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CoderLegion
CoderLegion

Posted on • Originally published at kodblems.com

How to take a screenshot in windows

The screen capture is possibly one of the most classic functions in computing along with the copy and paste function or the possibility of saving a document while you are writing it. So old is the screenshot that on keyboards we still find a specific key for that function. But there are many ways to take a screenshot in Windows 10.

But in this article, we are going to go to the basics. Because if something is simple, better. Let's see three ways to take a screenshot in Windows 10 thanks to the tools that the operating system itself already brings. You will not need to install anything else and you will get screenshots instantly.

Method 1: The Print Screen key
We said that current keyboards include a key called Print Screen. Its function is precisely to take a screenshot. You only have to press it once and it will make the corresponding capture. It's that simple.

This is the most minimalist option possible. The bad thing is that although a screenshot is generated, it will remain in the Windows Clipboard until you copy or cut something new. So if you want to save the screenshot in Windows 10 you will have to do it by hand.

The good thing is that you can paste the screenshot into any Windows program, be it a blank image or an already created text document where you want to embed an image.

Windows 10 lets you spice up the Print Screen key. From Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard you can make pressing the Print Screen key take a screenshot and/or open the snipping bar Windows.

Method 2: Print Screen + Windows key
If you press the Print Screen key on your keyboard next to the Windows key, you will be able to take a screenshot in Windows 10 that will be saved automatically. You will find the screenshots inside the Pictures folder of your user folder. That is, if you go to Libraries < Images > Screenshots you will find the screenshots made with this keyboard shortcut.

Every time you press Windows Key + Print Screen you will take a full screenshot of the entire screen. And, by default, the screenshots are saved in PNG image format, which is ideal for this type of image.

Thanks to this method you can make the captures you want in a matter of seconds without having to worry about them. When you finish, just go to the corresponding folder to check if you need to delete some of those captures, copy them, share them or edit them with another application.

Method 3: The Windows 10 Snipping app
The third method to take a screenshot in Windows 10 is to go to the Snipping tool, one of the default ones in Windows 10 and that allows you to take custom screenshots.

You'll find the Snipping app along with the other tools on the Start menu. Also from the Windows 10 search engine or by pressing the Windows + Shift + S keys.

Among its advantages, the possibility of making a capture with a rectangular shape, freely or full screen, stands out. It is also possible to make a capture where only the window or dialogue box that you have selected appears. All of these options are in the Snipping app's Mode drop-down menu .

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