How to Take a Screenshot Using a Windows PC

By Paul Higgins

You can take a screenshot of your entire screen in Windows by pressing the Print Screen key and pasting the screenshot in Paint. Alternatively, save a screenshot of a window or screen area by using the Snipping Tool in Windows 8 or 7.

Using the Print Screen Key

Step 1

Press the Print Screen key to save a screenshot of the entire screen.

Tip

  • The key can be labeled either as Print Screen or in an abbreviated form, such as Print Scr or Prt Scr.
  • You can find the Print Screen key either near the top of the keyboard or near its bottom, between the right Alt and Ctrl keys.
  • Some laptops do not have a Print Screen key. Refer to your computer's documentation to find out if an alternate key combination -- such as Fn + a number key -- exists or use the Snipping Tool to capture your screen.

Step 2

Launch Paint by typing Paint in your Windows Start Screen or Menu and selecting the application from the list of results. Press Ctrl+V to paste your screenshot in the blank image Paint automatically creates upon launch.

Resize the screenshot by clicking the Resize & Skew icon in the Image group.
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

Tip

  • Crop your screenshot if needed by selecting the area you want to preserve using the Select tool and clicking the Crop icon in the Image group.
  • As an alternative to Paint, certain image sharing services -- such as Imgur -- let you upload a photo saved in your clipboard to the Web by pressing Ctrl+V.

Step 3

Save your screenshot by clicking File and selecting Save. Name the file and select a suitable file format from the drop-down menu. Finally, click the Save button.

Click Send in Email to send the screenshot using your default email application.
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

Using the Snipping Tool

Step 1

Launch the Snipping Tool by opening your Start Menu or Start Screen, typing Snipping in the search box and selecting the program from the search results.

Step 2

Click New and select the screen area you want to capture by dragging a rectangle box around it.

Snipping Tool
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

Tip

Click the arrow next to New to open a menu that lets you select an entire window, your whole screen or use a free-form selection tool instead of the default rectangular box.

Step 3

Click the Save icon to save your screenshot.

Write notes or highlight sections of your screenshot by using the Pen or Highlighter tools.
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

Tip

Click the Send Snip icon in the toolbar to send your screen capture by email.