How to Take Screenshot on Windows 11 & 10 Laptop and PC

• Take quick Screenshot on Windows 11 using 7 different methods.
• These methods includes simple Printscreen button click, Free and Paid tools.
• Advanced shortcuts to save screenshots directly to your PC on Windows 11.

In our day-to-day life, we need to take pictures/images displayed on our screen of the laptop or mobile. Snapping images of the screen are called screenshots. If you are a student or have any business then you must have taken a screenshot on your mobile phone. But how to take a screen-shot on a desktop or laptop of windows 11 and windows 10.

How to Take Screenshot on Windows 11

So here in this article, we are going to provide you with the top 6 ways through which you can take screen-shots on your Windows 11 laptop and desktop. Sometimes we need to take a screenshot of the entire screen (includes taskbar also), sometimes we need only the current window (taskbar i.e., bottom bar not included) and sometimes only a part of the screen displayed.  So here we have categorized these ways into 3 categories as per the requirement of the screen-shot. These are as follows:

Why Should You Know How To Take A Screenshot On Windows

•  If you want to take a picture of a website that does not allow you to save its content to your device.
• To capture just a paragraph or two from a large body of the text.
• To capture high scores, bugs, or other moments from your game.
• To capture proof of relevant information like whether you have sent an email, your reports, citations, etc.
• To capture just one frame from a video or movie.
• To capture two or more applications that are running simultaneously.

Since it has so many functions, you must know how to take a screenshot on Windows 11 and 10.

A. Screenshot of the entire Windows 11 screen 

Taking a screenshot of the entire screen in your Windows 11 is something you can do quickly and easily. You can use this method in some important and when you have no time to wait. There’s a key in your Keyboard called Printscreen, which is written as PrtScn or PrtScr on Top right side of your keyboard. If you can’t find this button on your keyboard please skip the below method.

1. Copy Screenshot to Clipboard – Using Print Screen (PrtScn)

It is the first and simplest method to use to capture full screen and for this, you just need to click on the Print Screen key written as PrtScn, which is generally available at the right side top corner of the keyboard.

1. Open Image or screen which you want to take the capture.
2. Press the Print Screen key (PrtScn key).
3. Open MS Paint. Make desired changes.
4. Save it at the desired location at the desired type of file.

Yes, this one is a drawback of using it. It will not get saved automatically, you will have to save it. For this, you will have to use a paint or image editor and in that editor click “Ctrl + V” to paste it and then save it.  

2. Save Screenshot to Files – Using Windows + Print Screen (PrtScn)

The combination Windows + PrtScn allows you to capture full screen and saves the captured images to the sub-folder of “Screenshots” of folder “Pictures” in This PC. In the folder screenshots, images will be named as Screenshots (NUMBER) i.e., Screenshot (1), Screenshots (2), etc.

Steps to capture images are as follows:

1. Open the Image or screen which you want to capture.
2. Press Windows + PrtScn.
3. Picture Saved to Screenshots.

You can access these images as 

This PC > Pictures > Screenshots.

B. Screenshot of Current Windows 11 Window

3. Using Alt + Print Screen (PrtScn)

To do so, taking a screenshot of the current window only by using the Print screen key you just need to press ‘Alt’ along with PrtScn. By making this combination Alt + PrtScn, you would be able to take a screenshot of the current window only, which one is opened.

Again here there is the same drawback which is discussed above. So no need to worry too much, again go to an image editor like MS Paint and save it. 

C. Screenshot of a part of the screen

4. Using shortcut Key – Windows + Shift + S

1. Open the screen which you want to snap or take the screenshot.
2. Now, Press Windows +Shift +S.
3. Select the tool provided at the top of the screen – Rectangular, Free-form, Window Snip, Full Form Screen.
4. Drag the cursor on the screen which you want to capture.

Indirectly, it opens a snipping tool which we are going to discuss in our next point. When we use shortcuts then we don’t get an option of setting that’s the only difference otherwise it’s the same as a snipping tool.

5. Using Snipping Tool

1. Go to Search Box and type “Snipping Tool”. You  can also access this from Start Menu > All Programs > Accessories
2.  Once Opened, Click on ‘New’
3. Now, drag the cursor on the area which you want to capture.
4. Copy it or save it from the option given at the top.

In the snipping tool, you get various options like Mode, Delay, and Options to make some advance changes. Under Mode, you can make changes like which type of screen you want to capture – 

Rectangular – To take screenshots in rectangle form.

Free-form – To take screenshots freely rather than shape. For this, you have to drag your mouse/cursor in the required shape.

Window Snip – To take a screenshot of the window (excluding task bar).

Full-Screen Snip – To snap the entire screen.

One interesting feature of this tool is that it also provides the option of ‘annotation’ in which we can add short notes on the screenshots.

Another interesting feature of the snipping tool is that you can also make changes in time i.e. you can make delays in seconds so that your snipping tool will be able to take screenshots after the delayed time set by you.

6. Using Snip & Sketch Tool

1. Open the Screen or image for the snap.
2. Go to the search box and type “Snip & Sketch”
3. Next to new, Select delay time and Drag the cursor.
4. Now this rectangular screenshot and can be copied as well as Saved also.

Here also, you get option to annotate means to add some notes on the taken picture. Here you can also crop pictures and can get what you exactly want.

