How to Take a Screenshot

Step 1: Open the window or file on a PC
On a Windows PC, open the window or file you want to capture and make sure it is the "active" window on your monitor.

Tip
The "active" window is the window that is in the foreground on your computer screen.

Step 2: Press the Print Screen button
Press the Print Screen button on the top right corner of your keyboard to take a picture of your entire screen.

Tip
If you want a screenshot of only the active window, hold down the Alt key while pressing the Print Screen button.

Step 3: Open a graphics program
Open a graphics or word processing program. Hold down the Control key and press the V key to paste the screenshot into your chosen program.

Tip
You can also paste screenshots directly into the body of an e-mail and send as an inserted graphic.

Step 4: Save the file
Choose File on the top menu bar and click on Save As. Locate the file where you would like to save the screenshot in the Save As window, name the file, and save it.

Step 5: Take a screenshot on a Mac
On a Mac, hold down Shift, Command and the number 3 to take a picture of your entire screen. A file will automatically save to your desktop.

Step 6: Take a shot of part of the screen
Hold down Shift, Command, 4 to take a picture of an area of the screen. Hold down the mouse button, run the select tool over the area you'd like to shoot, and let go. A file will save to your desktop. Find the screenshot file on your desktop, and change its name and location if you wish.

Step 7: Send
Attach screenshots to e-mail, print them out, or insert them into documents, just as you would with any other digital file.

Did You Know?
Did you know? The first consumer computer to use movable "windows" with mouse-clicking capabilities was the Xerox Star that debuted in 1981.