How to Take a Screenshot With Windows 7

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to your computer, this is doubly true. There are times when it’s simply easier to show someone what you’re seeing on your screen that to attempt to describe it. Whether you’re giving instructions, asking for assistance, putting together a presentation or something else altogether a screenshot can make the entire process simpler and more effective. Luckily, if you’re a Windows user, capturing your screen – and then pasting it in a document, printing it, emailing it or saving it – is quick and easy to do.


Start by identifying the print screen key on your keyboard. Usually located somewhere near the backspace button or function keys, it will be labeled PrtScn, prt sc, PRTSC, or PRTSCN. If your keyboard doesn’t have a print screen button, consult your laptop or mobile device manual for the appropriate key combination to capture the screen. (Usually, this will be FN + Insert)


To take a screenshot of the entire screen, simply press the PrtScn button. To capture an active window, press Alt + PrtScn. Keep in mind that before you can paste, email, print or edit your screen capture, you’ll need to save it onto Paint or a similar image editing program.


To do this, click on the Start button in the bottom left corner of your screen. (It’s the circle with the windows icon.) Next, select All Programs and then Accessories. Finally, click on Paint. This will open up your Paint program. Alternatively, you can type Paint into the search bar at the bottom of the Start menu, and then select the program when it appears.


Once Paint is open, find the Clipboard icon. From this menu, you can click on Paste. This will paste the captured image onto the Paint window. From here, you can resize the image by clicking on Resize from the image group. You can enter a new pixel size or percentage from this screen. Once you have manipulated the image to a size you’re happy with, click Save to name your image.