How To Print A Screenshot On Windows

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Need to take a screenshot on your Windows PC? Whether yous want to capture your full screen or but one window or area, there are several quick and easy ways to take screenshots in Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 8. This wikiHow article volition teach you how to use keyboard shortcuts (including the Print Screen primal) and the congenital-in Snipping Tool app to screen capture whatsoever area of your Windows desktop.

1

Go to the screen that y'all desire to screenshot. Before you can take a screenshot, make sure that the screen which yous want to screenshot is up with no distractions (e.1000., open windows or programs).
2
Observe the "Print Screen" key on your keyboard. The ⎙ Impress Screen key is most often found in the upper-right side of the chief keyboard (non counting the number pad if your keyboard has i), and it usually has "SysReq" ("Organisation Requirements") written below it.
- The Print Screen key will commonly be abbreviated to "PrtSc" or something similar.
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3
Press the ⊞ Win key and the ⎙ Print Screen key at the same fourth dimension (although do press the Windows fundamental commencement). Doing so volition take a screenshot of the current screen; in most cases, yous'll see the screen dim briefly.
- Your screen won't dim if your figurer has certain brandish settings disabled. This is about common on old computers on which you upgraded to Windows ten.
- If your screenshot doesn't appear when yous look for information technology, endeavor pressing Ctrl+ ⊞ Win+ ⎙ Print Screen or Fn+ ⊞ Win+ ⎙ Print Screen .
4
Find the screenshot. You'll find the screenshot inside of the "Screenshots" binder, which is inside of your estimator's "Pictures" binder. Each screenshot that you take will be labeled "Screenshot (number)" to represent with the society in which the screenshot was taken.
- For instance, the start screenshot you accept will be labeled "Screenshot (i)", etc.
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1

Become to the screen that you want to screenshot. Before you tin can take a screenshot, make certain that the screen which you lot want to screenshot is upwards with no distractions (due east.1000., open windows or programs).
two
Press the ⎙ Print Screen key. It's typically found in the upper-right side of the keyboard, but right of the row of "Role" keys (e.one thousand., F12) at the top of the keyboard. Pressing the Print Screen key will take a flick of the entire screen's contents.
- The Impress Screen key may exist entitled "PrtSc" or something similar.
- If your calculator has an Fn fundamental in the lower-left side of the keyboard, yous might demand to press Fn and ⎙ Print Screen at the same fourth dimension.
three
Open Paint. This program comes installed on all Windows computers. To open up it:
- Open up Starting time
  - On Windows 8, open Search
- Click the search bar at the bottom of the Start menu.
- Blazon in paint
- Click Paint at the superlative of the Get-go window.
  - On Windows 8, Paint will exist in the Search results.
- For a Windows XP figurer, click Start, select Programs, select Accessories, and click Pigment.
4

Paste in the screenshot. Once the Paint window opens, press Ctrl+V to paste in the screenshot. You should see the screenshot appear in the Paint window.
5
Relieve the screenshot. Press Ctrl+Due south , then enter a name for your screenshot, select a save binder on the left side of the window, and click Save.
- Y'all can modify the screenshot's file type by clicking the "Save as type" drop-down box at the bottom of the window and and so clicking a different format (eastward.g., JPEG) in the drop-downwards menu.
- The almost common file types are JPG and PNG. The recommended format for screenshots is PNG, due to the high quality and small file size.
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1

