From lectures, to work to our literal lives – everything is now online. And laptops and their functionalities are essential to thrive in a world of chaos.
Most of us can easily take screenshots on our phones but what about our laptops? Whether it’s for work purposes or just for fun – one may need to take a screenshot on a laptop once in a while.
In this article, we will cover the process of how to take a screenshot in simple steps for both Mac and Windows. So let us get into it.
No.1. How to take a screenshot in a laptop (Mac)
Taking screenshots on a Mac laptop is quite easy and can be done in various ways. You can take a complete screenshot or part of a screen or a window or menu. We will be discussing all three one by one:
Shortcuts for screenshots:
The first method is to press ‘shift’, ‘command’, and ‘3’ altogether and hold. A small thumbnail will be visible on the corner of the screen after this. You can click on that thumbnail to edit the screenshot. Or wait for the screenshot to get saved and appear on the desktop by default.
The second method is to capture a part of a screen. Press ‘shift’, ‘command’, and ‘4’ altogether and hold. Upon doing so you will be able to drag the crosshair to select the exact area of the screen you want to capture. Once you are satisfied with your selection, simply releasing the trackpad button or the mouse would save the screenshot.
The third method is for a specific window. This method is just a repetition of the previous two methods but for a specific button. Follow the below-mentioned steps to screenshot a specific window or the menu:
Click on the menu or the window you wish to capture.
There are a few ways you can proceed:
Press down ‘shift’, ‘command’, ‘4’, and ‘Space bar’. Doing so will change the pointer to a camera icon which will allow you to take the screenshot. You can undo this by simply pressing the ‘Esc’ button on your keyboard.
The next method will let you capture the entire screen/window. For that press and hold the ‘command’, ‘shift’, and ‘3’. This will automatically save an image of the entire window.
The last method will allow you to manipulate the area you want to capture. Just press down ‘command’, ‘shift’, and ‘4’. This will change your pointer icon to a crosshair. You can drag and select the exact portion of the menu or window you want to capture.
All these processes will be followed by a clicking sound.
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No.2. How to take a screenshot in a laptop (Windows 10)
There are a couple of ways to take a screenshot on Windows 10. We will be discussing them here:
Screenshot with PrtScn
The first and simplest way to take a screenshot on Windows 10 is by using the PrtScn key that is read as “Print Screen”.
On some keyboards, it can be spelled slightly different such as “PrtSc”.
This can be found in the top row or near function keys. Now how to use this key? When it comes to laptops, often the PrtScn button needs to be activated for use. This can be done by pressing down the ‘Fn’ key at the same time as ‘PrtScn’.
You will have to use these keys in combination if your PrtScn works with Fn. Now what it does is that it copies the entire screen to the clipboard – ready to be copied/placed wherever you want to. However, this key can be used with other keyboards for several variations.
PrtScn variations:
Let’s take a look at the other ways ‘PrtScn’ can be used for various screenshot options/ variations
Alt + PrtScn:
Pressing ‘Alt’ and ‘PrtScn’ together saves the currently active screen to the clipboard. You can then paste this screen onto any program such as Word or Paint to save it.
Windows key + Shift + S:
Pressing and holding down on the ‘windows key’, ‘shift’, and ‘s’ will all at once dim the entire screen. The pointer will change into a crosshair and you will be able to select the portion of the screen you want to capture.
This selected area will then be saved to the clipboard and a quick thumbnail pop up will show you your selected area. You can then paste this screenshot onto any program such as MS Word for further use.
This method, however, is only available for those who have the latest update of Windows 10 knows as the ‘Creators Update’.
Windows key + PrtScn:
The last variation of ‘PrtScn’ is using it with the ‘Windows key’. Pressing and holding the two together will dim the screen for a split second and save the screenshot as an image.
This will then get saved in the Pictures folder, under the screenshots subfolder and can be accessed from there.
Screenshot with Snipping Tool
Another easy way to take a screenshot on Windows 10 is by using the Snipping tool utility. You just have to search for the tool in the search bar.
Once it’s open you can even specify the shape of your screenshot by selecting your preference in the ‘mode’ drop down. After that click on ‘New’.
This will freeze your screen and you can drag the cross hair to choose the area of your preference, be it the entire screen.
The selected area will pop up inside the snipping tool window and you can save it by using ‘Save As’ from the ‘File’ menu.
Conclusion
These were some easy ways to take a screenshot on your laptop. We hope this article was helpful to you and you found what you were looking for.
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