A screenshot, also known as a screen shot or screen capture, is a photograph of what the screen is showing at the moment it was taken. You can either save such a screenshot directly as a file or place a copy on the clipboard and save it in another document.
Such a screenshot is useful, for example, if you want to document an error or have an image from a program that doesn’t offer any other function for saving such images.
The Windows operating systems Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 offer various options for creating a screenshot, either as a file or as a copy on the clipboard.
Screenshots in Windows 7
In all Windows operating systems, screenshots can be saved to the clipboard. This applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10: the same key combination, CTRL + PRINT SCREEN. The PRINT SCREEN key is located next to the main block of the keyboard, to the right above the arrow keys. If you press both keys at the same time, Windows will place a screenshot on the clipboard. All you have to do is right-click and “Paste” (or CTRL + V) in Paint, Word, PowerPoint, or something similar and save.
Another way to create a screenshot in Windows 7 is to use the pre-installed program “Snipping Tool.” The advantage of this program is that you can select exactly the area you want to take a screenshot of. You can also save the image file directly as a .jpg file.
You can find the program in the start menu under “All Programs” and in the “Accessories” folder. When you start the program, a small window will open. With a click on the “New” function button, the program is minimized and the mouse pointer becomes a cross. You take a screenshot by drawing a frame around the area you want to capture. The screenshot is created when you release the left mouse button.
Take a screenshot with Windows 8
Even in the newer operating system from Microsoft, Windows 8, it works with the key combination CTRL + PRINT SCREEN. If you want to save the entire screen content as a .jpg file, Windows 8 also offers you the key combination WINDOWS + PRINT SCREEN. With this, the operating system saves a screenshot directly in the “Pictures” folder of the library.
Alternatively, you can also use the Snipping Tool program under Windows 8. The quickest way to find it is to use the key combination WINDOWS + Q, with which you can display all programs. It works the same on Windows 8 as it does on Windows 7.
If you want to take screenshots with the Snipping Tool more often, you can pin the program to the start menu. To do this, go to “All Programs” as described above and right-click on the Snipping Tool icon. Then select the “Pin to Start” function at the bottom.
Take screenshots with Windows 10
Of course, the methods described so far also work with the latest operating system from Microsoft, Windows 10.
You can copy a screenshot to the clipboard with the key combination CTRL + PRINT SCREEN or save a screenshot directly as a .jpg file with WINDOWS + PRINT SCREEN. The snipping tool is also among the various Windows 10 versions preinstalled. The quickest way to find the small program that is already part of the Windows standard is to use the search function. You open this with the key combination WINDOWS + S. In the search window that opens, simply type in “Snipping Tool”, and open the program. This still works as usual.
The new windows 10 function
A new feature in Windows 10 is the key combination WINDOWS + SHIFT + S (you can find the SHIFT key on the left and right edge of the main block of the keyboard, with the bold arrow pointing up). This is how you open a program that works similarly to the Snipping Tool.
In contrast to the program that was already present in the older operating systems, this screenshot function appears very minimalistic. Only a small bar with five functional areas opens at the top edge of the screen, and the mouse pointer changes directly into a cross. Otherwise, this program works like the Snipping Tool. By freehand marking an area while holding down the left mouse button, you can create a screenshot of a specific window, text section or similar.
Once marked, the screen section is copied to the clipboard and a corresponding message appears at the bottom right edge of the screen. If you click on this message, a small image editing program will open. Here you can save the screenshot with CTRL + S in a location of your choice.
