For those who have to capture a screenshot of something on your computer screen, Windows 10 offers a lot of methods for you to choose from. Whether you prefer to save the whole screen or just a piece of it, here are some common techniques for taking a Windows 10 screenshot.
Taking a screenshot on Windows 10 with the PrtScn key
Simply pressing the Print Screen key on the keyboard is the easiest way to save a copy of whatever is on your computer screen. This one is usually labeled as PrtScn or something really similar and is placed in the top row, among or near the Function keys.
On a few keyboards, especially laptops, you may have to trigger the Print Screen using the Function key. In the other words, you will need to hold the Function key and then press PrtScn.
There are several kinds of PrtScn featured on Windows, here is the list:
- Press PrtScn: This one copies the whole screen to the clipboard. The screenshot is able to be pasted into any program that shows up the images, like Microsoft Word or Paint.
- Press Alt PrtScn: This one copies the active window to the clipboard, which is able to be pasted into another program.
- Press the Windows key + Shift + S: This one will make the screen dim and the mouse pointer will change. Feel free to drag to choose a portion of the screen to capture. In the end, the screenshot will be copied to the clipboard, which you are able to paste into another program. Keep in mind that this shortcut will only work if you have the newest version of Windows 10 installed on your computer called the Windows 10 Creators Update.
- Press the Windows key + PrtScn: This one saves the whole screen as the image file. Everything is able to be found in the folder called Pictures, in the subfolder called Screenshots.
Taking a screenshot on Windows 10 with Snipping Tool
There is a more flexible screenshot tool with Windows 10 known as Snipping Tool. You are able to use this utility if you want to grab a screenshot and save it as an image file without first pasting the screenshot into another program. The first thing that you will have to do is to start the Snipping Tool from the Start menu. Then, in the Mode drop down, select the type of the screenshot shape that you want. Feel free to choose anything from the full screen to the rectangular too free from shape. Next, click New and the screen will freeze. You are allowed to use the mouse to make the screenshot. In the end, the screenshot will show up in the Snipping Tool window. For those who want to include something such as a tooltip, which only shows up after a mouse movement, you are able to specify how long to wait before taking the screenshot using the Delay menu. Once you have taken the screenshot, you may want to use the drawing tools to annotate the screenshot. When it is done, please click File and then click Save As in order to save the full screenshot to your computer. Aside from that, you are also able to click the copy button in the Snipping Tool window to copy the image to the clipboard. If you are not familiar with it, it looks like two pages laid over one another.
Taking a screenshot on Windows 10 with the Game Bar
The Game Bar is known as an overlay that you are able to use within most Windows games to take screenshots and record video. In order to use it, first of all, you will have to start the game from the Start menu or the Xbox Console Companion program. While you are playing the game, press the Windows key + G at the same time to make the Game Bar overlay appear. The next thing that should be done is to click the camera icon to take the screenshot or you are able to use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Alt + PrtScn. After that, the screenshot will be automatically saved to the Videos folder in the subfolder called Captures. For everyone who is playing the game on Stream, you are also able to press F11 if you want to take the screenshot. Doing so will add the screenshot to the folder on Steam.
Taking a screenshot on Windows 10 with Windows logo + volume down
If you are using a Microsoft Surface device, you are able to use the physical buttons to take a screenshot of the whole screen just like how you would take a screenshot on any other phone or tablet. To use this method, hold down the Windows logo touch button that is able to be found at the bottom of the Surface screen and press the physical volume down button located on the side of the tablet. It will dim the screen briefly and the screenshot will be automatically saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
Taking a screenshot on Windows 10 with Snip & Sketch
The Snip & Sketch is the name of the tool that is easier to access, share, and annotate screenshots compared to the old Snipping Tool. Now, it has the ability to capture a screenshot of a window on your desktop, a surprising negligence when the app was introduced for the first time. The best way to use Snip & Sketch is with the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Shift + S. This app is also able to be found in the alphabetical list of the apps accessed from the Start button as well as in the notification panel where it is listed as Screen snip. In addition, you are also able to look for it if you do not use the keyboard shortcut to memory. It will allow you to choose the kind of screenshot that you want. The result will be saved to the clipboard.
AUTHOR BIO
On my daily job, I am a software engineer, programmer & computer technician. My passion is assembling PC hardware, studying Operating System and all things related to computers technology. I also love to make short films for YouTube as a producer. More at about me…
