How to screenshot on Windows?

To take a screenshot on Windows, there are several methods you can use, each with different capabilities and outcomes.

Capture the Entire Screen

• Press the Print Screen (PrtScn) button. This copies the entire screen to the clipboard. You can then paste it into an application like Word or Paint using Ctrl + V5.
• Alternatively, press Windows key + Print Screen (PrtScn). This saves the screenshot directly to the "Screenshots" folder in your "Pictures" folder and also copies it to the clipboard23.

Capture the Active Window

• Press Alt + Print Screen (PrtScn). This copies the active window to the clipboard, which you can then paste into another program15.

Capture a Selected Portion of the Screen

• Press Windows key + Shift + S. This opens the Snipping Tool in rectangular mode, allowing you to drag and select the area of the screen you want to capture. The screenshot is copied to the clipboard and can be pasted into another application234.

Using the Snipping Tool

• You can open the Snipping Tool by:
  • Pressing Windows key + Shift + S.
  • Pressing the Print Screen (PrtScn) button (in Windows 11, this opens the Snipping Tool).
  • Selecting the Start button, typing "snipping tool," and selecting the Snipping Tool from the results234.
• Once the Snipping Tool is open, you can choose from various modes:
  • Rectangular Snip: Drag the cursor to form a rectangle around the area you want to capture.
  • Window Snip: Select a window or dialog box to capture.
  • Full-Screen Snip: Capture the entire screen.
  • Free-Form Snip: Draw a free-form shape around an object234.

Additional Features of Snipping Tool

• You can annotate your screenshots with tools like the pen, highlighter, shapes, and emojis.
• Use the delay timer to capture elements that appear after a few seconds.
• Extract text, black out sensitive information, and open QR code links from your screenshots23.