Taking a screenshot is usually a small, basic task, but screenshots are still an

important part of online life. You might need to screenshot something for work, for
record-keeping, or you may need to submit a screenshot to tech support. Or maybe
you just want to capture a great or interesting moment on your computer.

Whatever the reason, there are a number of ways to take a screenshot in Windows.
First we�ll guide you through the easiest way � and then we�ll show you another
useful method at the end.

Further reading
How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook
How to take a screenshot on a Mac
How to take a screenshot on an iPhone
Step 1: Capture the image

Bring up whatever it is you want to capture on your screen and press the Print
Screen (often shortened to �PrtScn�) key. It is typically located in the upper-
right corner of your keyboard and will take a screengrab of everything on all of
your displays. Alternatively, press Alt + Print Screen to capture a screenshot of
the active window. If you�re on a laptop, you may need to press Fn + Print Screen
or the Windows key + Print Screen if your laptop has another feature assigned to
that particular key.

On many computers, your screen will flicker or darken briefly to let you know that
the screenshot has been taken. However, sometimes there�s no obvious sign that
screenshot worked, so you�ll have to look in your storage to make sure it was
taken. Note that if you aren�t using the Fn key, make sure that the key is not
illuminated or turned on: On some laptops, a lit Fn key will prevent the screenshot
process from working properly because Windows registers three keys instead of two
(same with Caps lock, etc.).

Microsoft�s OneDrive will typically save the screen automatically in the OneDrive
folder. You will now be able to find it there, in Pictures, under Screenshots (the
Screenshots folder may appear if this is your first one). You can go here to open
the file and rename it if you wish. If you have Dropbox installed, the screenshot
may also be automatically deposited in your Dropbox directory, under Screenshots
(ideal for your �Showcase�).

Step 2: Open Paint

Check out your screenshot in the Screenshots folder. If you like it just the way it
is, great! You can save it, move it, attach it to an email, and upload it wherever
you need. However, for many screenshots, you may also want to crop or alter it in
some way. There are many programs that can do this, but the one closest at hand is
the long-suffering Microsoft Paint.

As long as you�re running the latest version of Windows 10, type �Paint� into the
Windows search bar and click the corresponding result.

Step 3: Paste the screenshot

Once Paint is open, click the Paste button in the upper-left corner of the program,
or press Ctrl + V on the keyboard to paste your screenshot. You should see the
image you captured appear in your edit windows in Paint.

From there, perform any edits you want, including cropping or selecting a certain
part of the image.
Step 4: Save the screenshot
paint-screenshot-windows
Click the main File option in the upper-left corner, followed by Save as.

Title the new file, choose a save location, and select your desired file format
from the drop-down menu. For most purposes, JPG will do fine, but a variety of
other formats are available to choose from such as PNG, BMP, GIF and others. Click
the gray Save button in the bottom-right corner when finished.

And that�s it! You�re done.