Click the window that y'all desire to capture an epitome of. The 1-Window screenshot function volition take a moving picture of the "active" window on your screen, which means that it should be in front of all your other windows.
two
Concur downwardly Alt and printing ⎙ PrtScr . An paradigm of the window will be copied to the clipboard. The dimensions of the prototype will be adamant by the size of the window when the screenshot is captured.
- You volition not receive any confirmation that the screenshot has been taken.
3
Open up Pigment. This programme comes installed on all Windows computers. To open information technology:
- Open Start
  - On Windows eight, open up Search
- Click the search bar at the bottom of the Offset carte.
- Blazon in paint
- Click Paint at the top of the Outset window.
  - On Windows 8, Paint will be in the Search results.
- For a Windows XP calculator, click Outset, select Programs, select Accessories, and click Pigment.
4
Paste in the screenshot. In one case the Paint window loads, press Ctrl+V to paste in the screenshot. You should see information technology appear in the Paint window.
- Yous can also paste the screenshot into other programs, such every bit Give-and-take or into the body of an email. Simply open the programme that you want to paste the image into and press Ctrl+V .
5
Save your screenshot as an prototype file. Click File, click Save, enter a file name, click a location on the left side of the page, and click Salve.
- Yous tin can alter the screenshot's file type by clicking the "Save equally type" drop-downwardly box at the lesser of the window so clicking a unlike format (due east.one thousand., JPEG) in the drop-down carte.
- The nearly common file types are JPG and PNG. The recommended format for screenshots is PNG, due to the high quality and small file size.
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1

Open the Xbox Game Bar. To do so, press ⊞ Win+Chiliad at the same time. This will open the Game Bar.
two
Enable gaming features. If you lot are playing a game, yous will need to tell Xbox Game Bar that it is a game by opening Game Bar settings, going to full general, and ticking the box "Retrieve this is a game". This volition enable gaming features for the app you lot are using.
- It is not recommended to do this for non-games as Game Bar may constantly record what you are doing in the groundwork.
iii

Press the photo button or ⊞ Win+Alt+PrtScn . This will take a screenshot of your game through any gaming overlays such as the Xbox Game Bar overlay or the Discord integration.
4

Detect your screenshot in the "Captures" folder in "Videos". The game screenshot will be nowadays in this binder, just can besides exist accessed in the gallery.

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1
Open the Snipping Tool. The Snipping Tool is available in all versions of Windows Vista, vii, 8 and ten except the Starter and Basic editions. It is not available in Windows XP.^[1]
- In Windows Vista and 7, click the Start button, select All Programs, select Accessories, and select the Snipping Tool from the list.
- In Windows 8, simply start typing snipping tool while on the Start screen and select it from the Search results.
- In Windows 10, click Start , blazon in snipping tool, and select Snipping Tool from the Search results.
2
Choose the shape of the Snip. "Rectangular Snip" is chosen past default. Click the Pointer button next to the Mode button to change the Snip shape:.
- Free-form Snip lets yous depict any shape with your mouse. The area inside the shape will be snipped.
- Rectangular Snip lets you select a rectangular area, which will be snipped.
- Window Snip lets y'all cull a window to snip.
- Full-screen Snip snips the whole screen, with all windows (except the Snipping Tool window) included.
iii

Conform the Snip border. Past default, any snip you lot make will have a blood-red edge around information technology. You can disable or change this by clicking the Tools tab in the pinnacle-left side of the Snipping Tool toolbar, selecting Options from the drop-downward menu, and unchecking the box next to "Show selection ink after snips are captured". This will remove the border from any future snips.
4
Create a new Snip. Click the New button to beginning the selection. The screen will fade, and you can depict your Snip area, or select the window if y'all chose Window Snip. Release the mouse when selecting to create the Snip.
- If you lot had Full-screen Snip selected, your Snip volition automatically exist created once you click New.
5
Annotate the Snip. Once yous create the Snip, it volition open in a new window. You can use the Pen tool to draw on it and make notes, and employ the Highlight tool to draw attention to text.
- The Erase tool will just erase annotations, not the screenshot itself.
6
Save the Snip. Click the floppy disk icon to open the save dialog. Type in a name for the screenshot and change the "Save as blazon:" field if desired. You can at present send the screenshot by email or put information technology on a website.
- PNG is the default format in Windows seven and 8. It's a lossless compressed format, which means that it will take high-quality screenshots at a small-scale file size. It is the recommended format for taking screenshots.
- JPG or JPEG is the default format in Windows Vista. It is a lossy format, meaning that the screenshot will await slightly blocky and some colors may exist a bit off. It's mainly designed for photographs, and not recommended for screenshots.
- GIF is unsuitable for reproducing color photographs, but well-suited for images such as graphics or logos with solid areas of color, resulting in crystal abrupt edges between color areas.
7
Copy the Snip. By default, the Snip is copied to the clipboard when you create information technology. This ways you tin paste it into Pigment or Word, much similar you would with a full-screen screenshot. In Paint, you can make more edits than yous can in the Snip notation editor.
- To paste the Snip, open up a window that supports pasting and press Ctrl+V .
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1

