Whether you’re a PC gamer, a graphic designer or simply want to show someone how to use your software, taking a screenshot can be a useful tool. Windows 10 has a number of built-in tools that make it easy to capture screenshots, and you can also turn to some powerful third-party programs.
The most basic method is to press the Print Screen (PrtScn) button on your keyboard, which will take a snapshot of your entire screen and save it in a folder called “Screenshots” within your Pictures folder. You can find this folder by opening File Explorer and navigating to the Pictures subfolder, which is usually found in the left side panel (navigation pane).
Another simple way to capture screenshots on Windows 10 is to use a built-in program named Snip & Sketch. This newer screenshot tool is more accessible than the old Snipping Tool, and offers more features, such as the ability to capture screenshots on a delay or annotate them.
To use this tool, simply click on the Start button and search for “Snip” or press the Windows key to launch the Snip & Sketch application shortcut. Then, you can choose to open Snip & Sketch when you press Print Screen or to automatically copy your screenshots to the clipboard so that they can be pasted into any program that accepts copied photos.
You can even capture a specific region of your screen with Snip & Sketch, which can be used to draw on top of the screenshot or annotate it. This option is particularly handy when taking screenshots of desktop applications.
Snip & Sketch is more powerful than the old Snipping Tool, too, offering options to annotate and crop your screenshots or share them on social media. It can also capture a screenshot of a window on your desktop, which is something that the old Snipping Tool never did.
Alternatively, you can take a screenshot of your current window with Snip & Sketch by selecting an area of the screen and pressing Windows + Shift+S. Your screen will go dark and you’ll see your mouse transform into a crosshair icon as your screenshot is captured.
This method can be a good choice for those who don’t want to use any third-party apps, but it won’t let you save your screen shots to a different folder or paste them into an image editor. You’ll need to use an application like Paint or Word to copy the screenshot and then paste it into a program that can save images to a file.
Another popular method for taking screenshots on Windows 10 is through the Xbox Game Bar. This overlay is designed specifically for gamers and has a lot of handy options, including the ability to take a screenshot on a delayed basis.
The Game Bar can be accessed by clicking on the Start button and swiping right, or by pressing the Windows key. It also has a built-in feature that allows you to capture screenshots of your desktop or screen in quick succession, so you can quickly show off a game or application without having to keep switching between applications.
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