This article explains all the different ways you can screenshot in Windows 11. Learn all the best methods for capturing your PC's screen in Microsoft's operating system.
PrtScn aka PrtSc : screenshots the entire screen, saves to clipboard.
Win+PrtSc : auto-saves Fullscreen screenshots to Pictures > Screenshots.
Win+Shift+S : lets you pick a window or section of the screen.
Taking screenshots can be incredibly useful for a variety of purposes, whether you’re capturing an important moment in a game or documenting a software issue for troubleshooting. Windows 11 offers several ways to take screenshots, and in this article, we will cover seven of them.
- Print Screen
The Print Screen key has been a staple for taking screenshots in Windows for many years. Pressing this key captures the entire screen and copies it to the clipboard. From there, you can paste the screenshot into an image editor or other program.
- Alt + Print Screen
If you only want to capture the active window, you can use the Alt + Print Screen shortcut. This captures the window that’s currently in focus and copies it to the clipboard.
- Windows + Print Screen
Pressing Windows + Print Screen captures the entire screen and saves it as a PNG file in the Screenshots folder in your Pictures folder. You can access this folder by going to File Explorer and navigating to Pictures > Screenshots.
- Windows + Shift + S
The Windows + Shift + S shortcut opens the Snipping Tool, which allows you to capture a custom rectangular or freeform area of the screen. You can also choose to capture the full screen or an active window from the Snipping Tool menu.
- Windows + Alt + Print Screen
This shortcut is similar to Alt + Print Screen, but it saves the screenshot as a PNG file in the Screenshots folder. This can be useful if you want to quickly capture the active window and save it for later use.
- Windows + Volume Down
This shortcut is specifically for tablets and other touch-enabled devices that don’t have a physical keyboard. Pressing Windows + Volume Down captures the entire screen and saves it as a PNG file in the Screenshots folder.
- Snip & Sketch
Snip & Sketch is a built-in app in Windows 11 that allows you to capture and annotate screenshots. To open Snip & Sketch, click on the Start menu and search for “Snip & Sketch”. From there, you can choose to capture a rectangular, freeform, window, or full-screen snip. After capturing the screenshot, you can use the built-in tools to annotate and edit it.
Note: On some computers, the Fn (function) key needs to be pressed along with PrtSc.
Taking screenshots in Windows 11 is easy and offers several different methods to suit your needs. Whether you prefer using a keyboard shortcut, a built-in app, or a combination of both, Windows 11 has you covered. By using these seven methods, you can capture screenshots quickly and easily, making it simple to document and share important moments or issues.