How to Take a Screenshot With Print Screen
When you're viewing a Web page or an image on your computer, you may want to take a screenshot to look at later. Web pages change regularly, for example, so taking a screenshot is a useful way to archive the site's content. All computer keyboards have a "Print Screen" button that enables you to quickly capture what's displayed on the screen. Different button combinations will copy the screenshot to the clipboard or save it to your Pictures library.
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1.
Press the "PrntScn" button to capture an image of the screen you're viewing. Your computer saves the image to the clipboard and you can paste it anywhere, such as in the body of a document or email.
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Click a window, and then press "Alt-PrntScn" to take a screenshot of only the selected window. This is useful if you don't want to see other background windows in the screenshot.
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Press "Windows-PrtScn" to take a screenshot and save it to your Pictures library. To find your screenshot, go to "Pictures," "My Pictures," and then double-click the "Screenshots" folder.
References
Resources
Tips
- To take a screenshot on a tablet, press the "Windows" and "Volume Down" buttons together.
- On your computer, the "PrntScn" key might be labeled "Print Screen," "PrtSc," "Print Scrn" or something similar.
- To take a screenshot of a small part of the screen, use the Windows Snipping Tool. Select "Snipping Tool" from the Apps list on the Start screen. Click and drag your mouse pointer over an area of the screen to highlight and copy it. In the window that opens, click "File" and "Save As" to save the screenshot anywhere you want. You can make rectangular or free-form snips with this tool.
Warnings
- The instructions in this article apply to Windows 8 and may differ for other versions.
Writer Bio
Melissa King began writing in 2001. She spent three years writing for her local newspaper, "The Colt," writing editorials, news stories, product reviews and entertainment pieces. She is also the owner and operator of Howbert Freelance Writing. King holds an Associate of Arts in communications from Tarrant County College.