In today’s fast-paced digital world, capturing what’s on your screen is a fundamental skill. Whether you need to share a funny online chat, document an error message for tech support, or simply save a moment from a video, screenshots are incredibly useful. Windows operating systems offer a built-in feature to easily take snapshots of your screen using the Print Screen key. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about How To Print Screenshot effectively on your Windows computer.
Finding the Print Screen Key on Your Keyboard
Before you can start capturing your screen, you need to locate the Print Screen key on your keyboard. Its location can vary slightly depending on whether you are using a desktop or a laptop, but it’s generally easy to find.
On a standard desktop keyboard, the Print Screen key is usually situated in the upper right-hand corner, often near the function keys (F12, Delete, Insert). You might see it labeled as Print Screen, PrtScn, PrntScr, PrtSc, or a similar abbreviation. For simplicity, we’ll use PrtScr throughout this article to refer to all these variations.
It’s worth noting that some specialized keyboards may have different configurations. For instance, the Dell Wireless Keyboard and Mouse combo, model KM3322W, requires you to press the Fn (Function) key and the Insert key simultaneously to activate the Print Screen function, as it doesn’t have a dedicated PrtScr key.
Laptop keyboards typically place the Print Screen key within the Function Key row (F1 to F12). Often, you’ll need to press the Fn key along with the designated Function key (commonly F10) to take a screenshot.
Laptops with capacitive or illuminated Function Key rows might require you to press the Fn key first to switch the function keys to their primary functions, which will then reveal the Print Screen key option. Refer to your laptop’s user manual for specific instructions if you are unsure. Some laptop models might also use the Fn + Insert key combination if a dedicated Print Screen key isn’t available.
Figure 1: Illustration of the print screen key on a Dell KM5221W wireless keyboard
Dell KM5221W wireless keyboard print screen key location
Figure 2: Illustration of the print screen key on a Dell Precision 5550 mobile workstation keyboard
Dell KM5221W wireless keyboard print screen key location
Figure 3: Illustration of a laptop with a capacitive Function Key row
[Image of laptop with capacitive function keys would be inserted here if available in original article]
How to Take a Screenshot on Windows
The Print Screen key offers different ways to capture your screen in Windows 11 and Windows 10, depending on what you need to capture.
Capturing the Entire Screen
To capture everything visible on your monitor, including all open windows and the taskbar, press the Windows logo key + PrtScr key at the same time. If you are using a Windows tablet, press the Windows logo button and the volume down button simultaneously.
When you use this method, your screen will briefly dim, and the screenshot is automatically saved as a PNG file in the Screenshots folder within your Pictures library. This is the quickest way to capture and save your entire screen.
Capturing All Active Windows
If you want to capture all currently open windows without including the entire screen background, simply press the PrtScr key alone. This action copies the screenshot of all active windows to your clipboard. You won’t see any visual confirmation, but the image is ready to be pasted.
Capturing a Single Active Window
To capture only the window you are currently working in and exclude everything else, first, make sure the specific window is active by clicking on its title bar. Then, press the Alt + PrtScr keys together. This will capture only the active window and copy it to your clipboard, ready for pasting.
Printing Your Screenshot: From Digital to Physical
Once you’ve captured your screenshot using any of the methods above, it’s saved to your clipboard (or as a file for full-screen captures using Windows key + PrtScr). To “print” your screenshot in the digital sense (use it, edit it, save it permanently), you need to paste it into an application. To physically print it on paper, you’ll also need to paste it into an application that allows printing.
To paste your screenshot, open an image editing application like Microsoft Paint, Photoshop, GIMP, or even a document editor like Microsoft Word or an email. In the application, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot into a new document or image.
In Paint, for example, after pasting, you can crop, resize, annotate, or make other basic edits to your screenshot before saving it as an image file (JPEG, PNG, etc.) or printing it on paper using the application’s print function (usually File > Print).
Advanced Screenshot Methods: Beyond the Print Screen Key
While the Print Screen key is a convenient built-in tool, Windows also offers more advanced options for screen capture, such as the Snipping Tool (and its successor in Windows 10 and 11, Snip & Sketch, sometimes called Screenshot Tool or Snip & Sketch Tool).
Snipping Tool/Snip & Sketch provides more versatility and editing features. You can search for “Snipping Tool” or “Snip & Sketch” in your Windows search bar to launch it. These tools allow you to capture:
- Rectangular Snip: Drag a rectangle to capture a specific area of your screen.
- Free-form Snip: Draw a freehand shape around the area you want to capture.
- Window Snip: Capture a single window by selecting it.
- Full-screen Snip: Captures the entire screen, similar to Windows key + PrtScr.
Furthermore, Snip & Sketch (and newer versions of Snipping Tool) usually offer basic annotation tools directly within the app, allowing you to draw, highlight, or write on your screenshots before saving or sharing them.
Conclusion
Mastering the Print Screen key is a simple yet powerful way to capture and share information from your Windows computer. Whether you need a quick snapshot of your entire screen, a specific window, or a custom area, Windows provides the tools you need. For more advanced screen capturing and editing, explore the Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch for even greater control and functionality. Now you are equipped to effectively print screenshot and use them for various purposes, enhancing your digital communication and productivity.
