You might need to take a screenshot in Windows 10 or Windows 11 for a lot of different reasons. And you might have to teach a coworker how to use the software at your company. You might want to take a piece of a webpage, highlight the important part, and share it on social media. Or maybe you can not export an image because it is stuck in one of your programs and you do not know how to get it out.
No matter why you want to take a screenshot in Windows 10 or 11, there are many ways to do it. The method you choose will depend on what you want to capture and how you want to share it. We will show you how to take screenshots in Windows that include the whole desktop, a single window, or a custom part of it.
How to Take Screenshot on Windows
The Print Screen button
Pressing the Print Screen (PrtScn) button on your keyboard is the easiest way to take a picture of your whole screen in Windows 10 or Windows 11. You will get a copy of the screenshot on your clipboard. To save the file, copy the screenshot and paste it into any program that lets you add images, such as Microsoft Word or Paint.
The Windows key + Print Screen
Press the Windows key + PrtScn to take a screenshot on Windows 10 or Windows 11 and save it automatically to the Screenshots folder. Your screen will turn dark, and a picture of the whole thing will be saved to the folder.
Alt + Print Screen
Press Alt + PrtScn to take a screenshot of just the window you are working in. The screenshot will be copied to your clipboard, and you will need to paste it into another program to save it.
The Snipping Tool in Windows 11
Even though Windows 10 has the Snipping Tool, it is not usually the tool you will want to use to take a screenshot. The Snipping Tool got a big update in Windows 11, and it is now the best way to take custom screenshots.
In Windows 11, you can search for the Snipping Tool or press the Windows Key + Shift + S keys. Like Snip & Sketch, your screen will go dark and a toolbar with screenshot options will appear at the top of the screen. You can take a rectangular, free-form, full-window, or full-screen screenshot with this toolbar.
Once you take a screenshot, it will be saved in the Screenshots folder and copied to your clipboard so you can share it right away. If you click the preview that appears in the bottom-right corner of your screen, you can save and change it.
The Game Bar
The Game Bar is an overlay that lets you take screenshots and record videos in most Windows apps and games. To open and use it, do the following:
- Press the Windows Key + G.
- Click the camera icon in the top menu of the overlay menu, which is the Capture button, to open the Capture menu.
- Click the camera icon in the Capture menu to take a screen shot. You can also record a video clip by pressing the record button. If you click the microphone icon, you can add sound to the clip.
The Game Bar saves screenshots and video clips in the 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, right next to the buttons for taking a screenshot and recording.
Best Screenshot Tools for Windows
ShareX
ShareX is a free, open-source program that lets you take screenshots and share them right away. It runs in the system tray, which makes it easy to capture the whole screen or just a few windows with just one click.
ShareX works with both Google Drive and OneDrive, so you can quickly upload screenshots and save them locally so you can share them easily later. You can change the look of your screenshots with presets and themes, as well as add notes by drawing on them or highlighting parts of them, before putting them online.
ShareX lets you instantly upload your screenshot files to over 30 different file hosting services, like Imgur and YouTube. You can also drag and drop your files or use a URL to send them to any service or tool.
Greenshot
Greenshot is a free tool that you can use to take screenshots. In addition to regular screenshots, it has a number of helpful features, such as built-in editing tools that make it easy to draw on images, add text notes, and change the brightness, contrast, saturation, and other parts of a screenshot.
To start, just press the PrtScn key on your keyboard. Greenshot will save a.PNG image of your desktop in the location you set. It works in both 32-bit and 64-bit environments and can take screenshots of parts of your screen or your whole desktop.
DuckShot
DuckShot is a useful piece of software that makes it easy to take a picture of your screen. It has a toolbar with all the tools you need in one place, so you are always just one click away from what you need. DuckShot lets you cut out certain parts, add notes in layers, and change the size of the canvas right on your screen.
You can easily do snip and capture, full-screen, multi-screen, window, delayed, or scrolling captures on the screen with DuckShot. It also has a simple but complete set of drawing tools, dynamic HSB color control, and a color picker that lets you see colors more clearly. You can capture any part of your screen as a video or GIF as well as a picture.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to take a screenshot on a Mac?
Press Command-Shift-6. In Keyboard settings, you can change how these keyboard shortcuts work. Choose Apple > System Settings from your Mac’s menu bar, click Keyboard in the sidebar, click Keyboard Shortcuts on the right, and then click Screenshots. (You might have to scroll.)
How do I capture a screenshot on my PC?
Use the keys Ctrl + PrtScn. The open menu and the rest of the screen turn gray. Select Mode, or in older versions of Windows, select the arrow next to the New button. Choose the type of snip you want, and then choose the part of the screen you want to snip.
How do you take a screenshot on a PC without a Windows key?
Place the cursor in one corner of the screen, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the cursor diagonally across the screen to the opposite corner. Let go of the button to take a picture of the whole screen.
Why can’t I take a screenshot on my Mac?
Start by going to the “Apple” menu and clicking on “System Preferences” from there. Next, tap “Keyboard,” and then tap the “Shortcuts” tab. Then, on the left side of the window, tap the “Screenshots” button. Last, make sure that all of these boxes are checked or turned on.
How do I take a screenshot of just the open window?
Hit “Windows + Shift + S.” Your screen will look gray, and the pointer on your mouse will change. You can choose what part of your screen you want to capture by clicking and dragging. Your clipboard will get a copy of a screenshot of the area of the screen you chose.
