How to take a screenshot on a PC
Knowing how to take a screenshot is a necessary skill set. Screenshots come in handy, especially for work. When it comes to record-keeping, illustrating bugs, or even when requested by tech support, screenshots portray a clear picture of what you are experiencing. And honestly, most of us can’t go a day without sharing screenshots whether it’s for work or just dumb video snippets.
Screenshots provide an easy way to showcase your entire screen or part of it. Windows PC gives you quite a number of ways and keyboard shortcuts to capture screenshots.
We’ll go through the various methods for you to choose what works best for you in different scenarios.
1. Print Screen
The most straightforward and easiest method on Windows PC is using the PrtSc key on the keyboard. It’s located on the upper-right side of the keyboard. Press it once to capture the entire screen.
The image will be saved on the clipboard and you can paste the image on programs like Microsoft Word, Paint, or any other program that lets you insert images.
2. Windows + Print Screen
This is another easy way to take screenshots if you want to save the image automatically on your PC. Simply press the Windows Key + PrtSc key on your keyboard. The screen will go dim as you take the screenshot and the image will be saved under Pictures in a folder called Screenshots. The images are saved in PNG format.
3. Alt + Print Screen
Pressing Alt + PrtSc enables you to capture the active window you are working on and save the image on the clipboard. However, you’ll have to paste the image on a program that allows you to insert images like MS Word/ Paint to save it.
4. Snip & Sketch tool
This is an inbuilt tool found in Windows 10. With Snip & Sketch, you get to choose the areas of your screen you want to capture. Whether it’s an irregular shape, square, or triangle, it’s up to you. And the best thing is that you can annotate the screenshot and share it out.
You can access this tool by pressing the Windows key + Shift + S on your keyboard. This will launch a minute version of the Snip & Sketch tool.
Alternatively, to use the full app version:
- Click the Start button.
- Type Snip & Sketch on the search button.
- Select New to launch a new Snip
- Choose the capture type (triangle, rectangle, etc.)
The image will be saved on your clipboard and a prompt will pop up requesting you to annotate and share screenshots from the Snip & Sketch tool.
5. Snipping Tool
The Snipping Tool was used before the Snip & Sketch tool came to be but it’s still popularly used on Windows Vista, 7, and 8. Sometimes it’s also used on Windows 10.
To launch it:
- Type Snipping Tool on the search button after clicking the Start button.
- Click Mode to choose the screen capture type you want (rectangle, free-form, square, etc.).
- Use the mouse to select the area you want to capture on your screen.
After taking the screenshot, a new window will open for you to annotate it, save, and share via Microsoft Outlook or email.
6. Game Bar
Most Windows 10 have the Game Bar overlay to record video, broadcast using Game Bar and take screenshots. To access it, press Windows Key + G.
To capture screenshots click the camera icon on the overlay menu. You can also record a video by pressing the record button and you can add audio by including the microphone option.
Screenshots taken by the Game Bar are saved in the PNG format.