How to Take a Screenshot on Windows

Published August 9, 2026 · 4 min read

Windows has several built-in ways to take a screenshot, and you don't need to install anything extra to use most of them. Here's a quick rundown of the shortcuts and tools that cover almost every situation.

Print Screen: the full screen

Press PrtScn to copy the entire screen to your clipboard. On most laptops you may need Fn+PrtScn. Once copied, paste it into Paint, Word, or any app that accepts images with Ctrl+V.

Windows + Shift + S: pick an area

This is the shortcut most people end up using daily. Press Win+Shift+S and your screen dims slightly, letting you drag a box around the exact area you want. The result goes straight to your clipboard, and a small preview pops up in the corner if you want to annotate it first.

Alt + Print Screen: just the active window

Press Alt+PrtScn to capture only the window you're currently focused on, without the rest of your desktop or other open apps in the shot.

Snipping Tool

Search for "Snipping Tool" in the Start menu for a dedicated app with a few extra options: delayed captures, freeform shapes, and a built-in pen for marking up the image before saving it.

Where do screenshots go?

Print Screen and Win+Shift+S copy to your clipboard only, they don't save a file automatically. If you press Win+PrtScn instead, Windows saves a PNG straight to your Pictures > Screenshots folder, no pasting required.

Sharing the result

Once you have a screenshot on your clipboard, you can paste it directly into the upload tool on sshot.online with Ctrl+V and get a link back in about a second, no need to save a file first. If you'd rather capture, crop, and annotate in one step, the browser extension does all three before uploading.

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