Whether for work, creative sessions, or just for fun, you might need to share what’s on your screen at the moment. The easiest way to do this is by taking a screenshot and sharing it with your co-workers or friends. Windows allows you to do this in a multitude of ways. We’ll walk you through them, as well as guide you to sharing your screenshots.
How to take a screenshot on Windows – Using your keyboard shortcuts
Step 1: Taking your screenshot
If you’re using a desktop computer, press the “PrtScr” button on your keyboard. The button is usually located among the function keys in the top key row on your keyboard. Pressing it for a moment will take a screenshot of whatever is on your screen (or both screens, if you’re using a VGA/HDMI cable or any other method of video output for more than your default monitor).
If you’re using a laptop computer, press the Fn (function) key together with the PrtScr key (that is usually on the left of the “Delete” button, having “Insert” as the primary function). Pressing those two keys together will take a screenshot of your screen (or both screens, if you’re using a VGA/HDMI cable or any other method of video output).
Step 2: Saving your screenshot
Open your Start menu by clicking the “Windows” symbol in the lower-left corner. Either browse or search for “Paint” by simply typing with the Start menu open. This will bring up Paint.
Next, press the “Ctrl” key and the “V” letter on your keyboard simultaneously to paste the screenshot from your clipboard to the Paint window. Next, click on “File” in the upper left-hand corner, then “Save as”, and choose the desired location to save your screenshot.
Important note:
The default saving format is PNG. Please be aware that some services (such as Apple’s iCloud Photo Stream) only support the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format. Make sure to change the desired saving format under the file name when saving your image.
Also note:
Some online messaging services such as Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp’s Web Messenger, and Discord programs allow you to directly paste the image from your clipboard by pressing the “Ctrl” and “V” keys simultaneously without needing to save the image file to your computer.
How to take a screenshot on Windows – Using the Snipping Tool available in Windows 10
Step 1: Taking your screenshot
Windows 10 introduced an app dedicated to sharing and taking notes of whatever windows you have open on your screen – it’s called Snipping Tool. You can easily find it in the Start Menu, either by scrolling through your installed apps or searching for it.
Step 1.1: Open your Start menu by clicking the “Windows” symbol in the lower-left corner. Type “Snipping Tool” to bring up the search result containing the Snipping Tool app.
Step 1.2: Click on the down arrow next to “New,” then from the drop-down menu, select “Full-screen Snip”. The Snipping Tool window will close and then take a screenshot of the windows’ remainder on your screens. A window with the resulting screenshot will appear, where you can write, draw, or crop your resulting Snip.
Step 2: Saving your screenshot
Next, click on “File” in the upper left-hand corner, then “Save as”, and choose the desired location where to save your screenshot.
Important Note:
The default saving format is PNG. Please be aware that some services (such as Apple’s iCloud Photo Stream) only support the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format. Make sure to change the desired saving format under the file name when saving your image.
Also note:
Some online messaging services such as Facebook’s Messenger, Whatsapp’s Web Messenger, and Discord programs allow you to directly paste the image from your clipboard by pressing the “Ctrl” and “V” keys simultaneously, without needing to save the image file to your computer.
