Figuring out how to take a screenshot on a Windows system can be tricky, especially if you’re not techy.
The fact that there are so many ways of taking a screenshot only adds to the confusion because now you’re indecisive about the best method you can use. However, there are always two sides to a coin, so having multiple ways to perform a specific task can benefit you.
In this post, I’ll show you some of my favorite ways to take screenshots on Windows. All of them are simple and take no more than a second or two.
If you prefer watching a step-by-step tutorial of the process instead, here’s a quick video:
Capture Entire Screen
Beginning with the simplest method, you can press the Windows Key and the Print Screen key on your keyboard to capture your entire screen.
Pressing this combination of keys will instantly take a screenshot; you can find it in the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
From Snip & Sketch
If you prefer having more control over how you want your screenshots to be captured, you can utilize the Snip & Sketch app. Simply press Windows Key + Shift + S on your keyboard to open it.
You should see a menu appear on your screen.
From here, you can capture using a rectangular ratio, a freeform ratio, a specific window, or the entire screen. Clicking on any of them instantly activates that mode, allowing you to snip away.
From Snipping Tool
The snipping tool is incredibly handy when you want to capture a specific portion of the screen quickly and annotate as well. It’s been around since the time of Windows Vista and still remains a very useful asset to the operating system.
You can find the snipping tool by searching for it on the Start/Windows menu.
You should see this little window appear that has several options.
Clicking on New allows you to capture a new screenshot. You can change the mode if you want to change the capturing ratio. Finally, you can set a Delay, which is just the timer.
After capturing the screenshot, you can save it to any destination folder on your computer. To discard the screenshot and capture a new one, click on New again to start over.
From Game Bar
The Xbox Game Bar app on Windows is a wonderful add-on for people who like to record their gameplay or capture intense moments while playing games. You can use it even if it’s not for gaming purposes, and taking a screenshot via it is a handy feature.
Start by pressing the Windows key + G on your keyboard. Before you press it, make sure you’re on the active window of which you want to take a screenshot.
You’ll see a bunch of on-screen controls and options appear.
All you need to do is, click on the camera icon, which will capture the entire screen of the active window.
Using Third-party Tools
If you want more customization options for your screenshots, such as drawing or annotating, I recommend using a third-party tool dedicated to this purpose.
There are many such tools, but here are some of my best picks.
#1. Snagit
TechSmith has a range of valuable tools, and Snagit is one of them. It’s a powerful tool to capture screenshots and record your screen. Its intuitive interface makes capturing your entire screen or just a specific portion of it super easy.
After you capture the screenshot, you can mark them up, add annotations and perform various editing tasks.
Besides the traditional way of taking screenshots, it allows you to capture your scrolling screen, which can be very useful in certain situations.
You can share screenshots directly from the tool with your friends and team members.
#2. LightShot
A very popular software that’s been around for a long time, LightShot allows you to take customizable screenshots in a matter of seconds. In fact, it takes only two clicks to capture a screenshot with this tool.
Besides being easy to use, LightShot is known for providing a bunch of amazing features, such as:
- Convenient sharing via a link
- Editing options while and after capturing a screenshot
- Find images similar to your screen instantly
It’s also important to mention that this is a lightweight tool, so it doesn’t press down on your storage at all.
#3. ShareX
Completely free and open-source, ShareX’s screen capture capabilities are one to talk about despite having no price tag attached to it.
It has a lot of options to take a screenshot, including:
- Fullscreen
- Scrolling screen
- Active window
- Custom region
- Auto capture
- Monitor menu
And it doesn’t stop there. After capturing a screenshot, it allows you to add image effects, save it as a file, copy it to the clipboard, print the image, recognize text (OCR), and so much more.
ShareX is very lightweight and is trusted by big companies out there.
#4. ScreenPresso
ScreenPresso knows what it takes to send your point to someone using a screenshot, so the developers created this ultimate tool that covers everything that is screenshot-related.
It’s lightweight, has an in-built editor, and has multiple sharing options. You can also use the available user guide generator to your benefit.
It allows you to grab a specific part of the screen, a specific window, or the entire screen. You can also capture a scrolling window or mouse cursor (a unique feature).
If you like setting timers before capturing your screen, you can use the Delay feature. With the built-in editor, you can add text, arrows, bubbles, shapes, and other elements.
Closing Thoughts
Screenshots are an essential element of our digital lives, especially if you’re someone who shares a lot of instructional content. It’s also really useful for troubleshooting technical issues.
By utilizing any of the above methods, you’d be able to easily capture your screen on Windows – how taking screenshots is supposed to be.
Next, learn to screenshot Netflix on a PC without a black screen.
