Library Technology Desk

Get help with Microsoft and Google suite software, screenshots, PDFs, and more

Library Tech Desk

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Library Tech Desk
Contact:
Main Campus Library - Room 132
773-442-4494

How to create screenshots on a PC

  1. Press the PrtScn button to copy the screen to the clipboard
  2. Press the Windows+PrtScn buttons on your keyboard to save the screen to a file
  3. Use the built-in Snipping Tool
  4. Use the Game Bar in Windows 10

The Print Screen button on your keyboard can take a screenshot and save it as a file, take a screenshot without saving it as a file, or take a screenshot of only one window (instead of the whole screen). The print screen button may be labeled as “PrtScn,” “PrntScrn,” “Print Scr,” or something similar. On most keyboards, the button is usually found between F12 and Scroll Lock. On laptop keyboards, you may have to press the “Function” or “Fn” key to access the Print Screen feature. When you press the key, it will look like nothing happened, but the screenshot has been saved to your clipboard.

To Save Your Screenshot as a File

Press the “Windows logo key + PrtScn.” If you’re using a tablet, press the “Windows logo button + volume down button.” On some laptops and other devices, you may need to press the “Windows logo key + Ctrl + PrtScn” or “Windows logo key + Fn + PrtScn” keys instead. Check your laptop’s manual for more information.

The screen will dim for a moment, and you will see the screenshot appear as a file in a folder entitled “Screenshots”, inside your default “Pictures” folder. The screenshot is automatically labeled with a number.

To Take a Screenshot Without Saving

Press the “PrtScn” key. A screenshot of your display is now copied to the clipboard. Open your favorite image editor, word processor, or other program you want to use the image in. Choose Edit > Paste to paste the screenshot wherever you like. The dimensions of the image will be the same as your desktop resolution. Note: On some laptops and other devices, you may need to press the “Alt + Fn + PrtScn” keys instead. Check your laptop’s manual for more information.

To Take a Screenshot of Only One Window

Click on the title bar of the window that you want to capture. Press “Alt + PrtScn”. A screenshot of your currently active window will be copied to the clipboard, just as in the last section. Paste it into your favorite image editor or document editor. Note: On some laptops and other devices, you may need to press the “Alt + Fn + PrtScn” keys instead. Check your laptop’s manual for more information.

To Take a Screenshot of Part of Your Screen

Press “Windows + Shift + S”. Your screen will appear grayed out and your mouse cursor will change. Click and drag on your screen to select the part of your screen you want to capture. A screenshot of the screen region you selected will be copied to your clipboard. You can paste it in any application by selecting Edit > Paste or pressing Ctrl + V, just as you’d paste a full-screen shortcut taken with the Print Screen key.

This only works in Windows 10’s Creators Update. On older versions of Windows, this shortcut is part of Microsoft’s OneNote application. With the Creators Update, Microsoft integrated this shortcut into Windows 10 itself.

The Snipping tool has been a part of the Windows for long time. This tool was first included in Windows Vista, and never got any new features apart from few bug fixes. Snipping tool can take screenshots of an open window, rectangular area, a free-form area, or the entire screen. You can annotate your snips with different colored pens or a highlighter, save it as an image or MHTML file, or email it to a friend.

Snipping Tool in Windows Vista, 7, and 8 has one limitation: it can’t capture screenshots that involve mouse movements. To capture something that involves mouse movement, like pop-up menus and tooltips, you will have to use the Print Screen method.

In Windows 10, Snipping Tool has a new “Delay” option, which will allow you to capture screenshots pop-up menus and tooltips. Open the Snipping Tool app and click Delay. From the drop-down list, click on the number of seconds you’d like to wait until your screenshot is taken.

Now choose the type of snip you want to make by clicking the arrow next to “New.” You can choose from one of four types of snip: free-form, rectangular, window, and full-screen.

Unlike a regular snip, the screen will not immediately fade out. Instead, you will have between 1–5 seconds, depending on the delay you chose, to set up your screenshots. You can use this time to open that pop-up menu or tooltip you want to capture. Once your seconds have passed, the screen will freeze and fade out so you can create your snip. If you chose window or full-screen, it will just capture the snip immediately.

These are some of the most functional steps. For more information, click here.