How to Take Screenshots on Windows

How to Take Screenshots on Windows

The information that is displayed on your computer screen can be captured and shared via screenshots, which are an extremely valuable tool. Learning how to take screenshots on Windows can be an important ability to have, especially if you want to be able to do things like save an image, document a mistake, or make a visual instructional. We will talk about numerous ways through which users can take screenshots of either the entire screen or a part of it, as per their needs. Taking a screenshot involves capturing an image of the content that is displayed on the screen. The captured image could be a portion of the screen or the complete display, and the user may make use of additional resources in order to improve the screenshot’s quality and output. The practice of taking screenshots, which involves capturing images on a computer screen for the purpose of using them as references at a later point in time, has recently gained a lot of popularity.

Screenshots are becoming more and more popular, and they have been shown to be very helpful when making training or product manuals, troubleshooting, or just making interesting reading material. In this post, we are going to guide you through a variety of different ways to capture screenshots on PCs running Windows.  

Method 1: Take a picture of the whole screen

1. Find the PrtScn (Print Screen) button on your computer. It’s generally in the upper right corner, where it shows “PrtScn” or “Print Screen.”
2. Press the key for “Print Screen.” This saves everything on the screen to the clipboard.
3. Open a program like Paint, Photoshop, or MS Paint (which comes with Windows).
4. Start a new file or press Ctrl + V to paste the picture from the clipboard.
5. Save the picture in the format and place it on the computer that you want (JPEG, PNG, etc.).

Method 2: Using the Snipping tool to capture screenshots on windows

The Snipping Tool is a flexible program that comes with Windows that lets you take screenshots. It enables you to take screenshots of certain parts of your screen, add notes to them, and save them in different forms. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use the snipping tool correctly.

Step 1: Open the Snipping Tool.

Click the “Start” button or press the Windows key on your computer.

Type “Snipping Tool” into the search bar and then click on the result that displays. 

Step 2: Choose the type of snip

1. Click the “New” button in the menu once the Snipping Tool is open.
2. There will be a drop-down choice in the mode with four types of snips:

• Free-form Snip lets you draw shapes around the area you want to cut.
• Rectangular Snip: This enables you to grab a specific rectangular area.
• Window Snip allows you to take a screenshot of a whole window, including the title bar.
• Full-screen Snip: Takes a snapshot of the whole screen.

      3. Click on the type of snip you want to use.

Step 3: Take a picture of the screen

1. After you choose the type of snip, the screen will go dark and a crosshair image will show up.
2. Click and drag the cursor to pick the area for a free-form or rectangular snip.
3. If you choose a window snip, click on the window you want to copy.
4. Wait for the screen to fade, and it will instantly capture the whole screen.
5. The Snipping Tool window will open to show the picture that was taken.

Step 4: Make remarks on the screenshot and save it

1. In the Snipping Tool window, you can use different tools to mark up your image with highlights, text, or drawings. These tools are found in the toolbar.
2. Click “File” in the Snipping Tool window after you have added annotations to the image, if you have done so.
3. Depending on your Windows version, choose “Save As” or “Save As.”
4. Choose the folder on your computer where you want the screenshot to be saved.
5. Give that image a file name.
6. Choose the type of file you want, such as PNG, JPEG, GIF, or HTML, from the drop-down box.
7. Click “Save” to save the screenshot with the settings you picked.

The Snipping Tool makes it easy and quick for solving how to take a screenshot on Windows. If you follow the steps in this guide, you’ll be able to use the Snipping Tool to take screenshots, mark them up, and save them in different forms. Whether you want to take a screenshot of a small part of the screen or an entire window, the Snipping Tool gives you many choices.\

Method 3: Take a picture of the current window

• Make sure the window you want to take a screenshot of is open.
• Find the Alt key, which is usually on the left or right side of the spacebar.
• Press the Print Screen (PrtScn) key while you hold down the Windows key.
• Open an image editor like Paint and make a new file, or use Ctrl+V to paste the picture from the clipboard.
• Save the picture in the format and place you want.

Method 4: Snip & Sketch for capturing Screenshots on Windows

Follow these exact steps to use the Snip & Sketch tool on Windows to take screenshots:

1. Press Windows, Shift, and S at the same time. The above keyboard shortcut turns on the Snip & Sketch tool, which is available in Windows 10 and later versions.

