Where To Find Screenshots On Windows

MSI MS-16W1 — What's the all-time fashion to capture that Windows x or Windows 11 screen? Nosotros'll show you.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Whether you lot're downloadingWindows 11 (find out how to download Windows 11 for gratis) or sticking withWindows ten for a while longer, it'south easy to accept a screenshot to capture role of or the entirety of your display. Maybe y'all want to salvage an online receipt, or perhaps you want to capture a particularly noteworthy gaming feat to prove off to your friends. Windows 10 and xi offering the same built-in tools (Snip & Sketch and Snipping Tool), and several keyboard shortcuts will permit you lot take a screenshot in an instant.

Hither, we'll walk you through how to use both built-in Windows screenshot tools and other shortcuts for taking screenshots in Windows 10 and Windows 11, then you can decide which you like best.

Plus, here are more top Windows 10 tips and tricks, how to employ all of the new features in Windows xi and what you demand to know virtually upgrading from Windows x to Windows 11.

Now playing: Scout this: 7 means to accept screenshots in Windows 11

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Snip & Sketch

The Snip & Sketch tool is easier to access, share and annotate screenshots than the one-time Snipping Tool. And it tin now capture a screenshot of a window on your desktop, a surprising omission when the app was first introduced that kept us on Team Snipping Tool until recently.

The easiest way to call up Snip & Sketch is with the keyboard shortcutWindows key + Shift + S. You tin besides observe the Snip & Sketch tool listed in in the alphabetical list of apps accessed from the Start button as well as in the notification panel where it listed as Screen snip. Or you lot can just search for information technology if you don't commit the keyboard shortcut to memory. (If you're a frequent screenshot taker, we recommend pinning the app to the taskbar.)

snip-and-sketch — The built-in Snip & Sketch app has finally won u.s. over and is now our go-to method for taking screenshots in Windows x and xi. And then long, Snipping Tool.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

Either the keyboard shortcut or the notification push will dim your screen and open up a tiny menu at the top of your screen that lets you cull which type of screenshot you lot want to accept -- rectangular, free-form, window or full-screen. Once y'all take your screenshot, it will be saved to your clipboard and show up momentarily equally a notification in the lower-right corner of your screen. Click the notification to open the screenshot in the Snip & Sketch app to comment, save or share it. (If you miss the notification, open the notification panel and you'll encounter it sitting there.

If you open Snip & Sketch from the Start menu or by searching for information technology, information technology will open the Snip & Sketch window instead of the small panel at the top of the screen. From hither, y'all need to click the New push in the upper-left to initiate a screen capture and open the small panel. Information technology's an actress footstep to proceed this way, but information technology as well lets you filibuster a screenshot. Click the down-arrow button side by side to the New push button to filibuster a snip for 3 or x seconds.

Snipping tool

The Snipping tool has been around since Windows Vista. Windows has warned for a couple years that the Snipping Tool is moving away, simply it'south withal kicking around, including in Windows eleven. The Snipping Tool has been delisted from the list of apps from the Kickoff menu, just information technology'south hands accessible via the search bar.

Click theNew push to begin the screenshot process. The default snip type is a rectangular snip, merely you tin can also accept free-form, full-screen and window snips.

The Snipping Tool does not automatically salve your screenshots -- you lot will need to manually save them in the tool earlier you exit -- and it does automatically re-create your captures to the clipboard.

Print Screen

To capture your entire screen, tap the Print Screen (sometimes labeledPrtScn) key. Your screenshot will non be saved as a file, but it volition be copied to the clipboard. You'll need to open an image editing tool (such as Microsoft Paint), paste the screenshot in the editor and save the file from at that place.

You can also set the PrtScn button to open the Snip & Sketch tool by going toSettings > Ease of Access > Keyboard and toggling on Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping under Print Screen Shortcut.

pnt-scn-shortcut — Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

Windows primal + Print Screen

To capture your entire screen and automatically save the screenshot, tap the Windows key + Print Screen key. Your screen will briefly get dim to indicate that you've just taken a screenshot, and the screenshot volition be saved to the Pictures > Screenshots binder.

Alt + Print Screen

To accept a quick screenshot of the agile window, use the keyboard shortcut Alt + PrtScn. This volition snap your currently agile window and copy the screenshot to the clipboard. Y'all'll need to open the shot in an image editor to salve information technology.

Game bar

You lot can use the Game bar to snap a screenshot, whether yous're in the middle of playing a game or not. Hit theWindows key + Grand key to call back the Game bar. From here, yous can click the screenshot button in the Game bar or utilise the default keyboard shortcutWindows central + Alt + PrtScnto snap a total-screen screenshot. To set your ain Game bar screenshot keyboard shortcut, toSettings > Gaming > Game bar. Backing upwardly a flake, y'all'll also need to enable Game bar from this settings page past making sure yous've toggled onTape game clips, screenshots and broadcasts using Game bar.

Windows Logo + Volume Down

If you're rocking a Microsoft Surface device, you can employ the physical (well, sort of physical) buttons to take a screenshot of your entire screen -- similar to how you would have a screenshot on whatever other phone or tablet. To practise this, concur downward the Windows Logo touch button at the lesser of your Surface screen and hit the physical volume-downward push button on the side of the tablet. The screen will dim briefly and the screenshot will be automatically saved to the Pictures > Screenshots binder.

Desire more Windows info? Bank check out every big divergence between Windows ten and Windows 11 and every characteristic nosotros wanted in Windows eleven only didn't get.