The fastest way to capture your screen
A screenshot is a picture of what you see on your monitor right now. On Windows, press Print Screen (or PrtScn) to copy the entire screen, then open Paint or Word and paste it. On Mac, press Command + Shift + 3 to save a full-screen image to your desktop. On Linux, press Print Screen or use the built-in screenshot tool from your applications menu.
Each method stores the image in a different place by default — Windows puts it in your clipboard (you have to paste it somewhere), Mac saves it as a file on your desktop, and Linux varies by distribution. The steps below show you exactly where to find your screenshot and how to take one for different situations, whether you want the whole screen, just one window, or a specific area.
Key Takeaways
- Windows Print Screen copies to your clipboard; you must paste it into Paint, Word, or another program to save it as a file.
- Mac Command + Shift + 3 saves a screenshot directly to your desktop as a PNG file with the date and time in the filename.
- Most operating systems have a built-in tool that lets you select just part of your screen instead of capturing everything.
- Screenshots are useful for showing someone else a problem, saving information you see online, or documenting what your screen looked like at a specific moment.
Taking a full-screen screenshot on Windows
Press the Print Screen key (labeled PrtScn on most keyboards) once. This copies an image of your entire screen to your clipboard — you will not see anything happen, but the image is now ready to paste.
Open a program where you can paste the image. Paint (built into Windows) is the easiest choice. Click the Windows Start button, type "paint", and press Enter. Once Paint opens, press Ctrl + V to paste your screenshot. The image will appear in the canvas. Click File, then Save As, choose a location (your Documents folder is a good default), type a filename, and click Save.
If you want to save the screenshot without opening another program, use the Windows key + Print Screen shortcut instead. This automatically saves the full screen as a PNG file in your Pictures folder under a subfolder called Screenshots. The file will be named something like "Screenshot (1).png".
Taking a full-screen screenshot on Mac
Press Command + Shift + 3 all at once. You will hear a camera shutter sound (if your volume is on), and a thumbnail will briefly appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen. The screenshot is now saved as a PNG file on your desktop with a filename like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM.png".
If you want to save the screenshot to your clipboard instead of your desktop (so you can paste it into an email or document), hold down the Control key while pressing Command + Shift + 3. The thumbnail will still appear, but no file will be saved to your desktop — instead, the image is copied to your clipboard and ready to paste.
Capturing just one window or part of your screen
On Windows, press Windows key + Shift + S. Your screen will dim slightly, and your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag to draw a rectangle around the area you want to capture. When you release the mouse, the selected area is copied to your clipboard. Paste it into Paint or another program the same way you would a full-screen screenshot.
On Mac, press Command + Shift + 4. Your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag to select the area you want. When you release, the screenshot is saved to your desktop. If you want to capture just one window instead, press Command + Shift + 4, then press the Space bar — your cursor will change to a camera icon. Click the window you want to capture, and it will be saved to your desktop.
On Linux, the method depends on your desktop environment. Most distributions have a built-in screenshot tool. Click the Activities button (or press the Super key), type "screenshot", and open the Screenshot process. You can choose to capture the whole screen, the current window, or a selected area. Some Linux systems also support Print Screen for full-screen captures, similar to Windows.
Finding your screenshots after you save them
On Windows, full-screen screenshots taken with Windows key + Print Screen are saved in your Pictures folder. Open File Explorer, click Pictures in the left sidebar, then look for a folder called Screenshots. Screenshots you pasted into Paint or Word are saved wherever you chose to save the file.
On Mac, screenshots are saved to your desktop by default. Look at your desktop — you should see files with names starting with "Screenshot". You can also open Finder, click Desktop in the sidebar, and scroll to find them. If you want screenshots to go to a different folder, you can change this in System Preferences, but the desktop is the standard location.
On Linux, the location depends on which screenshot tool you used. The built-in Screenshot process usually saves to your Pictures folder or your home directory. Check your file manager to find the Screenshots folder or look in your home directory.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake on Windows is pressing Print Screen and then wondering where the image went. Remember: Print Screen copies to your clipboard, it does not save a file. You must paste it into Paint, Word, or another program, then save it manually. If you want an automatic file, use Windows key + Print Screen instead.
On Mac, a frequent error is pressing the wrong key combination. Command + Shift + 3 is for the full screen; Command + Shift + 4 is for a selected area. If you press Command + Shift + 4 and then change your mind, press Escape to cancel without taking a screenshot.
Another common issue on all systems is taking a screenshot of the wrong thing. Before you press the key, make sure the window or content you want is visible and in focus. If you are taking a partial screenshot, take your time with the selection — you can always take another one if the first attempt does not include what you need.
Using the built-in editing tools
On Windows 11, after you take a screenshot with Windows key + Shift + S, a notification appears in the bottom-right corner. Click it to open the Snipping Tool, where you can crop, draw on, or annotate your screenshot before saving it. This is useful if you want to highlight part of the image or add text.
On Mac, after you take a screenshot, a thumbnail appears in the bottom-right corner. Click it to open the screenshot in the Preview app, where you can crop, rotate, or draw on the image. You can also use the Markup tools to add shapes, text, or signatures before saving.
On Linux, most screenshot tools have basic editing built in, though the options vary. Check your screenshot process's menu for crop, draw, or annotation features. If your tool does not have these, you can open the saved screenshot in an image editor like GIMP.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot of just my mouse cursor?
The standard screenshot methods do not include the cursor by default. On Windows, use the Snipping Tool (search for it in the Start menu) and check the "Include cursor" option before capturing. On Mac, the cursor is usually not visible in screenshots, but you can use third-party tools if you need it. On Linux, this depends on your screenshot tool — check its settings.
What if I want to take a screenshot of something that is not currently on my screen?
You will need to scroll or navigate to show that content first, then take the screenshot. If you need to capture something that spans multiple screens (like a long web page), use a browser extension or a tool like Snagit (paid) that can capture scrolling content. Most built-in tools capture only what is visible at that moment.
Can I take a screenshot of a video that is playing?
Yes, the screenshot will capture a still frame of the video at the moment you press the key. Some streaming services (like Netflix) may show a black screen instead due to copyright protection, but most videos and local media files will capture normally.
How do I take a screenshot on a laptop without a Print Screen key?
On many laptops, Print Screen is combined with another key (often F12 or a key with a camera icon). Look for a key labeled PrtScn or a function key with a screen icon, and press it along with the Fn key. On Mac laptops, the Command + Shift + 3 shortcut works the same way — no special key is needed.
What file format are screenshots saved in?
Windows saves screenshots as PNG files by default (when using Windows key + Print Screen). Mac also uses PNG. When you paste a screenshot into Paint and save it, you can choose PNG, JPG, or other formats. PNG is best for screenshots because it preserves quality without making the file too large.