4 keyboard shortcuts to take a screenshot quickly and like a pro on Windows 11

Itshouldbefastandeasytotakeascreenshot.MicrosofthopestomakeeverythingeasierwithWindows11.AsisthecasewithpreviousversionsofWindows,youcancopyanimageofyourentiredesktopontotheWindowsclipboardbypressingthePrintScreenkey.Onlaptops,youmayneedtopressaFunction(Fn)keytoenablethePrintScreenfunctiononyourkeyboard.

Takeascreenshotusingkeyboardshortcuts

HerearethetraditionalkeyboardshortcutstotakeascreenshotonWindows.

Thisistheeasiestandquickestmethodtotakeascreenshot;pressthePrintScreenkeyonyourkeyboard.PrintScreencopieseverythingthatisvisibleonyourWindows11desktoptotheClipboard.YoucancopytheimageintoanyMicrosoftapplication,includingPaintandMicrosoft365,oranyotherappthatallowsyoutopasteimages.

Ifyouhaveamulti-monitorsetup,don'tworry,thePrintScreenwillcopythecontentfromallyourmonitorsasasingleimage.

ThiscommandisacontinuationofPrintScreenthatallowsyoutotakeascreenshotofyourwholedesktopandsavesthescreenshotasafileautomaticallytoyourPictures>Screenshotsfolder.

ThisisanotherkeyboardshortcutthatbuildsoffofPrintScreen.Thisshortcutwithcopycontentasitappearsintheactivewindowonyourdesktop.

ThiskeyboardshortcutwillunlockatoolthathasbeenaroundWindowssinceVista.TheSnippingToolisatoolthatfirstappearedinWindowsVistain2002asaPowerToystool.

Takeascreenshotofaspecificportionofyourscreen

IfyouwouldliketocaptureaspecificportionofyourWindows11desktop,theSnippingToolisthewaytogo.Onceyouusethekeyboardshortcut(Windows+Shift+S),thescreenwilldarkenandyouwillseeasmalltoolbaratthetopofyourscreen.

Herearethe4optionsavailable:

1.RectangularSnip:Dragandselectarectangularshapedportionofthescreenasascreenshot.

2.FreeformSnip:Selectacustomshapeasascreenshot.Theareaaroundthecustomshape(intherectangularimage)willbeblackwhenyoupasteit.

3.WindowSnip:Chooseawindowandcapturejustthatactivewindowasascreenshot.

4.Full-screenSnip:SimilartopressingthePrintScreenkeybyitself,thisoptioncapturesascreenshotofyourentirescreen.

Onceyouchooseanoption,whenyouarefinished,youwillgetanotificationthattheSnippingTooliscopiedcontenttotheclipboard.

Evenifyouignorethenotification,youwillneedtopastethecontentintoanimageeditingprogramlikePaintbeforeyouwillbeabletosavethecontent.

UseSnippingTooltotakeascreenshot

TheSnippingToolhasmoretoolsavailabletoannotate,edit,orshareyourcontent.MicrosoftintroducedtheSnippingToolbackwithWindowsVista,andthentriedtodeprecateitwithWindows10'sSnip&Sketch,butSnippingToolisbackingoodgraceswithWindows11.Tolaunchit,youcanusethekeyboardshortcut(Windowskey+Shift+S)ortype"SnippingTool"intheStartorSearchmenus.

WhentheSnippingToolopens,clicktheplussignnextto"New"tostartanewcapture.Onceyoudo,thesmalltoolbarwillappearatthetopofthescreen,justasyouusedtheSnippingTooldidtotakeashotofaspecificportionofyourscreenasdescribedabove.Thetoolbarwillappearatthetopofyourscreenagain,andgiveyoutheoptiontoperformarectangular,freeform,window,orfullscreensnip.

WiththeSnippingToolappopenandrunning,younowhavethepowertonotjustcopycontenttotheclipboard,butalsoeditandannotateyourcontentusingtheSnippingTooltoolbaratthetop.AnotherbonusoftheSnippingToolisthatifyouneedtocapturesomethingonyourWindows11desktopwithatimeddelay,youcansettheSnippingTooltocapturecontentin3,5,and10secondintervals.

Afteryousetyourpreferredtimeinterval,whenyouclick"New"yourscreensnipwithbedelayedbythedesignatedtimeamount.Thisisusefulifyouwanttocaptureanopencontextmenu,forexample.Clickthefloppydiskiconintheupperrightofthetoolbartosaveyourscreensnip.

UsePrintScreenkeytoopenSnippingToolautomatically

Windows11includesahandywaytolaunchtheSnippingToolbypressingjustthePrintScreenkeyinsteadofusingtheWindowskey+Shift+Skeyboardshortcut.

Here'swhatyouneedtodotoenableit.

1.OpenWindowsSettings(WindowsKey+I)2.GotoAccessibility>Keyboard3.Toggletheswitchbeside"UsePrintscreenbuttontoopenscreensnipping"

Afteryou'refinished,closeWindowsSettings.ThisisahandytricktousePrintScreenasaquickwaytocopyscreenshotstotheclipboardatwill.

Takeascreenshot(orvideo)withtheXboxGameBar

YoucanalsotakeascreenshotorrecordvideousingtheXboxGameBar.UsingtheXboxGameBarisanotheroption,butitdoesn'tallowformuchcontentcustomization.ItrecordsscreenshotsinPNGformatsonlyandvideosinMP4formatsonly.

Here'swhatyouneedtodototakeascreenshotusingtheXboxGameBar.

1.UsetheWindowskey+Gkeyboardshortcut2.GototheWidgetsmenuandchoosetheCapturewidget3.Usethecameraiconbuttontotakeascreenshotandtherecordbuttontorecordavideo

Ifyouwanttostoprecordingavideo,pressthesquare"Stop"buttonthatappearsonthefloatingXboxGameBarCapturewidgetmenu.Aftercapturing,thescreenshotsandvideoswillbeautomaticallysavedtothefollowinglocation:C:\Users\[username]\Videos\Captures

Youcanalsoreviewyourscreenshotsandvideosinthe“Gallery”widgetwithintheXboxGameBar.OnedownsidetousingtheXboxGameBaristhattheapplicationwillnotcaptureanyimagesfromWindowsdesktoporanythingfromfileexplorer.

Whenyouarefinishedcapturing,youcanhitescape,usetheWindowskey+Gkeyboardshortcut,orclickanyblankareaofthescreentoexittheXboxGameBar.

Besuretocheckourin-depthlookatrecordinggameplayusingtheXboxGameBar.

Therearemany3rdpartyscreencapturetools,too.WhatareyourfavoriteapplicationsfortakingscreenshotsandvideosonWindows11or10?Letusknowinthecomments!

BesuretocheckoutallofourWindows11coverageinourdedicatedhub.