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"Print screen" is another term for screen capture or screenshot, known in Vietnamese as chụp ảnh màn hình. Taking screenshots is highly beneficial in various situations, such as uploading images for software tutorials. Although Mac computers lack a dedicated "Print screen" button like standard keyboards, you can still easily capture screenshots on Mac (and many other computer systems). If you want to learn how to take a screenshot in just a few seconds, follow the steps below.
Steps
Taking a Screenshot on Windows XP
Capture the entire screen. Press the Prnt Scrn key on your keyboard to capture the full screen.
- If the Prnt Scrn key is purple, press Fn + Prnt Scrn.
Capture a single window screenshot. If you only want to capture a specific window, ensure it is in the foreground, then press Prnt Scrn + Alt.
Open Microsoft Paint. Click on the Start menu > "All Programs" > "Accessories" > "Paint".
Paste the screenshot into Paint. Simply press Control + V or go to the "Edit" menu and select "Paste." The screenshot will be pasted into Paint.
Save the image. Click on "File," choose "Save as." After naming the file, click "Save" to store it. You have now successfully captured and saved your screenshot.
Taking a Screenshot on Windows Vista and Windows 7
Locate the Snipping Tool. Click on "Start" > "All Programs" > "Accessories" > "Snipping Tool." Alternatively, simply open the Start menu and type "snip," then select Snipping Tool from the results. This tool is available on all versions of Windows Vista, except Home Basic.
Click on Snipping Tool to open the application.
Select "New." A list of Snipping Tool options will appear.
Choose an appropriate task in Snipping Tool. There are four options that allow you to capture screenshots in different ways. Here are the options and their uses:
- Free-form Snip: freely outline the area you want to capture.
- Rectangular Snip: capture a rectangular area on the screen.
- Window Snip: capture an entire window.
- Full-screen Snip: capture the entire screen.
Select the area you want to capture, depending on the chosen task.
- If you choose "Free-form Snip," use your mouse to draw around the desired area.
- If you choose "Rectangular Snip," draw a rectangle on the screen.
- For "Window Snip," simply select the window you want to capture.
- If you choose "Full-screen Snip," the image will be captured automatically.
Save the image. The image is automatically copied to the Windows clipboard. Now, simply click the disk icon at the top-left corner of the Snipping Tool window to save the image.
Taking a Screenshot on a Mac
Capture the entire screen. Press Command + Shift + 3 to instantly take a screenshot – you'll hear a camera shutter sound. The file will automatically save to your desktop.
Capture a rectangular area of the screen. Press Command + Shift + 4 to select a rectangular area. The cursor will turn into a crosshair, allowing you to drag and select the desired region. Release the keys to capture the screenshot.
Save the screenshot to the clipboard instead of creating a permanent file. Hold down the Control key along with the function keys to save the image to the clipboard rather than as a file. This allows you to copy and paste the screenshot into other applications, such as photo editing software.
Tips
- If you press "Prnt Scrn" again before saving, the previous screenshot will be replaced by the new one.
- Similarly, if you use the clipboard again, the image or text you just copied will replace the screenshot.
- To capture a screenshot of the active window, press "Alt" + "Prt Scrn".
- Print screen is sometimes abbreviated as "Prnt Scrn". Look carefully: if the key label appears as a shortened version of "Print Screen," it’s likely the key you need.
What You'll Need
- Computer
- Windows or OS X operating system (this guide does not apply to Linux)
- Keyboard
- Content to capture on the screen.
