How To Screenshot On Windows

Learning how to a screenshot on Windows is a basic but essential tech skill. Take a snap of your screen, documents, or apps with this simple tutorial.

How To Screenshot On Windows | Two Options

Take A Screenshot On Windows 10 Using A Keyboard

The first method we will show you to capture a screenshot on Windows 10 is by using the keyboard. You can do it in just one simple step! Press the Windows Start icon (the Windows icon is on the left side of the keyboard and usually beside the Fn (function button) and PrtScn (or perhaps PrtScn) together. The latter is on the upper-right-hand side of the keyboard.

That’s it! You’ve captured a screenshot.

To view it, click the “Windows Start” button. On the rightmost left-hand side, you’ll find File Explorer. Click it to open your directory of folders. On the left side is your menu. Choose “Pictures.” From the list, select “Screenshot.”

Microsoft Windows allows you to manipulate the photos as soon as you open them. You can also add them to PowerPoint presentations.

These tools may be unfamiliar or frustrating to use for first-timers. So here’s another option to take a screenshot:

1. Open the object you want to screenshot. If it’s the desktop, you can press M+ Windows icon. Doing this should minimize all opened or running programs and documents.
2. On your keyboard, press PrtSc (or perhaps PrtScn).

To save the image, you have two options.

How To Paste These Images Into Microsoft Paint

Now you can paste your screenshot into Microsoft Paint. To do it, follow these steps:

1. Press the Start Windows button on the keyboard or click it on the screen. It is within the taskbar (or the bar below the screen).
2. Type Microsoft Paint or search through the list of applications. Open the program. 
3. If the screen is white, you’re ready to paste the image. To do it, press Ctrl + V, which is the keyboard shortcut for paste.
   
4. Go to File Menu, click “Save As,” and then choose your preferred save-as type. You can usually save it as a JPEG or PNG.
   
5. Select your desired directory path or folder.
6. Rename your image file and then click “Save.”

Note: Windows has a more updated version of Paint called Paint 3D. To begin saving the image, click “New” and follow the Save As steps mentioned above.

How To Paste These Images Into Microsoft Word

Another option to save is via Microsoft Word. Here are the steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word. You can type “Word” in the search function of Windows. It is the magnifier on the taskbar.
2. Press Ctrl + V to paste the image from the clipboard.
3. From here, you have two choices how to save the image. You can save it as a document or as an image. To save it as a document, go to “File Menu,” click “Save As, and choose your preferred save-as type. Click “Save.” If you want to save it as an image, right-click on the image. It will open a menu. Choose “Save Picture,” choose your save-as type, and rename the image. Click “Save.” Learn more how to use Microsoft Word here.

How to Screenshot On Windows Using Snipping Tool

The advantage of using the Snipping Tool is that you can snip any part of your screen rather than the entire screen view. In fact, you can find this tool in almost all versions. It is not available in Windows XP. The Snipping Tool is also easy to identify as the icon resembles a scissor.

To use the Snipping Tool, here are the steps:

1. Use the Search function or the Windows Start button to open the list of apps. Type Snipping Tool or select it from the list.
   
2. Clicking it will automatically activate the app. It appears as a small box on the screen. You can left-click and hold it so you can drag it anywhere on the screen.
   
3. The application has different modes. These are the Free-form Snip, Rectangular Snip, Window Snip, and Full-Screen Snip. The easiest way to capture the entire Window or desktop is the Full-Screen Snip. Just go to Mode option and choose it from the list.
   
4. To save the file, go to File, click “Save As,” choose where you want to save it, rename the file, and then press Save. 

Note: The default image file type is JPEG. If you want PNG or GIF, you need to change it before you save it. After you click “Save As,” go to Save As type and click the drop-down menu.

Now that you know how to screenshot on Windows, it’s time to understand the different image file formats. This video from Techquickie can help you with that:

Learning how to take screenshots on Windows is invaluable. Besides making your presentations look good, you can also insert them into Word and make your report easier to understand. You can share the image on social media or use to make a meme or flyer. There are so many possibilities!

What are your favorite projects for your images? Share your ideas in the comments below!

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