There are several ways to capture a screenshot. Usually, each method differs based on which computer operating system you are using and the content of which you take a screenshot. To proceed, look at the menu below and choose the approach that best suits your needs.

How to take a screenshot in Microsoft Windows

The simplest way to take a screenshot of your monitor is to press Print Screen on the keyboard. This action captures an image of the entire screen and copies it to the computer clipboard. Once in the clipboard, paste that screenshot in Microsoft Paint, another image editor, Microsoft Word, or any program capable of accepting images.

  • How to take a screenshot in Microsoft Windows.
  • How to take a screenshot in macOS.
  • How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook.
  • How to take a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface Pro.
  • How to create a screenshot in the Chrome browser.
  • Android and Apple mobile device screenshot information.
  • Screenshots with other software, programs, or games.
  • Where are screenshots saved?
  • Viewing, editing, and saving screenshots.
  • How to print a screenshot?
  • How to share a screenshot?

Once the image is successfully pasted into a program, it can be saved or printed.

If you press and hold Alt and then press Print Screen, a screenshot of the active window is taken instead of the fullscreen.

Windows 8, 10, and 11 users can press Windows key+Print Screen to take a screenshot of their screen and have the image saved as screenshot.png in the Pictures > Screenshots folder.

Windows Vista (not home basic), Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 users can also use the Snipping Tool to make a picture out of a portion of the window.

How to take a screenshot in macOS

Apple macOS users can take a screenshot of an entire screen by pressing Command+Shift+3. This action creates a new TIFF file on your desktop.

To capture only part of the screen, press Command+Shift+4, and then select the area of the screen you want to screenshot.

Once the image is successfully created, it can be opened and edited or printed.

To copy your screenshot to the clipboard instead of creating a file, press Control+Command+Shift+3 or 4.

How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook

To take a screenshot of the whole page, press Ctrl+.

To take a screenshot of only part of a page, press Ctrl+Shift+.

For non-Chrome keyboards, press Ctrl+F5.

How to take a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface Pro

Using the device - Press and hold the Windows icon on the bezel of your Surface Pro, and then press the volume down key.

Using the type cover - Press and hold Windows key and Fn, and then press spacebar.

How to create a screenshot in the Chrome browser

Taking a screenshot in Chrome requires an extension to be installed. You can add the extension Awesome Screenshot to capture the whole page or parts of the page. You can also add the Screencastify extension to capture video in Chrome.

Android and Apple mobile device screenshot information

Android mobile devices

Due to Android smartphones and tablets having many manufacturers, the method for capturing a screenshot is not always the same. If this action is performed properly, a screen animation indicates the picture was taken. The screen capture is saved to your photo gallery.

  • Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons at the same time.
  • Press and hold the Power and Home buttons at the same time.

Apple devices

  • On an iPhone or iPad without a Home button (newer models), press the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time to capture the screen.
  • On an iPhone or iPad with a Home button (older models), press the Home button and the top or side Sleep/Wake button at the same time.
  • On an iPad Pro, press the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time to capture the screen.

When done properly, the screen should flash, and if the volume is turned up, you hear a sound of a picture being taken. The screen capture is saved to your pictures.

Screenshots with other software, programs, or games

If you cannot successfully create a screenshot using the methods above, a third-party software program may be of use. Below is a listing of some screenshot programs you may want to consider.

Do not hold these buttons down. Press and release them at the same time quickly.

  • Fraps (Games, images, and movies)
  • Greenshot
  • ScreenHunter
  • Snagit
  • Search for additional screenshot and screen capture programs.
  • Snip & Sketch

Games

Many games include an option that enables players to press Print Screen or F11 to capture a screenshot. The key varies between games. We recommend you refer to the game key options or the manual for information about this availability. If this is not available, see the next section.

With the Windows 10 Creators Update, you can use the keyboard shortcut Windows key+Alt+Print Screen (or customize the shortcut key) to take screenshots in games.

Screenshots from movies

To grab a single screenshot image from a movie or video file, see the following link.

If you have an NVIDIA video card, you can use the GeForce in-game overlay to capture screen shots.

  • How to capture an image from a movie in Windows Media Player.

Where are screenshots saved?

The location where screenshots are saved varies based on the method you used to take them.

Print Screen key - If you used Print Screen, they are copied to the clipboard.

Windows key+Print Screen key - If you used Windows key+Print Screen, the image is automatically saved into your Pictures folder under Screenshots.

Viewing, editing, and saving screenshots

Although many of the programs listed above allow you to capture screenshots, they may not have the appropriate features for making changes to your images. We suggest editors mentioned in the link below to perform cropping, rotations, or other similar tasks.

  • What program can I use to view, edit, or create images?

How to print a screenshot?

After capturing a screenshot, it can be opened in any image editor (mentioned above), that also lets you print from that program.

  • How to print a document, picture, or another file.

How to share a screenshot?

After making a screenshot, the picture file can be shared like any other picture on the computer. For example, you could e-mail the screenshot to a friend or upload the picture to Facebook or another social network website.

  • How to send an attachment or photo through e-mail.
  • How to upload a picture or video to Facebook.
  • How to record your computer screen.
  • Save any web page as an image file or PDF.
  • What program can I use to view, edit, or create images?
  • How to create a copy of a picture.
  • See our screenshot definition for further information and related links.
  • Computer image help and support.