Go to the folio that you desire to screenshot. Open up the program or screen that you want to have a motion-picture show of, making sure that whatsoever windows or items that yous don't desire on-screen are out of the way.
ii

Printing ⊞ Win+ ⇧ Shift+S . Doing so will cause your screen to turn calorie-free-grey, and your mouse will turn into a crosshairs icon.
3
Select an area to screenshot. Click and elevate your mouse from the top-left corner of the area that you want to screenshot to the bottom-right corner.
- For example, if you desire to screenshot the entire screen, you'd click and elevate your mouse from the top-left corner of the screen to the lesser-right corner of the screen.
4

Release the mouse button. This will both take a screenshot of your selected area and salve information technology to your clipboard, from which betoken it can exist pasted into whatever plan that accepts pasted photos.
five
Paste your screenshot. Open whatsoever plan which supports pasting in photos (e.yard., Paint, Word, etc.) and press Ctrl+Five . You should see the department of the screen that you selected appear in your program.
- You can save your screenshot'due south document by pressing Ctrl+S , entering a proper name, selecting a relieve location, and clicking Salvage.
- Photos tin besides be pasted into some online services, such equally emails.
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1

Empathise how this works. A program chosen "PSR.exe" that's built into nearly all Windows computers allows you to record upwardly to 100 different screens and save them all to 1 document. This program also makes a annotation of where you click and which actions you perform on each screen.
two

Go to the initial page that y'all want to screenshot. This should be the outset page in the sequence of pages that you desire to screenshot.
3

Open up Get-go . Click the Windows logo in the lesser-left corner of the screen. The Offset menu will pop up.
4

Open up the Run program. Type in run and then click Run at the height of the Start window.
v

Enter the control to open PSR. Type psr.exe into the Run window.
vi

Click OK . Information technology's at the lesser of the Run window. This will bring up a small, rectangular toolbar at the top of the screen.
7
Click Offset Record . This is at the top of the toolbar. Doing so turns on the Steps Recorder, which will record the next 25 screen changes.
- If yous want to record more than than 25 changes, showtime click on the right side of the toolbar, click Settings..., and change the "Number of recent screen captures to shop" number.
eight

Click through your different screens. Each time your screen changes (other than simply moving your mouse), the Steps Recorder volition have a screenshot.
ix

Click Stop Tape . It's at the top of the toolbar. Doing then stops recording screen changes and opens the results window.
10

Review your screenshots. Scroll down through the window to brand sure that yous captured all of the screenshots that y'all wanted to save.
xi
Salvage your screenshots to a ZIP folder. Click Save at the top of the window, enter a file name and select a relieve location, and click Save.
- This will save the screenshots in 1 HTML file. You can open the HTML file in your computer'due south Net Explorer browser in order to view its contents.
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1

Open the screen you want to screenshot. Before you can take a screenshot, you must make certain that the screen which you desire to screenshot is upwards with no distractions (e.g., open windows or programs).
2
Press and concord the Windows logo. This is the logo on the bezel of the tablet, not the Windows push on your desktop.
- If there is no Windows button on the tablet, then press the Power button.
three
Press the Book Downward button (or Volume Upward if using the Ability button). The screen volition dim momentarily to indicate a screenshot was taken.
- Your screenshot volition be stored in the Screenshots folder, which you can admission by Opening File Explorer and navigating to Pictures → Screenshots.
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Add New Question

Question

What versions of Windows include the Snipping Tool?

