How to Take Screenshots Using Keyboard Shortcuts

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to take screenshots on your computer using keyboard shortcuts. Screenshots can be a useful way to capture and share information, or to troubleshoot and communicate technical issues. We'll cover the most common keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure that you have a computer running either Windows, macOS, or Linux. Additionally, make sure you have an application to view and edit images, such as Paint, Preview, or an image editor of your choice.

Windows

1. Full screen screenshot

To capture the entire screen, press the PrtScn (Print Screen) key. This will save the screenshot to your clipboard.

2. Active window screenshot

If you want to capture only the active window, press Alt + PrtScn (Alt and Print Screen) together. The screenshot will be saved to your clipboard.

3. Custom area screenshot

To capture a specific area of the screen, press Windows + Shift + S keys simultaneously. Your screen will dim, and you can then click and drag your cursor to select the desired area. The screenshot will be saved to your clipboard.

4. Save and edit screenshot

After taking a screenshot, open an image editing application such as Paint. Press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot from your clipboard. You can now edit, crop, and save the screenshot as an image file.

macOS

1. Entire screen screenshot

To capture the entire screen on a macOS, press Command + Shift + 3 keys together. The screenshot will be saved as a PNG file on your desktop.

2. Active window screenshot

For capturing only the active window, press Command + Shift + 4 keys together. Your cursor will turn into a crosshair. Press the space bar, and the cursor will change to a camera icon. Click on the window you want to capture, and the screenshot will be saved as a PNG file on your desktop.

3. Custom area screenshot

If you want to capture a specific area of the screen, press Command + Shift + 4 keys together. Your cursor will change into a crosshair. Click and drag to select the desired area. Release the mouse button to capture the screenshot, which will be saved as a PNG file on your desktop.

4. Edit and annotate screenshot

After taking a screenshot, look for the screenshot thumbnail that appears briefly in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click on it to open the screenshot in the macOS built-in image editor. Here, you can crop, rotate, annotate, and save the screenshot.

Linux

1. Full screen screenshot

To capture the entire screen on Linux, press the PrtScn (Print Screen) key. The screenshot will be saved as an image file in your default Pictures directory.

2. Active window screenshot

If you want to capture only the active window, press Alt + PrtScn (Alt and Print Screen) simultaneously. The screenshot of the active window will be saved as an image file in your default Pictures directory.

3. Custom area screenshot

To capture a specific area of the screen, press Shift + PrtScn keys together. Your cursor will change into a crosshair. Click and drag to select the desired area. Release the mouse button to capture the screenshot, which will be saved as an image file in your default Pictures directory.

4. Edit and save screenshot

After taking a screenshot, open an image editing application of your choice to edit and save the screenshot. You can crop, annotate, and apply other modifications to the image before saving it.

Congratulations! You now know how to take screenshots on Windows, macOS, and Linux using keyboard shortcuts. This skill will be handy when you need to capture and share information quickly.