How to Save a Screenshot

Most devices allow you to take a photo of everything that appears on the screen by entering a quick shortcut. Screenshots can be used for troubleshooting, instruction, reference, or for showing off. The process for taking screenshots varies depending on the device you are using. This wikiHow teaches you how to take a screenshot on popular computers, phones, tablets, and gaming consoles.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Windows 10

  1. Press at the same time. You may need to also hold down the Fn key while to activate the PrntScn button, depending on your keyboard. This will dim your screen for a second and save an image of your entire desktop to a folder called Screenshots inside your Pictures folder.
    Save a Screenshot Step 1 Version 7.jpg
    • To find your screenshot, press the Windows key + E together to open File Explorer, double-click Pictures in the left panel (you may have to expand "This PC" first), and then click Screenshots.
    • If this didn't work for you, or if you want to select a certain area of the screen to screenshot instead of the entire screen, keep reading.
  2. Press at the same time. Pressing these keys at the same time opens the Snip and Sketch tool, which dims the screen and displays an icon menu at the top-center.
    Save a Screenshot Step 2 Version 7.jpg
    • This tool comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and is meant to replace "Snipping Tool." If you're used to using Snipping Tool, you can still use it, but, Microsoft recommends using Snip & Sketch instead.
  3. Hover your mouse over each icon to learn its function. The icons on the toolbar aren't labeled, so this is important:
    Save a Screenshot Step 3 Version 7.jpg
    • The first icon is the rectangular snip, which lets you draw a rectangle or square around the part of the screen you want to capture.[1]
    • The second is the free-form snip, which lets you draw freehand around the desired part of the screen.
    • The third tool is window-snip, which lets you take a screenshot of a single window.
    • The fourth tool is full-screen snip—this one takes a photo of the entire screen (a traditional screenshot).
  4. Capture the screenshot.
    Save a Screenshot Step 4 Version 7.jpg
    • If you want a full-screen screenshot, clicking the full-screen button automatically captures the screen and saves it to your clipboard.
    • To select part of the screen, select either the rectangle or free-form tool and click and drag around the part of the screen you want to capture. As soon as you lift your finger, the screenshot will be saved to your clipboard.
    • To capture just a window, select the window snip tool and click the window you want to capture. This saves the screenshot to your clipboard.
  5. Open the Paint app. You'll find it in the Start menu, or by typing into the Search bar.
    Save a Screenshot Step 5 Version 3.jpg
  6. Click the icon. It's in the upper-left corner of Paint. This pastes your screenshot into Paint.
    Save a Screenshot Step 6 Version 3.jpg
  7. Click the menu and select . The File menu is at the top-left corner of the screen.
    Save a Screenshot Step 7 Version 3.jpg
  8. Choose a location and click . You can also rename the file if you'd like. Your screenshot is now saved.
    Save a Screenshot Step 8 Version 3.jpg

[Edit]Windows 8

  1. Press at the same time. You may need to also hold down the Fn key while to activate the PrntScn button, depending on your keyboard. This will dim your screen for a second and save an image of your entire desktop to a folder called Screenshots inside your Pictures folder.
    Save a Screenshot Step 9 Version 3.jpg
    • To find your screenshot, press the Windows key + E together to open File Explorer, click your Pictures folder, and then click Screenshots.
    • If this didn't work for you, or if you want to select a certain area of the screen to screenshot instead of the entire screen, keep reading.
  2. Open the Snipping Tool. An easy way to do this is to press the Windows key on the keyboard to open the menu, type into the search, and then click Snipping Tool. This opens the built-in screenshotting tool.
    Save a Screenshot Step 10 Version 3.jpg
  3. Click the down-arrow next to "Mode." This expands a list of options for taking a screenshot.
    Save a Screenshot Step 11 Version 3.jpg
  4. Click the type of screenshot you want to take. Here's how the different options work:
    Save a Screenshot Step 12 Version 3.jpg
    • Free-form snip lets you draw a freehand line around the area you want to capture. As soon as you lift your finger from the mouse, a preview will appear.
    • Rectangular snip lets you draw a square or rectangle around an area to capture. When you lift your finger, you'll see a preview of the screenshot.
    • Windows snip lets you screenshot the contents of a single window only. After selecting this tool, click the window you want to capture to immediately screenshot it and display a preview.
    • Full-screen snip captures everything currently on the monitor screen. This will capture the screen as it is now and display a preview.
  5. Click the disk icon to save. It's in the toolbar running along the top of the screen.
    Save a Screenshot Step 13 Version 3.jpg
  6. Select a saving location and click . This saves your screenshot to the desired folder.
    Save a Screenshot Step 14 Version 4.jpg

