How To Take Screenshots On A Laptop?

You will need to snap screenshots on your laptop during a routine workday or during your classes to capture your work, most likely before it reaches its final form. Whether you’re using a Mac or a Windows laptop/PC, you can take screenshots of almost anything on the screen and save them as JPG or PNG files for later use. The processes for taking screenshots on PCs, on the other hand, differ depending on the software. Both Windows and macOS laptops have their own set of ways or instructions for taking screenshots, which might be a little tricky if you’re not familiar with them. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! All of the procedures to take a screenshot on Windows 10/Windows 7 laptops or PCs, as well as Macintosh, are described here.

How to snap screenshots on a Windows 10 laptop or desktop computer

On Windows 10 laptops and PCs, there are several ways to snap a screenshot. On Windows 7 laptops, the processes for taking a screenshot are the same. Take a look at this:

1. Using the program, take a snapshot on a Windows 7/ 10 laptop.

To capture any screenshot, both Windows 10 and Windows 7 include a separate application named ‘Snipping Tool.’ Without first pasting it into another software, the app takes a snapshot and saves it as an image file.

To do so, go to the Start Menu and type Snipping Tool into the search box.

1. The program will launch with options like ‘New,’ ‘Mode,’ ‘Delay,’ ‘Cancel,’ and ‘Options.’
2. Users will be able to snap a screenshot on a laptop in whatever format they like using the New button (freeform, without any preset dimension or shape).
3. The ‘Mode’ option, on the other hand, lets you select the shape of the snapshot you desire, ranging from full screen to rectangular to free-form.
4. The ‘Cancel’ button will stop the operation, whilst the ‘Delay’ option allows you to specify a timer for taking a screenshot.

2. Use this key to print the screen in Windows.

Apart from the app, the ‘PrtScn’ key on a Windows laptop allows users to take a screenshot of what’s on the screen. This feature can be used to print the screen on both Windows 10 and Windows 7 laptops.

1. The PrtScn key is generally found in the keyboard’s top-right corner.
2. Press the key to copy a screenshot of the laptop’s complete screen to a clipboard, which you may subsequently paste into Paint, Microsoft Word, or any other image-editing tool.
3. On some laptops, the Function key, labeled as ‘Fn,’ may be required to operate the button. On such PCs, press Fn+PrtScn to snap a screenshot.

3. Using Alt+PrtScn, take a screenshot of the active window.

1. Only the active window – the screen you’re working on — gets copied to the clipboard with this option, which you may then paste into another programme.
2. To take a screenshot on a Windows 7 or Windows 10 laptop, press the PrtScn button while holding down the ‘Alt’ key.

4. To take a screenshot of a specific area, use Windows key+Shift+S.

• If you want to record a specific section, hit Windows + Shift+S at the same time.
• The screen will fade and the mouse pointer will become a drag.
• Choose whatever part of the image you want to save.
• The screenshot will be copied to your clipboard, where you can paste it into any programme that can handle images.

5. Using Windows key+PrtScn, save the screenshot directly to your PC.

• If you don’t want to copy the snapshot to the clipboard, save it as an image file with the Windows key+PrtScn shortcut command on your Windows laptop.
• When you press the keys, a snapshot of the full screen is taken and saved in the “Pictures” folder, in a subdirectory.

6. G+Windows key

• On a Windows laptop, this option is for gamers who want to take a screenshot.
• While playing the game, hold down the Windows and G keys together to activate a game overlay.
• To take a screenshot, click the camera icon or press the Windows key + Alt + PrtScn keys.
• The snapshot will be saved in a subfolder called “Captures” under the “Videos” folder.
• Those playing games on Steam can take screenshots by pressing F11, which can then be accessed from the ‘Steam’ folder.

How to snap a screenshot on a Mac or PC

There are several ways to take a screenshot in macOS, each with its own set of advantages.

1. Press Command+Shift+3 at the same time.

On macOS laptops and PCs, it’s the simplest way to snap a screenshot. Simply press these three keys at the same time to take a screenshot of the entire screen.

2. Shift+Command+4

This is a more complex command that allows you to take a screenshot of a specific area of the screen. Your cursor will convert into a crosshair, which you can choose and drag anywhere on the screen to take a screenshot.

1. You can also press and release the space bar to transform the crosshair into a small camera symbol. Hover the icon over the window you wish to capture to make it glow, then click or press enter to capture it.
2. After dragging to highlight an area but before releasing the mouse button or trackpad, press and hold the space bar to lock in the form and size of the selected area and relocate it anywhere on the screen. This is useful if the area you initially selected is somewhat off.
3. Finally, after dragging to highlight an area but before releasing the mouse button, you can press the ‘Shift key to lock each side of the selected region while moving up or down to place the bottom edge free.

3. Command+Shift+5

• This option provides you with complete control over the screenshot.
• When you run the programme, you’ll see a box on the screen that you may customize to your preference, as well as a number of other choices.
• To take a screenshot of the specified region, simply hit ‘enter’ or choose ‘Capture selected portion’ from the little window below.
• The panel also includes the ‘Capture Entire Screen’ and ‘Capture Selected Window’ buttons, as well as two video-recording buttons that allow you to record your entire screen or a portion of it, and an ‘Option’ button that allows you to choose the drive where you want to save screenshots and set a timer, among other things.
• The screenshot panel can be closed by pressing the ‘X’ button on the left, or by pressing the Escape key.

4. Shift+Command+6

Because it allows you to capture a screenshot of the Touch Bar, this option is only accessible for MacBook models with Touch Bar.

On the desktop, all screenshots taken on macOS laptops will be saved (by default). You can, however, alter the location to any drive/folder you want. To do so, press Command-Shift-5 –> Options –> Save Location; this will save all future screenshots to that folder or drive.