Take a screen capture (print your screen)

Take a screen capture (print your screen)

Windows 8.1/Windows RT 8.1

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Sometimes it's simpler to show someone what's on your screen than it is to explain it. Windows lets you take a picture of the screen so you can save, print, or share what you see. This is referred to as taking a screenshot or screen capture.

You can take a screenshot and automatically save it as a file, take a screenshot without saving it as a file, or take a screenshot of only one window (instead of the whole screen).

To take a screenshot and save it as a file

1. Press the Windows logo key +PrtScn. Or, if you're using a tablet, press the Windows logo button + the volume down button.
   The screen will dim for a moment when the screen is copied and saved as a file in the Screenshots folder (which is in your Pictures folder).

   

   The Screenshots folder

To take a screenshot (without saving it)

1. Press PrtScn.
   A picture of the screen is copied and you can paste it wherever you'd like.

To take a screenshot of only one window

1. Tap or click the window you want to capture.
2. Press Alt+PrtScn.
   A picture of the window is copied and you can paste it wherever you'd like.

Notes

• On some keyboards, PrtScn might appear as PrtSc or a similar abbreviation.
• Certain laptops and other devices don't have a PrtScn key or might use a different key combination to take screenshots. Check the manual that came with your laptop or device for more info.
• Another way to capture a picture of part of the screen is to use the Windows Snipping Tool. To learn more, see Use Snipping Tool to capture screen shots