The Snipping Tool is included in all versions of Windows since Windows Vista. This includes Vista, vii, 8, x, Server 2008, and Server 2012. The only versions of Windows that information technology is not included in are Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Bones. If you are using either of these two versions, you lot volition need to find another utility for taking screenshots, or use the keyboard shortcuts.
Question

Later I capture a screenshot, how do I create arrows and circles?

You lot take to load your previous screenshot into a photograph editing software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Picasa, or fifty-fifty MS Paint) to edit your photograph. Then you can depict arrows/circles on your screenshot and relieve the picture.
Question

The screenshots came out fine, but the actual image came out distorted, for example drawers in a dresser appear "squished." What exercise I do?

Anuj_Kumar1

Community Reply

Try taking a screenshot at maximum possible resolution for getting good quality shots. Also, you may bank check the screenshot saving app for the maximum output quality setting. Yous can have high resolution screenshots in virtual machines (fifty-fifty greater resolution than your monitor screen).
Question

What is a screenshot?

A screenshot is just a picture of what's currently on your screen.
Question

Are there any differences for taking screenshots in Windows 10?

Screenshots work very similarly in Windows 10 to previous versions of Windows. Yous tin nonetheless take screenshots using the Impress Screen key or with the Snipping Tool. All of the screenshot shortcuts from Windows viii notwithstanding work. The Snipping Tool works the aforementioned, with an added delay option.
Question

Where tin I find the Print Screen primal?

The Print Screen central is typically located along the top row of your keyboard, between F12 and Coil Lock. You may accept to press the Fn fundamental on your laptop in order to use information technology, every bit many laptops share key functions. If you don't accept a Print Screen key, you lot can apply the On-Screen Keyboard.
Question

Where are my screenshots saved?

On Windows, the default save location for photos and screenshots is the Pictures folder. Nevertheless, when y'all relieve your screenshot using Paint or the Snipping Tool, y'all can cull where it is saved. This works like it does for any other file or document on Windows.
Question

How do I accept a screenshot with Windows 7 on a Toshiba Satellite?

Laptop and condensed keyboards ofttimes place the PrintScreen cardinal on another function key. One time yous take found the overloaded key, printing "Fn" + [PrintScreen].
Question

How tin I combine screenshots to mail all at once?

If you lot use the first method you lot'll apparently be using Paint to view your screenshots, so you tin can resize that screenshot then place another into it. You tin can practise the same for the snipping tool method.
Question

How tin I print screen if there is no "print screen" push on my keyboard?

Use the snipping tool, as described in Method iii. If that'due south also non possible, y'all can download and use a plan similar Jing.

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For those with Microsoft OneNote, pressing ⊞ Win+S brings up the selection to have a rectangular snip of the screen. Doing and then causes the snapshot to appear as an image in OneNote. This works even in Windows XP, which does not have the snipping tool.
On laptop keyboards, the ⎙ PrtScr central might be combined with another key. This means that you have to press the Fn primal or "Function" key to admission it. Such a fundamental is commonly found on the bottom row of the keyboard.
If yous're going to put your screenshot on a website, brand certain that the file doesn't exceed limits on the file size.

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Saving a screenshot in some file types (such as bitmaps) will effect in a very large file. Because of this, it's highly recommended to utilise the PNG or JPEG format.
Near screenshots will not show the mouse cursor.
DRM-protected content will not exist visible in your screenshot and will be blanked out.

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Article Summary Ten

1. Become to the page that y'all desire to screenshot.
ii. Press the ⊞ Win key and the ⎙ Print Screen central at the aforementioned fourth dimension.
three. View your screenshot in the "Screenshots" folder that appears in the "Pictures" binder.

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