This post shows you the best ways to take a screenshot on Windows 10, Mac & Chromebook in 2021 & 2022. Windows 10 or 7 has a number of ways to take a screenshot of your computer screen. You can take a screenshot in Windows 10 using the PrtScn button or other tools such as Snip & Sketch, or extensions such as FireShot.
You can also use the Game Bar to record a screen by pressing Windows Key + G.
On Mac, it’s easy using Shift+Command+4 (for a portion of the screen) or Shift+Command+3 (for the full screenshot).
We have compiled all the best techniques to take a screenshot of Windows 10, Mac & Chromebook, no matter how large or small. There are many options to pick from.
How to take a screenshot on any Windows 10
1. Print Screen
Windows 10’s Print Screen (PrtScn) is the easiest way to capture a screenshot on a desktop or on a laptop. Simply press the Print Screen (PrtScn) key to capture the entire screen.
PrtScn is located in the upper-right corner of your keyboard.
The clipboard will save the screenshot to your Clipboard, you simply need to go on a Word document, an image editor like Paint to paste it (or any platform that allows pasting images).
2. Windows + Print Screen
Sometimes you want the screenshot to be saved directly to your local drive. To automatically save a screenshot in Windows 10, press the PrtScn + Windows key.
Your screen will become dimmed and you will be able to save a screenshot of the entire screen to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
3. Alt + Print Screen
Press the “Capture Only” button to capture the current window and then copy it to your Clipboard. Alt + PrtScn.
To save it, you will need to copy it into another program like Paint (which is automatically installed on Windows).
Here is an example of a screenshot I took from a YouTube video and pasted it in Paint after I press Alt+PrntScreen.
After editing, to save, go to File-> Save as -> .png or .jpg format.
4. Snip & Sketch Tool
Microsoft first introduced the Snip & Sketch Tool for taking screenshots in Windows 10 a few years ago. If you want to annotate, customize, or share screen captures on Windows, Snip & sketch is the best option.
Use the keyboard shortcut to activate Snip & Sketch Windows Key + Shift + S.
The screen will dim, and a mini menu will appear above it. This will give you the opportunity to capture a rectangle, free-form window, or the entire screen.
Once you have captured the screenshot, it will automatically be saved to your clipboard. A preview notification will also appear in the lower right corner of your screen.
Click on the preview notification and open the Snip & Sketch App or Paint to edit the screenshot using the available drawing tools. Save or share the edited screenshot.
Here is an example of a screenshot I took and pasted in Paint, then quickly saved.
5. Snipping Tool
Although Snip & Sketch will replace the Snipping Tool in Windows, you can still use the old tool to capture screenshots in Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista.
You will need to search for the Snipping tool in the search bar. To customize your screen, click on the “Mode” button and then click on the “New” button.
There are different modes for screen capture:
After taking your screenshot, it will open in a new tab. Here you can annotate, save, or share it.
Since Windows Vista, the Snipping Tool is available. Windows warned the Snipping Tool for several years that it was going away. But, it is still around. Although the Snipping Tool was removed from the Start menu’s list of apps, it can still be found via the search bar.
6. Game Bar
The Game Bar overlay can be used within Windows 10 apps and games to take screenshots or record videos. Press the following button to open the Game Bar: Windows Key + G. A window like the one below will appear.
Click the camera icon in the overlay menu to take a full-screen screenshot. You can also record a clip by pressing record. Click the microphone icon to add audio.
Screenshots and videos taken by the Game Bar can be saved in PNG format to their Videos > Captures folder. It can be found by clicking the “Open File location” as shown in the picture above.
You can also copy it into Clipboard and paste it in another program.
7. Power + Volume Down (for Phones & Tablets)
Click the to take a screenshot of Windows 10 using a Microsoft Surface device. Power Button + Volume Down Button. Your screen will dim and your screenshot will be saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
Third-party screenshot apps on Windows (Free & Paid)
There are many third-party screenshot programs that can be used if you are not satisfied with the built-in Windows tools. Each has its own unique offerings. Some will allow you to embed screen-capture tools directly into your browser.
8. Snagit
Snagit allows you to take full-page photos and create animated GIFs. The downside? The premium version is $50. You can also get a 30-day trial for free, but any image you take during that time will be watermarked.
9. Lightshot
Lightshot allows you to take quick screenshots and share them with your friends. Lightshot is a free tool that allows you to quickly share your screen with friends and family. It is available for free on Windows and Mac. However, it can also be used as an add-on to Chrome and Firefox.
10. Greenshot
Greenshot allows you to take and edit screenshots.
11. FireShot
Fireshot is a paid capture program (currently $39.95 but $59.95) that works with any browser or email client. You can take images, edit them, share via social networks, and save files on your computer.
You can install them on different browsers:
12. Awesome Screenshot
This program is free and captures pages or sections of text. It then quickly annotates the text (or blurs out any naughty bits) and shares it instantly.
There are different extensions for different browsers.
13. Nimbus Screenshot
Nimbus Screenshot is a free extension that allows you to capture the entire screen or a portion of it. It can be used to draw, annotate, and mark up images.
How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook
Hit Ctrl+Window Key to take a full-screen snapshot. The notification will be located in the lower right corner of your screen. If you have a Chromebook with the help of the Window Switch Key on your laptop, you can capture a screenshot. The button is located at top of the keyboard. It has an image of a rectangular box and lines beside it.
Use the keyboard combination Ctrl+Shift+Window Changer to capture a small section of the screen. You can select the area you want to capture by using crosshairs on your cursor.
How to take a screenshot on a Mac in 2021
If your work requires taking regular screenshots on your MacBook or Mac Pro, then you need to know the common keyboard shortcuts, and a fourth if you have a MacBook with a touch bar. One of these methods is slightly newer. It might be something you remember from macOS Mojave. If not, it is now available in macOS Catalina.
Here is a video summary of How to properly take screenshots on Mac.
You can capture the whole screen, a single window, or a small portion of it.
1. Command + Shift +3 (Full screen)
This keyboard shortcut takes a screenshot of the entire screen.
- Take a screenshot by pressing and holding these keys together: Command, Shift, and 3.
- Click the thumbnail at the bottom of the screen to edit it. Wait for the screenshots to save to your desktop.
2. Shift+Command+4 (Portion of screen)
- Press & Hold: Command, Shift, and 4.
- To select an area to be captured, drag the crosshair. To move the selection, hold down the Space key and drag the Space bar. To cancel the capture of the screenshot, press and hold the Space bar while dragging.
- Take a screenshot by pressing the trackpad or mouse button.
- Click the thumbnail at the bottom of the screen to edit it. Wait for the screenshots to save to your desktop.
Where can I find my screenshots in Mac?
Screenshots are saved to your desktop by default with the name “Screenshot [date] at[time].png”.
You can set the default location for saved screenshots in macOS Mojave and later. Drag the thumbnail to a document or folder.
3. Page Screenshot (for Safari)
This paid ($2.99) extension allows Safari users to capture the entire length of a website, or a section. After capturing a screen, you can edit and save it.
Conclusion
There are so many tricks, apps, and extensions available to take screenshots on Windows 10 devices, Apple devices, Chromebooks, and even phones.
We hope we cover the variety you needed.
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