There are several methods to take a screenshot on a Windows 10 PC. In this tutorial, we will show you how to do it through a keyboard key combination, through the system tool for captures, and finally through an extension for your browser that captures entire web pages.
Windows 10 offers several ways to take a screenshot and it's very simple in all cases. The hotkey option is the easiest. Your entire screen is captured, and directly accessible in the clipboard. The system also has a built-in tool that allows you to manage your captures like a pro. Finally, there is one last method that only applies to your browser.
If you feel the need to capture an entire page and not just the content accessible above the fold line, you can do so with an extension. We describe all these methods below.
Windows 10: how to take a screenshot according to your needs
Under the PC Windows, there is the well-known key PrtScn / PriScrn / Print Scr / Prt screen syst., depending on your keyboard, which is usually to the right of the F12 key. On some laptops, you have to press the key at the same time. Fn to activate it. Basically :
- Press PrtScn / PriScrn / Print Scr / Prt screen syst. according to your keyboard
- On some laptops also press the Fn key simultaneously with PrtScn / PriScrn / Print Scr / Prt screen syst.
- Then open the app Paint and paste the contents of the clipboard.
Directly save a screenshot of the whole screen to a folder
This method saves time by saving the capture directly to a folder. This therefore exempts you from pasting the contents of the clipboard in Paint at first.
- Press Win key. + Print System Screen ou Win. + Fn + Impr. Ecran Syst. if you are due a laptop. On some laptops, it is not necessary to press the Fn key.
- Your capture is then in your folder ImagesScreenshots
Use the Snipping and Sketching Tool for more flexibility
The tool Screenshot and Sketch of Windows 10 replaces the old tool Screenshot which should soon disappear from the OS. It can be used to take screenshots of a window, a rectangular portion of the screen, or a free-form portion of the screen. It can also be used to annotate a capture with different colors, save the image and share it via email, etc.
As the tool has an annoying limitation though: it doesn't capture tooltips that appear when you hover your mouse over them. If this is a problem you will have to use another method. Accessing and using the capture tool is very simple:
- Start typing “Screen Capture” in the Start menu then click Snip & Sketch Tool
- Click on New on the top corner left
- At the level of the toolbar that opens at the top, you have the choice between several capture modes: rectangular shape (to delimit the area with a rectangular dial $), free form to select the area freely, window capture to capture only the contents of the current window and finally full screen to capture the whole screen.
- Once the capture has been made, an editor opens. You can directly annotate it by clicking on it with your mouse. Unlike Paint, the tool your shape of urethane erases your annotations, and only your annotations.
- Once finished, click on file to save the image, print it or send it as an email attachment, or take a new capture if you are not satisfied with it.
Use the Fireshot extension in your internet browser to capture entire pages
There are a few third-party programs to take screenshots with some advanced features. In general, what really motivates you to go with a third-party solution is when you realize how difficult it is to faithfully capture the rendering of an entire web page when it exceeds the fold line at the screen. There is a 100% free solution to do just that.
It's actually a simple extension for your internet browser (Chrome or Firefox), named FireShot. The extension adds a very useful button to your browser that offers a drop-down menu with very precise capture options: capture of the entire page, of a portion, but also video capture of the page. The extension also offers a handy editor to modify your captures on the fly before sending it.
We just covered all the options for taking a screenshot on Windows 10. If you're at Apple, here's how to take screenshots on iPhone and Mac. Finally, discover in this article the methods to take a screenshot on Android. Manufacturers all converge on a universal method. A few years ago, they varied enormously from one brand to another.
The editorial advises you:
- How to take a screenshot
- iPhone: how to take a screenshot
- How to change the default screenshot location on Mac?