[Edit]Mac

  1. Take a full-screen screenshot by pressing . You'll hear a shutter sound if your speakers are on. The screenshot will be saved to a file on your desktop in the PNG format.[2] The image's name will be the date and time it was taken.
    Save a Screenshot Step 15 Version 3.jpg
    • To copy the screenshot to your clipboard instead of creating a file, press Command + Ctrl + Shift + 3.
  2. Take a custom-sized screenshot by pressing . The cursor will change into a crosshair. Click and drag to create a box on your screen. Everything inside of the box will be captured when you release your mouse button.
    Save a Screenshot Step 6.jpg
    • Press Esc to exit the screenshot selection without taking the picture.
    • To copy the screenshot to your clipboard instead of creating a file, press Command + Ctrl + Shift + 4.
  3. Take a screenshot of a window by pressing . Press the spacebar to turn the crosshair into a camera. Click the window that you want to capture. The screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
    Save a Screenshot Step 7.jpg

[Edit]Android

  1. Press the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time for one to two seconds. On most Androids, doing this will quickly capture the contents of your screen and save the image to your gallery.[3]
    Capture a Screenshot Step 14 Version 5.jpg
    • There are many different Android models, so the key combination can vary. Typically it's either Power + Volume Down or Power + Volume Up.
    • If that doesn't work, keep reading.
  2. Press and hold the power button for a few second and select . If you weren't able to take a screenshot by pressing Power + Volume Down, try this. After holding down the power button for a few seconds, lift your finger when you see a menu that contains the "Screenshot" option. When you select Screenshot, the image will save to your gallery or photos app.
    Take a Screenshot on Android Oreo.png

[Edit]iPhone / iPad

  1. (If your iPhone/iPad has a Home button) Press the Home and power (sleep/wake) buttons at the same time. When you release your fingers, you'll see the screen flash. The screenshot you took is now saved to the Screenshots folder in the Photos app.
    Hard Reset an iPhone Step 2 Version 5.jpg
    • If you want to edit the screenshot, tap the preview that appears on the screen to open it in Markup.
  2. (If your iPhone/iPad doesn't have a Home button) Press the side and volume-up buttons at the same time. When you release your fingers, the screen will flash, indicating that you've taken a screenshot.
    Take a Screenshot on Firefox Step 9 Version 2.jpg
    • If you want to edit the screenshot, tap the preview that appears on the screen to open it in Markup.

[Edit]PlayStation 4

  1. Press and hold the Share button to take the screenshot. Your game will pause, and the Share menu will open.[4]
    Save a Screenshot Step 25.jpg
    • Not all content supports screenshots. You may not be able to take screenshots when playing movies or during video game cutscenes.
  2. Select . This captures the screenshot and saves it to your gallery.
    Share Photos and Videos on the PlayStation 4 Step 4.jpg
  3. Select an upload option. If you want to share your screenshot online, you can now select an option, such as Activities (to share to PSN as an activity) or Facebook to share online friends.
    Share Photos and Videos on the PlayStation 4 Step 15.jpg

[Edit]Xbox One

  1. Start up the game you want to take a screenshot of. You can't take screenshots of the Xbox One menu.
    Save a Screenshot Step 35.jpg
  2. Press the Xbox button when you want to take a screenshot. This opens the guide.[5]
    Restart a Xbox One Step 1 Version 2.jpg
    • If you're using one of the new wireless controllers, you can take a screenshot quickly by pressing the Share button (the curved arrow) on the controller. This saves the screenshot immediately.
  3. Press the button to take a screenshot. If you have a Kinect, you can also say, "Xbox, take a screenshot".
    Save a Screenshot Step 37.jpg
  4. Find your screenshots. You can find all of your screenshots in the Upload Studio app, under "Manage Captures". You can then share them to various social networks or save it to your OneDrive.
    Save a Screenshot Step 38.jpg

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

Comments

Popular Posts