steps may not all be available on some keyboards, especially more compact keyboards or non-Windows keyboards.
First, look at the top rows of buttons on your keyboard. Look for a button that says “PrtScn” or “Print Scr” or any other abbreviation (it may also be lurking around the Ctrl key; there are several places where they appear. If there’s a dedicated key, all you have to do is press it. This will instantly copy a snapshot of the screen. You can then go into any document and paste the screenshot wherever available.
Note that sometimes this feature is on a dual-purpose key, and you may have to access it by pressing the Ctrl or Fn key simultaneously.
Automatically Save Screenshots as File
Let’s say that you don’t want just to copy a screenshot for pasting, but you want to save a screenshot as its photo file. In that case, you may need a combination of buttons. Suppose your keyboard has both a Print Screen button and a Windows logo key. In that case, you can press them both simultaneously. This will take a screenshot and then automatically save it as a separate file, typically in the desktop or its screenshots folder.
Of course, it’s not always that simple. If you have a Windows key, an Fn key, and a Ctrl key, you may need to combine these keys with the Print Screen key to create an automatic save. Some experimentation may be in order, but if you’re using a built-in keyboard (like on a laptop), you can probably look up the best method.
Choose a Single Window as a Screenshot
This is common in many of today’s larger screens, where you have several windows open simultaneously but only want to take a screenshot of one window, not the whole screen. There’s a way to do this, too: Click on the window you want to copy so that it’s highlighted. Then press the Print Screen key and the Alt key simultaneously. If your keyboard has an Fn key, you must press Print Screen, Alt, and Fn simultaneously to get this to work.
“Snipping” Screenshots
Windows also lets you select a particular screen area through a dedicated screenshot tool called the Snipping Tool. It’s not as fast as other methods but very effective. Just type in “snipping tool” into your Windows search box and it will bring up the right link to select. This opens up a small bar that allows you to create a “New” screenshot and change the shape of the shot. You can then drag your mouse to create whatever size you need.
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