How to screenshot on a laptop with different types of OS
Screenshots are valuable for capturing and sharing information from your computer screen. Whether you want to capture a specific image or document, share a conversation from a messaging app, or save a website for later reference, taking a screenshot can be a quick and easy way to save and share what you see on your screen. Here’s a guide on screenshots on a laptop, regardless of your operating system.
On Windows 10:
To screenshot your entire screen, simultaneously press the “Windows” and “Print Screen” keys on your keyboard. This will save a copy of your screen to the clipboard, which you can paste into an image editor or document.
If you only want to capture a specific part of your screen, press the “Windows” key, the “Shift” key and the “S” key at the same time. This will bring up a crosshair cursor that you can use to select the area of the screen you want to capture. Once you’ve chosen the place, it will be saved to your clipboard.
To save a screenshot directly to a file on your computer, press the “Windows” key and the “Print Screen” key at the same time, but this time also hold down the “Alt” key. This will save a copy of your screen to the “Screenshots” folder in your “Pictures” folder.
To capture a screenshot of a specific window, simultaneously press the “Alt” key and the “Print Screen” key. This will save a copy of the active window to your clipboard, which you can paste into an image editor or document.
On MacOS:
To take a screenshot of your entire screen, press the “Command” key, the “Shift” key and the “3” key at the same time. This will save a copy of your screen to your desktop as a .png file.
If you only want to capture a specific part of your screen, press the “Command” key, the “Shift” key and the “4” key at the same time. This will bring up a crosshair cursor that you can use to select the area of the screen you want to capture. Once you’ve chosen the place, it will be saved as a .png file to your desktop.
To capture a screenshot of a specific window, press the “Command” key, the “Shift” key and the “4” key at the same time, but then press the “Space” key. This will turn your cursor into a camera icon, which you can use to select the window you want to capture. The screenshot will be saved to your desktop as a .png file.
If you want to save a screenshot directly to the clipboard, instead of a file on your desktop, press the “Command” key, the “Control” key, the “Shift” key and the “3” key (or the “4” key if you want to capture a specific area or window). This will save a copy of your screenshot to the clipboard, which you can then paste into an image editor or document.
On Chromebook:
To take a screenshot on a device running ChromeOS, follow these steps:
Press the “Ctrl” key and the “Window Switch” key simultaneously. This will take a screenshot of your entire screen and save it to your download folder as a .png file.
If you only want to capture a specific part of your screen, press the “Ctrl” key, the “Shift” key and the “Window Switch” key at the same time. This will bring up a crosshair cursor that you can use to select the area of the screen you want to capture. Once you’ve chosen the area, it will be saved to your download folder as a .png file.
To save a screenshot directly to the clipboard instead of a file on your device, press the “Ctrl” key, the “Shift” key and the “Window Switch” key at the same time, but also hold down the “Ctrl” key. This will save a copy of your screenshot to the clipboard, which you can then paste into an image editor or document.
If you want to capture a screenshot of a specific window, press the “Ctrl” key and the “Shift” key and the “Window Switch” key at the same time, but then press the “Ctrl” key and the “Shift” key again. This will bring up a list of open windows, which you can select to capture a screenshot of. The screenshot will be saved to your download folder as a .png file.
You can also use the built-in “Capture Screen” tool in the ChromeOS Settings menu to take screenshots. To access this tool, click on the clock in the bottom-right corner of the screen, then click on the gear icon to open the Settings menu. Go to the “Device” section in the Settings menu and click the “Keyboard” tab. Under the “Keyboard shortcuts” section, you will see an option to “Capture screen.” Click on this option and choose the “Capture part of the screen” or “Capture full screen” option. This will allow you to take screenshots using your mouse or touchpad rather than the keyboard.
In addition to the built-in screenshot tools in ChromeOS, you can also use third-party screenshot tools and extensions, such as the “Screenshot Capture” extension, to take screenshots and edit them within the Chrome browser.
