Easy 7 Ways to Make a Screenshot on a PC

Currently, screenshots or screen capture from smartphones and computers have become a habit for gadget users. How to screenshot the smartphone screen is very easy. With just one click, the image is saved in the gallery.

But what about screenshots on a PC? Maybe there are still many people who don't know because they use smartphones more often than PCs.

There are many reasons why people take screenshots. Screenshots are usually used as evidence of digital activity. There are also those who need screenshots just to store important information from browsing.

7 Ways to Make a Screenshot on a PC, Quick and Easy

Steps to Make a Screenshot on a PC or Computer

There are at least 7 ways to make a screen capture PC screen display. Here is the explanation.

1. Using the Print Screen Button

The most practical way to capture a laptop screen is by pressing the Print Screen button. This method is considered the easiest because the entire screen will be captured with just one push. For those who don't know where the Print Screen button is, it is usually located on the upper right side of the computer keyboard in line with other functoon keys.

The label for this button may vary depending on the brand of the laptop. Usually this button is labeled as "prt scr", "prnt scrn", or "prt sc". The way to take a screenshot is by pressing the button. The captured results will be saved automatically on the clipboard.

To see and save the results, open the Paint application or other similar application installed on the PC. Copy the screenshot that was taken by right clicking and selecting “paste” or simply clicking Ctrl + V. After that you can immediately save the image with the desired format.

2. Using Alt + PrtScr Keys

The print screen button can be combined with other buttons. For example, you can press these keys together by pressing Alt. Unlike the first method where the screenshot results will display the entire screen, pressing Alt + PrtScr simultaneously will only display the currently active window.

So, for example, if you are opening Microsoft Word and a browser but the cursor is on a Microsoft Word page, then what will be captured is a Microsoft Word page only.

This method is preferred because the screenshots only show what is needed. If the entire screen is captured, you may need to crop certain parts.

How to copy and save images is exactly the same as number 1 above. The thing to remember is that on some computers the Alt + PrtScr keys may not work. Instead, press three key combinations, namely Alt + Fn + PrtScr.

3. Using Windows Key + PrtScr

For Windows 10 users, there is a faster and more efficient way to take a screenshot on a PC by pressing PrtScr and the Windows logo button. On many computers, this key is located on the bottom row of the keyboard, precisely between the Ctrl and Alt keys.

Not many know what the Windows key does. Even this button is rarely used. Even though the button with the Windows symbol is not just a display. Besides functioning to bring up the start menu, this button has dozens of other functions when combined with other buttons.

The advantage of capturing the screen by pressing the windows key + PrtScr is that you don't have to copy the result in Paint. Then how do you save it? The screenshot results are automatically saved in the C directory in the Users folder. So, you don't need to worry about forgetting to copy in Paint or other image processing programs because the images are automatically saved on the PC.

4. Using Windows Key + Shift + S

Still about the Windows key, combined with the Shift and S keys, you can take a screenshot of a specific area on the screen. When you press the key combination, the PC screen will turn gray. Then you can create a specific area on the screen to take a screenshot.

The trick is to select the snip option at the top of the screen. You can crop specific areas of the screen with various shapes such as squares or freeforms. There is also a full screen snip and windows snip screenshot option. To see the results, you can copy the captured image in an image editing application like the screenshots on PC number one and two above.

5. Using the Snipping Tool

The Snipping Tool is a Windows default application located in Windows Accessories. This application has actually been around since the Windows Vista era. Because it is a default application, you don't need to install it. To open it, just type Snipping Tool in the Windows search field.

Actually method number 4, which is using Windows Key + Shift + S is the same as the Snipping Tool. But instead of having to remember the three buttons, it's easier to just click on the Snipping Tool program.

6. Using the Game Bar

Snipping Tool, another program that comes with Windows 10 for capturing PC screens is the Game Bar. This software allows users to screen capture video games and record and broadcast them live.

To make it faster, the Game Bar can be opened by pressing the Windows key + G together. You can even create your own key combinations. When going to take a screenshot, press the button until the "Yes, this is a game" box appears. Then press Windows + Alt + PrtScr or the camera icon. The screenshot results are automatically saved in the Users folder in the C directory on your PC.

7. Using the Dropbox Application

The last way is to take advantage of the Dropbox application. As an online data sharing medium that is quite popular, you may be familiar with this application. One of the Dropbox cloud services features screenshot automatically and quickly. To use this feature, the Dropbox application must be installed on the PC.

First, select the Preferences menu and click the import option. In the words "Save screenshots to your Dropbox" give a check mark. How to save it? Very easy.

Press Print Screen and the image will be automatically saved in your Dropbox account.

To see it, open the Dropbox folder in Windows Explorer. Screenshots are saved in the Screenshots folder. Dropbox allows users to share the screenshot link to email or social media. Another advantage of using Dropbox is that you don't have to worry about losing the screenshot file even if your PC is damaged because the file is stored online.