You could be facing a system error or enjoying a movie scene. You need to capture your PC screen to save it as a picture. This is why; you should know the shortest way to take screenshots on Windows 10.
There are eight simple ways to take a screenshot on Windows 10 device.
You’ll know how to take a screenshot on Windows 10 by trying out each method presented below.
How to Take Screenshot on Windows 10?
Before we show you the shortcuts, you need to know where the screenshots are saved in Windows 10. Just go to My Pictures in the Users folder on your C: drive .
Here, you’ll find the Screenshots folder that contains all the snaps you took using the ways below.
You can also enter “ C:\User\My Pictures\Screenshots ” in the address bar of your Windows 10 File Explorer window to view the saved screenshots.
Now, let’s check out the shortcuts for taking screenshots on Windows 10.
1. Press the PrtScn Key
Probably, the first thing you should do. If your keyboard has the PrtScn key and it works, just press it to save the screenshot of your whole screen.
It gets stored in the Screenshots folder as well as on your clipboard.
2. Use Keyboard Shortcuts
There are three versions of keyboard shortcuts. These methods can take screenshots on your Windows 10 computer and allow you to save and/or edit them.
- Ctrl + PrtScn – It creates the screenshot of the entire screen and saves it on the clipboard.
- Alt + PrtScn - Press this shortcut to save the screenshot of an active window on your clipboard.
- Windows + PrtScn – This shortcut takes the screenshot of the whole screen and saves it to the Screenshots folder.
This way, you can take multiple screenshots instantly with the help of just your keyboard.
3. Use the Snipping Tool
There’s a great built-in app that can help you in taking screenshots on Windows 10. The Snipping Tool is useful when the key - PrtScn (Print Screen) – is not working on Windows 10.
- Go to the Start menu
- Type ‘ snipping tool ’ in the search box
- Open the Snipping Tool app from the search results
- Click on ‘ New ’ tab in the Snipping Tool window
- Select the ‘ Rectangular Snip ’ option
- Now, press the mouse click and move the cursor to capture the area
- Leave the click and your screenshot gets displayed in the Snipping Tool window
- Now, you can save the screenshot as an image file on your hard drive
You can also select ‘Free Form Snip’, ‘Window Snip’ or ‘ Full-screen Snip’ – based on your screenshot needs.
4. Draw the Area & Copy on Clipboard
You can press the Windows + Shift + S keys as a shortcut to capture a region of your screen. This method helps you select the area of your screen and captures it.
The image is stored on your clipboard.
When you press this shortcut, your screen gets dimmed. Now, guide your cursor over the region you want to capture.
To draw the area, you need to press-hold the left-click on your mouse.
Release the mouse and the screenshot automatically gets saved on your clipboard. Paste it on Paint or other photo editing app, so you can save the screenshot as an image file.
5. Use the Fn Keys (For Laptop Users)
For all those who use Windows 10 laptops, it is time to make use of that Fn key.
Using a combination of this key on your laptop keyboard helps you take a screenshot on Windows 10.
The combination is simple. You need to press the Fn key along with the usual keyboard shortcut keys for taking screenshots on Windows 10.
- Press Fn + Windows + PrtScn keys –It takes the screenshot of the entire screen and stores the file into the Screenshots folder.
- Press Fn and PrtScn key – It takes a snap of your whole screen. It is as good as pressing PrtScn key. The screenshot gets stored on your clipboard.
- Press Fn + Alt + PrtScn keys – It takes the screenshot of an active window only. The image is saved on your clipboard.
In some laptops, the PrtScn button doesn’t work unless you press the Fn key. So, keep that in mind as well.
6. Only For Windows 10 Creators Update (For Gamers)
There’s another way of taking screenshots if you’ve installed the Creators Update on your Windows 10 computer. Microsoft introduced new features with the Creators Update.
It allows you to set a Game Bar that can be used to take screenshots while playing games.
If you are playing a game, press the keys ‘Windows’ + ‘Alt’ +’PrtScn’. Now, your screenshot gets stored in the usual folder.
In addition, the screenshot gets stored in your Videos library.
7. Use the Windows Charms (For Windows 8.1 Only)
With Windows 8.1, Microsoft offers users its Charms concept. They can take screenshots and share them instantly with a guide.
You can take a screenshot on your Windows 10 device by using the Charms bar as follows –
- Swipe in from the right side of your device touchscreen (use your finger, not a stylus)
- PC users can simply move the cursor to the lower-right or the upper-right corners of their desktop screens
- You can also press ‘ Windows ’ and ‘ C ’ keys to open Charms bar (shortcut)
- Now, you’ll select the ‘ Share ’ charm
- Here, you see a ‘ Screenshot ’ option
- Tap it and get ready to take a screenshot
The Charms way works well when you’re in a hurry to take a screenshot of a video on your Windows 8.1 device.
8. Only For Tablet or other Touchscreen Device
Nowadays, a lot of Windows 10 users like to take screenshots on their tablet device.
The Windows tablet feature allows any touchscreen device (even a laptop) to take screenshots more effectively.
For a Windows tablet, you can take a screenshot by pressing together the Volume Down button on your device and the Windows logo.
For other touchscreen devices, this key combo is pretty much the same. Instead of the Windows logo key, you may need to press the Power button along with Volume Down button.
As presented above, there are many ways to take a screenshot on Windows 10.
You can pick one and use it the next time you want to take a snap of your Windows 10 screen.
If your screenshot needs are complex, try using tools and installing third-party programs with advanced features. Since we don’t endorse any, we can’t help you guys with that.
But, feel free to let us know about these tools by commenting below.
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