Overall, taking a screenshot on a device running ChromeOS is similar to taking a screenshot on a Windows or MacOS device, with slight differences in the key combinations and available tools. You can quickly and easily capture and share screenshots on your ChromeOS device with some practice.
On Ubuntu
To take a screenshot on a device running Ubuntu, you can use the built-in “Screenshot” tool or a variety of keyboard shortcuts. Here’s how:
Using the “Screenshot” tool:
Open the “Screenshot” tool by clicking on the “Show Applications” icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen, then typing “Screenshot” into the search bar and clicking on the “Screenshot” icon.
In the “Screenshot” tool, you can capture the entire screen, a specific window, or a specific area of the screen. Select the option that best fits your needs, then click the “Screenshot” button.
The screenshot will be taken and saved to your device’s “Pictures” folder.
Using keyboard shortcuts:
Press the “Print Screen” key on your keyboard to screenshot your entire screen. This will save a copy of your screen to the clipboard, which you can then paste into an image editor or document.
If you only want to capture a specific window, press the “Alt” and “Print Screen” keys simultaneously. This will save a copy of the active window to your clipboard, which you can paste into an image editor or document.
To save a screenshot directly to a file on your device, press the “Shift” key and the “Print Screen” key simultaneously. This will save a copy of your screen to the “Pictures” folder on your device as a .png file.
If you want to capture a specific area of your screen, press the “Shift” key, the “Ctrl” key and the “Print Screen” key at the same time. This will bring up a crosshair cursor that you can use to select the area of the screen you want to capture. Once you’ve selected the area, it will be saved to your device’s “Pictures” folder as a .png file.
Taking a screenshot on Ubuntu is a simple process, with various options and tools available to suit your needs. Whether you prefer the “Screenshot” tool or keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly and easily capture and save screenshots on your Ubuntu device.
On Linux
Taking screenshots on a Linux device is simple, with various options and tools available to suit your needs. Here are a few different ways to take screenshots on Linux:
Using the “Screenshot” tool:
Open the “Screenshot” tool by clicking on the “Show Applications” icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen, then typing “Screenshot” into the search bar and clicking on the “Screenshot” icon.
In the “Screenshot” tool, you can choose to capture the entire screen, a specific window, or a particular area of the screen. Select the option that best fits your needs, then click the “Screenshot” button.
The screenshot will be taken and saved to your device’s “Pictures” folder.
Using keyboard shortcuts:
Press the “Print Screen” key on your keyboard to screenshot your entire screen. This will save a copy of your screen to the clipboard, which you can paste into an image editor or document.
If you only want to capture a specific window, press the “Alt” and “Print Screen” keys simultaneously. This will save a copy of the active window to your clipboard, which you can paste into an image editor or document.
To save a screenshot directly to a file on your device, press the “Shift” key and the “Print Screen” key simultaneously. This will save a copy of your screen to the “Pictures” folder on your device as a .png file.
If you want to capture a specific area of your screen, press the “Shift” key, the “Ctrl” key and the “Print Screen” key at the same time. This will bring up a crosshair cursor that you can use to select the area of the screen you want to capture. Once you’ve chosen the site, it will be saved to your device’s “Pictures” folder as a .png file.
Using third-party tools:
A variety of third-party tools and programs are also available for taking screenshots on Linux. Some popular options include:
Gnome Screenshot: This is a simple, lightweight tool that allows you to take screenshots of your entire screen, a specific window, or a specific area of the screen.
Shutter: This is a more advanced screenshot tool that allows you to edit and annotate your screenshots, as well as upload them to the cloud or share them on social media.
KSnapshot: This is another simple, lightweight tool that allows you to take screenshots of your entire screen, a specific window, or a specific screen area.
Regardless of your chosen method, taking screenshots on Linux is straightforward. You can quickly and easily capture and save screenshots on your Linux device with some practice.