7. Using Game Bar XBOX

This tool help you out to take screenshots and record game clips as well. To do so first you need to make toggle on (turn on) for the record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar. To make setting in Game Bar go to setting from the window icon, next to the search box. After setting click on Game Bar and customize according to yourself.

Setting > Window Setting > Game Bar 

Steps to Use Game Bar Tool

1. Open Game, Video, or the image which you want to capture.
2. Click Windows + G.
3. Click on the camera button to take screenshot or else you can also click the short cut key Window + Alt + PrtScn to take screenshot.
4. You’ll see a notification describing the location of the screenshot stored.

Till now we have discussed a lot of inbuilt features provided by windows 10 and windows 11. In these, lot of features are available like taking screenshot of full screen, current window and a part of the screen. Some were also providing the option to annotate on the pictures. But these in-built features lack in recording audio, screen recording and also does not provide option of editing. So for all these features we use some external tools. Some famous tools are listed here-

1. SnagIt (Not Free)
2. Limnus Screenshot
3. Light Shot
4. Green shot

How to Take A Screenshot on Windows 10

Now we have completed different steps to take Windows 11 Screenshot methods and here are the steps to take a screenshot on Windows 10. Over the years, Windows has become the most popular operating system used worldwide till Windows 11 came in this year. The new updates and versions they put across have revolutionized the way we perceive computers. Each update has brought about phenomenal changes that improved functionality and ease of use in computing. The latest model, Windows 10, is an advanced operating system for computers and has a whole new look compared to the previous versions. This change in appearance and style was not sudden since Windows 8 also showed considerable innovative styles when it came to the applications available on the new Windows Store.

With the advent of new games, high-quality image display when it comes to movies, and the capability of modern operating systems to multitask with efficiency, people often want to capture what they are doing on screen. Sometimes this involves screen recording, which software like Xbox offers in gaming laptops. But usually, people prefer taking a screenshot.

A screenshot or a screen capture is a digital image that shows all the contents of a computer screen at a particular moment in time. This is usually done by the operating system. In smartphones, taking a screenshot is quite simple – pressing the power button and a volume button at the same time captures and saves to the phone whatever was being displayed on the screen at that instant.

In computers, it is quite the same, yet many people are confused about how to take a screenshot on Windows 10.

How to Take A Screenshot on Windows 10 – 2021

There are many ways you can go about taking a screenshot on Windows 10.

1. Quick Screenshots using PrtSc (Print Screen)

Most laptops and keyboards have a print screen button built into them. If you press the Print Screen button, it will automatically save whatever is on screen in the form of an image file (Jpeg, PNG, or JPG) to the computer’s memory. Here are a few pointers:

• This button is usually found between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock button on most keyboards.
• If your system is a laptop, use the Function key (Fn) found near the Control (Ctrl) button near the space bar. Press Fn and PrtSc simultaneously to take a screenshot.

2. Other ways to take quick screenshots

The Fn and PrtScr combination may not work for every desktop or PC model out there. If you are still wondering how to take a screenshot on Windows 10, here are a few other combinations you may want to try out. At least one of these is bound to work for you:

• Press the PrtScr button.
• Some computers have a Windows Key. Combine this with the PrtScr.
• Press the Windows button and the Shift button.
• The Alt key may also be used to access Print Screen (Alt + PrtScr)
• Just like in smartphones, you can combine the volume down button and the Windows key to take a screenshot.
• The Game Bar on many computers also allows you to take screenshots. This is important when it comes to gaming, to capture moments where you get a high score, to report bugs, etc.

3. Snipping Tool

Windows 10 comes with an inbuilt tool to take screenshots, called the Snipping Tool. If you are confused about how to take a screenshot on Windows 10, this is the easiest way to go. Follow the following steps to use the snipping tool.

• Open the start bar.
• Search “Snipping Tool” on the search box.
• The “Snipping Tool” app will pop up on the top of the search results. Select it.
• The app will open up, select the type of snip.
• Drag the cursor across the area you want to take a screenshot of.
• The screenshot has been taken.
• Save the image (in whichever format you want) to your computer’s memory.

4. Snip and Sketch Tool

This is just like the Snipping Tool but combines its function with the screen sketch tool. Here is how to take a screenshot on Windows 10 using the snip and sketch tool:

• Select the start button.
• Type in ‘snip and sketch’ in the search bar.
• Select the type of snip to use. You have several options like a rectangular snip, a freeform clip, and a full-screen clip.
• The rectangular snip allows you to take proportional snips of specific portions of the screen.
• In the freeform option, you can drag around the cursor in any which way to form a random shape for your screenshot. This gives you more freedom to snip out just the portion you need.
• The full-screen clip takes a picture of the entire screen, from corner to corner.

Now that you know how to take a screenshot on Windows 10, make sure that you do not misuse the information. There is a good reason many websites prevent you from taking screenshots of the content. Streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu do not allow their viewers to capture what is happening on the screen, because it often leads to piracy. If you try these methods out there, you will usually end up with a black screen with just the subtitles. Even if you find a way around these restrictions, keep in mind that piracy of artworks is punishable by the law. Share this article so your friends and family can figure out how to take a screenshot on Windows 10!