{"id":73,"date":"2005-03-09T18:01:00","date_gmt":"2005-03-09T12:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/09\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T12:10:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T06:40:44","slug":"capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/","title":{"rendered":"Print Screen Key: How to Take Screenshots on Windows 11 (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever used the Print Screen key to capture desktop screenshots in one click? It sits at the top right of most keyboards, often labelled <strong>PrtScn<\/strong>, <strong>PrtSc<\/strong> or <strong>Print<\/strong>, next to Scroll Lock and Pause. When this post was first written in 2005 it simply copied the screen to the clipboard for pasting into Paint. In Windows 11 the <strong>Print Screen key<\/strong> does much more. Here&#8217;s every way to use it in 2026, plus the Mac and phone equivalents.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64163\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/print-screen-key-screenshots-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Print Screen key screenshot shortcuts\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/print-screen-key-screenshots-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/print-screen-key-screenshots-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/print-screen-key-screenshots-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/print-screen-key-screenshots-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/print-screen-key-screenshots.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> In Windows 11, press <strong>PrtScn<\/strong> (or <strong>Windows + Shift + S<\/strong>) to open the Snipping Tool and drag to capture any area. Press <strong>Windows + PrtScn<\/strong> to save a full-screen PNG straight to Pictures &gt; Screenshots, and <strong>Alt + PrtScn<\/strong> to copy just the active window. On a Mac use <strong>Cmd + Shift + 3<\/strong>, <strong>4<\/strong> or <strong>5<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad1f1dabfb31\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad1f1dabfb31\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#Print_Screen_key_shortcuts_in_Windows_11_and_10\" >Print Screen key shortcuts in Windows 11 and 10<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#What_to_do_with_the_screenshot\" >What to do with the screenshot<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#Free_and_paid_screenshot_tools\" >Free and paid screenshot tools<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#Screenshots_on_Mac_Chromebook_and_phones\" >Screenshots on Mac, Chromebook and phones<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#Full-page_screenshots_of_websites\" >Full-page screenshots of websites<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#Where_do_Print_Screen_screenshots_go\" >Where do Print Screen screenshots go?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#Why_does_my_Print_Screen_key_not_work\" >Why does my Print Screen key not work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/#How_do_I_see_clipboard_history\" >How do I see clipboard history?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Print_Screen_key_shortcuts_in_Windows_11_and_10\"><\/span>Print Screen key shortcuts in Windows 11 and 10<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Shortcut<\/th>\n<th>What it does<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>PrtScn<\/td>\n<td>Windows 11: opens Snipping Tool&#8217;s capture bar (default setting). Windows 10: copies the whole screen to the clipboard.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Windows + Shift + S<\/td>\n<td>Snipping Tool: rectangle, freeform, window or full-screen snip, copied and shown as a notification.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Windows + PrtScn<\/td>\n<td>Saves the full screen as a PNG in Pictures &gt; Screenshots. The screen dims briefly.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Alt + PrtScn<\/td>\n<td>Copies only the active window to the clipboard.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fn + PrtScn<\/td>\n<td>Needed on some laptops where PrtScn shares a key.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>To change what PrtScn does, go to <strong>Settings &gt; Accessibility &gt; Keyboard<\/strong> and toggle <em>Use the Print screen key to open screen capture<\/em>. Need video instead of a still image? Here is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/screen-record-windows-11\/\">how to screen record on Windows 11<\/a> with sound.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_do_with_the_screenshot\"><\/span>What to do with the screenshot<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Paste it<\/strong> with Ctrl + V into an email, chat, document or Paint.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Edit it<\/strong> in Snipping Tool: crop, highlight, draw, and use <em>Text actions<\/em> to copy text from the image or redact emails and phone numbers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Record video:<\/strong> Snipping Tool can also record a part of the screen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Free_and_paid_screenshot_tools\"><\/span>Free and paid screenshot tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/getsharex.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ShareX<\/a><\/strong>: free and open source; scrolling captures, annotations, GIF recording and auto-upload.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irfanview.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IrfanView<\/a><\/strong>: our long-time favourite free viewer. Paste with Ctrl + V, select an area, crop with Ctrl + Y and save with S.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.techsmith.com\/snagit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Snagit<\/a><\/strong>: paid, polished capture and markup for tutorials and documentation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Screenshots_on_Mac_Chromebook_and_phones\"><\/span>Screenshots on Mac, Chromebook and phones<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mac:<\/strong> Cmd + Shift + 3 (full screen), Cmd + Shift + 4 (area; press Space for a window), Cmd + Shift + 5 (toolbar with recording). Add Ctrl to copy instead of saving.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chromebook:<\/strong> Ctrl + Show windows for full screen, Ctrl + Shift + Show windows for an area.<\/li>\n<li><strong>iPhone:<\/strong> press the Side button and Volume Up together.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Android:<\/strong> press Power and Volume Down together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Full-page_screenshots_of_websites\"><\/span>Full-page screenshots of websites<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For a whole long web page, open DevTools in Chrome or Edge (F12), press Ctrl + Shift + P, type &#8220;screenshot&#8221; and choose <em>Capture full size screenshot<\/em>. Firefox has <em>Take Screenshot &gt; Save full page<\/em> in the right-click menu.<\/p>\n<p>Keyboard confusion? Here&#8217;s where to find the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/01\/find-any-key-on-keyboard\/\">any key on the keyboard<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_do_Print_Screen_screenshots_go\"><\/span>Where do Print Screen screenshots go?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>PrtScn and Alt + PrtScn copy to the clipboard. Windows + PrtScn saves to Pictures &gt; Screenshots. Snipping Tool also saves snips to that folder by default.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_does_my_Print_Screen_key_not_work\"><\/span>Why does my Print Screen key not work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>On laptops try Fn + PrtScn. Also check that another app such as OneDrive or Dropbox hasn&#8217;t taken over the key, and the Accessibility keyboard setting.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_see_clipboard_history\"><\/span>How do I see clipboard history?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Press Windows + V to see recent screenshots and copied items (turn on clipboard history first).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever used the Print Screen key to capture desktop screenshots in one click? It sits at the top&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64163,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-73","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers","tag-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65874,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73\/revisions\/65874"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}