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How to Take a Screenshot on a PC
How to screenshot or print a screen on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP
By Mark Baggesen Mark Baggesen Writer Southern Methodist University University of Massachusetts/Amherst The University of British Columbia Mark Baggesen is a former Lifewire writer who has 20+ years' experience and has in web development, communications, web analytics, and databases. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 14, 2022 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section How to Take a Screenshot How to Paste or Save a Screenshot Take a Screenshot on PC With the Windows Snipping Tool Download a Print Screen Program Frequently Asked Questions What to Know
On Windows 10 and 8, Windows Key+PrtScn to capture entire screen. On Windows 7 and earlier, press PrtScn.To capture only the active window, press Alt+PrtScn.To capture specific parts of the screen, use the Windows Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch. This article explains how to take screenshots on a Windows PC. Instructions apply to Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP. How to Take a Screenshot
The basic way to take a screenshot in Windows is the same way no matter what version of Windows you're using, and it's very easy: press the PrtScn key on the keyboard. PrtScn: Pressing the button once saves a screenshot of the entire screen. If you have multiple monitors connected, a single press of the print screen button will save a screenshot of all the screens in one single image.Alt+PrtScn: Press these buttons at the same time to take a screenshot of a single window that you're focused on. Select the window once to make sure it's in focus, and then hit these keys.Win+PrtScn: Using the Windows key with the print screen button (in Windows 8 and newer) will take a screenshot of the whole screen and then save it in the default Pictures folder in a subfolder called Screenshots (e.g. C:\Users\[user]\Pictures\Screenshots). Lifewire / Grace Kim How to Paste or Save a Screenshot
The easiest way to save a screenshot is to first paste it in the Microsoft Paint application. This is simple to do in Paint because you don't have to download it—it's included with Windows by default. You do have other options like to paste it in Microsoft Word, Photoshop, or any other program that supports images, but for the sake of simplicity, we'll use Paint. The quickest way to open Paint in all versions of Windows is through the Run dialog box. Press Win+R. Type mspaint into the Run field, and select Enter. With Microsoft Paint open, and the screenshot still saved in the clipboard, use Ctrl+V to paste it into Paint, or select Paste. Press Ctrl+S, or select File > Save as to save the screenshot. At this point, you may notice that the image you saved looks a bit off. If the image doesn't take up the entire canvas in Paint, it will leave white space around it. To fix this, drag the bottom right corner of the canvas toward the top left of the screen until you reach the corners of your screenshot. Take a Screenshot on PC With the Windows Snipping Tool
Another way to take screenshots is to use the Windows Snipping Tool. In Windows 10, type snipping tool in the search box on the taskbar and select the Snipping Tool from the list of results.In Windows 8, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, select Search, type snipping tool in the search box, and select Snipping Tool from the list of results.In Windows 7, select the Start button, type snipping tool in the search box, and select the Snipping Tool from the list of results. How to Use Snip and Sketch Download a Print Screen Program
Although Windows works great for basic screenshotting abilities, you can install both free and paid third-party applications for more advanced features like fine-tuning the screenshot by pixel, annotating it before you save it, and easy saving to a predefined location. One example of a free print screen tool that's more advanced than the Windows one is PrtScr. Another, WinSnap, is good, but the free edition lacks some of the more advanced features of the premium version. FAQ How do I take a screenshot on a Mac? To take a screenshot on a Mac, press Command+Shift+3 to screenshot the entire screen. Press Command+Shift+4 to draw and select an area to screenshot. Press Command+Shift+5 for additional options, including screen recording. How do I take a screenshot on Android? To take a screenshot on Android, use a voice command to tell Google Assistant to take a screenshot by saying, "OK Google, take a screenshot." Another option: Press and hold Power + Volume Down. Find your screenshot in the Photo Gallery or Screenshot folder. How do I take a screenshot on iPhone? To take an iPhone screenshot on iPhones without a Home button, simultaneously press the Side and Volume Up buttons. The screenshot will save to the Photos app. On older models, press the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix It When the Snipping Tool Isn't Working in Windows 11 How to Make a Screenshot in Windows and Mail It How to Use the Snipping Tool in Windows 11 How to Screenshot on an Acer Laptop The 7 Best Screen Capture Software of 2022 How to Screenshot on an HP Laptop How to Take Screenshots in Windows 10, 8, and 7 16 Ways To Fix It When Print Screen Is Not Working in Windows How to Screenshot on a Surface Pro 8 How to Screenshot in Windows 11 4 Ways to Take Screenshots on Windows 10 How to Take a Screenshot on PS5 How to Take a Screenshot on LG Smartphones How to Take a Screenshot on Android How to Screenshot on HP Envy How to Take a Screenshot on a Surface Pro Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies