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.

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.

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.

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.

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