2. The screen will get darker, and a small toolbar with different snipping choices will appear at the top of the screen.

3. Click one of the snipping buttons on the menu to choose the mode you want:

• Rectangular snip: You can make a rectangle around the area you want to capture.
• Freeform: You can draw around the area you want to record to make a freeform shape.
• Window snip: This feature lets you choose which window you want to record.
• Full-screen snip: This takes a picture of the whole screen.

4.  After choosing the snipping mode you want, the screen will go back to normal, and the cursor

     will change to a crosshair or a window selector, based on the mode you chose.

 5. For rectangular or freeform snips: 

• Click and press the left mouse button in one corner of the area you want to capture.
• Hold down the left mouse button and move the cursor to the opposite corner to make a box around the area you want to pick.
• Let go of the mouse button to take a picture of the place you chose.

6. To take snips of windows:

• Move the mouse over the window you want to take a picture of.  
• To grab the window, click on it.

7. For full-screen snips:

• Just click on the screen anywhere.

8. After you take a screenshot, the Snip & Sketch app will quickly open and show the image you

just took.

9. You can use different tools in the Snip & Sketch app to change or add to the picture if you need to.           There is a pen, a highlighter, an eraser, a ruler, and choices for cropping.

10. When you’re done editing the picture, you can save it by clicking on the floppy disc icon in the top left corner of the Snip & Sketch window or pressing Ctrl + S.

11. Select an image format (JPEG, PNG, etc.) and a name and place for the screenshot file.

12. Click “Save” to save the screenshot to the place you choose.

By following these steps, you can use the Snip & Sketch tool to solve the problem of how to take screenshots on windows in specific areas, windows, or the whole screen, and save them.

Method 5: Uses of Game Bar tools for taking Screenshots on Windows

The Game Bar is an overlay that lets you take screenshots and make videos in most Windows apps and games. To open and use it, do the following: 

1. Click on the Windows key + G

 Note: Make sure the game bar is turned on if it doesn’t open. To do that, press the Windows key + I to open the settings app, then go to Gaming > Xbox Game Bar. Then, turn on the switch to enable Game Bar for “recording game clips, chatting with friends, and receiving game invites.”)

2. From the pop-up display, click on the capture button, which looks like a camera, in the top left corner, to ready the capture menu 

3. From the capture menu, click on the camera icon to take your desired picture as a screenshot. Here you can also make a video recording by clicking on the record button and adding audio by clicking the microphone icon.

The Game Bar saves screenshots and video clips in PNG and MP4 formats. You can find them in the Videos > Captures folder in File Explorer. You can also find them in the Game Bar’s Gallery by clicking Show my captures > See my captures in the Capture menu, which is adjacent to the buttons for taking a picture and recording.

Method 6: Uses of Third-party apps for taking screenshots on Windows

There are a number of third-party apps for Windows that can take screenshots and offer more features and flexibility than the built-in ones. These apps give you a variety of ways to take screenshots, change them, and share them with other people. Here are a few popular third-party apps for Windows that let you take screenshots:

1. Lightshot: Lightshot is a simple and easy-to-use tool for taking screenshots. It lets people take screenshots of parts of the screen or the whole screen. Lightshot has simple editing tools like the ability to add notes, highlight, and add text. It also gives you the option to search the web for similar pictures right from the app. 
2. Snagit: Snagit is software that allows you to take screenshots and record your screen. It helps people take screenshots of the whole screen, certain windows, or certain parts of the screen. Snagit also has a large number of tools for editing photos, such as the ability to add notes, arrows, and effects. It also has options for making GIFs, taking screenshots that scroll, and sharing screenshots straight to different platforms.
3. Greenshot: Greenshot is an easy-to-use and open-source tool for taking screenshots. It enables users to take pictures of the whole screen, specific windows, or certain parts of the screen. Greenshot has annotation tools that allow users to add arrows, text, highlights, and other shapes to the photos they take. It lets you save, print, or share screenshots via email or online platforms, and it lets you use different output types.
4. PicPick: PicPack is a flexible screenshot tool that helps you take a picture of your screen, change images, and make graphics. It enables you to capture different things, like the whole screen, an active window, a window that scrolls, or a freehand area. With PicPick, you can add text, shapes, and effects to photos, among other things. For graphic design jobs, it also has a color picker, a pixel ruler, and a protractor.

The problem of how to take screenshots on Windows is easy and can be done in a number of different ways. Windows has built-in tools and keyboard shortcuts that make it easy to capture the whole screen, an open window, or a specific area. By following the step-by-step steps in this guide, you can easily take and save screenshots on your Windows computer for things like documentation, communication, or troubleshooting.