How to Take a Screenshot on Windows
Knowing how to screenshot on Windows is an essential skill for anyone who uses a Windows computer. Whether you're trying to capture an error message, document a process, or simply share something you've seen, the ability to take a screenshot can make it easier. Screenshots are also useful for troubleshooting technical issues and as evidence in legal cases. Being familiar with capturing screenshots on Windows can help you save time, effort, and money.
Basically, any other computer user is periodically faced with the necessity of taking screenshots, and most people consider it to be an easy task. It is, indeed, but there’s still a better way to do that. Read the article below to learn how to take a screenshot on Windows PC.
1. How to Make a Screenshot with Icecream Screen Recorder
Icecream Screen Recorder will revolutionize your idea of making screenshots due to a number of advantageous options. With this screenshot software for Windows, you can capture video guides and tutorials and generate great-looking content for your website, Facebook account, and more. This is a great capture tool for collaboration as you can share screenshots and videos via a shortcut. Look how easy to use it:
- Download the screen recorder and install it.
- Click the "Settings" button to open the instrument panel. Configure some settings required for successful screen capturing.
- In the "System" tab of the Settings panel select either PNG or JPG to save your screenshots ("Screenshot format" option). In the same tab, you may turn on and off the notification given to you ("Show notifications"); the zoomer is highly a valuable tool during the manual screenshot area selection ("Area selection zoomer").
- Proceed to the "Save to" tab to select the destination folder to which your screenshot will be saved ("Save screenshot to" option).
- Open the "Hotkeys" tab to check the current hotkeys and change their combinations if needed. You may use them to create a screenshot, copy into the clipboard, upload it by URL, open the drawing panel, and do some other actions.
- To apply the changes made in the panel press "Save Settings".
- Choose the screenshot area. Read below about choosing area for screen capturing.
- Take a screenshot using either relevant buttons on the screenshot panel or with hotkeys.
What Are the Options?
There are 3 ways to take a screen capture on Windows with Icecream Recorder:
- Screenshot. If you want to save a desktop screenshot as an image in PNG or JPG, just click "Screenshot" .
- Copy. After clicking this button, the screenshot will be saved to the clipboard. Now, you can press CTRL+V to paste it wherever you need.
- URL. By clicking "URL", you transform the screenshot into a link. That’s the best way to go if you wish to share your screenshot with other people and don’t want to send it via email, instant messenger, or media.
Each link you make will be saved in the program's history panel and you can access any of them from the main window. To delete a link from the history, click the recycle bin icon to the right of each file's title. The "Clear History" in the bottom left corner will help you remove all the files from the list.
What Areas Can I Screenshot?
Using Icecream Screen Recorder, you can screenshot any area of your desktop. Thus, you don’t have to crop a full-screen image later; this means you don’t need to opt for third-party editors. To make a screenshot of a desired area, click "Screenshot".
Then, use your mouse to frame a necessary screenshot area. You can select a random area and move the frame manually according to your needs (Custom). Otherwise, choose one of the available preset profiles (Full screen, 960p, 720p, 1024x768p, 640x480p, 320x240p, or 160x120p). The "Area" button on the screenshot should be active and highlighted yellow.
Screenshot Editing Tools
You can use special tools of the screenshot panel to edit your screen capture before its creation. Particularly, you can check the graphic elements available through the drawing panel to point out, add watermark, underline, frame, or comment on your screenshot. To do that, press the "Draw" button and select a drawing tool that you like: brush, oval, rectangle, step instrument, or arrow. After that, you can choose the thickness and color of a selected element and start drawing on the screen record.
If you want to type some text over your desktop screenshot, click the "T" icon, pick font size (8-34) and color, and place the cursor where you need your content to be typed. Add the desired text and proceed forward.
To cancel the recent changes, use the "Undo" icon at the right side of the control panel; if you need to erase all the progress at once, tap the "Clear all" button.
2. How to Do a Screenshot with the Snipping Tool?
Windows 10 offers a built-in tool for screen capturing. It's called the Snipping Tool and it offers basic annotation options, making it easy to highlight or obfuscate portions of a screenshot. Here's how you can use it:
- Click the "Start" button, type "Snipping Tool", and select it. Alternatively press Win+Shift+S.
- Once the program is open, select the type of snip you would like to process: rectangular, free-form, window, or full-screen.
- After selecting the type, tap "New", your screen will freeze and display a white overlay. Drag your mouse to create the shape of your snip and when you release it, a screenshot will be captured.
- The Tool will open with your screenshot inside of it. From here you can draw arrows or highlight portions of the image with an eraser tool. And then preserve it as a picture file or share it with other programs.
- To get a desktop screenshot, click "Save" and choose where you'd like to keep it on your computer.
The Snipping Tool is straightforward and lets you quickly make a screenshot without the need for additional software. You can also rapidly annotate them with arrows and highlights, allowing you to explain what's happening on the screen. Keep in mind that it is pre-installed on both Windows 10 and 11; but the majority of the features are available on Windows 11.
3. How to Print Screen on Windows?
- Press "Print Screen" alone to take screen capture to the clipboard. To view it, you must paste it into any other program.
- Use the "Print Screen" button together with the Windows key. Your PNG screenshot would be saved to the default folder.
- Hit "Alt" + "Print Screen" to copy the screenshot to the clipboard. To save it as an image use Paint.
Note: On some laptops, you may need to press "Fn" while "Print Screen" is active.
Using hotkeys is one of the easiest approaches to make a screenshot. However, this option lacks customization functionality and won't work properly without adjusting your keyboard settings. Also, there is no selection of the screen record area - all output images will be full-screen.
4. How to Screenshot on Windows with the Game Bar?
The Windows 10 Game Bar is a great tool for taking screenshots and recording the gaming process. It's easy to use and can save you time when you need to quickly capture a screenshot. Here is the procedure:
- Press the Windows key + G on your keyboard to open the Game Bar.
- In the menu click "Capture". Hit the camera icon to take a screenshot.
- Your screenshot will be kept in the Videos > Captures folder in the Pictures library.
Utilizing the Game Bar is rapid and effortless. So if you must capture a screenshot of something in your game without interruption or departure, this delivers a hassle-free solution do it. The downside is that the resulting file is only PNG, so if you need JPG or PDF, you have to convert it.
What is a Screenshot?
A desktop screenshot is an image of what's showing on your computer or device screen. It's an approach to recording and saving information, documenting a process, or even sharing something funny with friends. In the digital age, screenshots are becoming increasingly important for personal and professional use.
Screenshots can be taken on almost any device – desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone – and any operating system – Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. The process for capturing screenshots is generally the same across all systems.
Once you take a screenshot, it is automatically stored as an image file on your device. You can then edit the image (e.g., crop, add text) or send it to someone else (e.g., as an email attachment).
How to Screenshot on Windows: Bottom line
In conclusion, taking a screenshot of computer screen on Windows is an incredibly easy process with a few simple steps. Start by prepping the window or screen that you want to capture. Then open the Screenshot app or just press the print screen button on your keyboard. It can be saved as a picture to be used later. Remember to pay attention to the file format, size, and compression settings when saving the screenshot.
Taking screenshots is a great way to capture memories or essential information quickly and easily. With this guide, you will be able to snap screenshots in no time at all!
