Quite often there are situations when you need to take a screenshot of the screen of a Windows computer or mobile device. Why this is needed will be discussed separately. For now, let's focus on a few classic methods that in a matter of seconds allow us to solve the question of how to take a screenshot of the screen on Windows or in a mobile operating system. But first, some theoretical information that will be useful to any user, regardless of their level of preparation.
What is a screenshot?
Let's see what the so-called screenshot is. In essence, this is the most common screenshot. It is a picture that, by analogy, is created by a camera. Only when using photographic equipment do you choose what exactly to shoot at the moment, but when you need to take a screenshot of the screen inWindows 10, for example, or even mobile systems, you don't have to choose. Photographing, if, of course, one may say so, is subject only to what is currently displayed on the screen of a computer monitor, smartphone or tablet.
Another point in understanding the essence of such processes is that the picture is copied to the clipboard and is not displayed as an image immediately on the screen. Again, if you draw an analogy with old film cameras, it's like after shooting the film you need to develop, and only then print the photos, which is akin to saving the final file on a hard drive or removable media.
No, you can, of course, use the camera and take a picture on the monitor, but this is not an option! Then you have to copy the photo from the memory card to the hard drive, but the quality, as you know, will leave much to be desired. So isn't it easier to use the system's built-in tools?
Why would you want to take a screenshot?
In principle, taking a screenshot of the screen in Windows is not difficult. But let's see why this is necessary. But for what. For example, something does not work for a user of a registered service, and some errors are constantly generated. He contacts the support service, and there he is asked to describe the problem and attach a screenshot of the screen. How to take a picture? It all depends on which device (computer or mobile device) is currently being used.
Sometimessometimes you need to take a picture, for example, in the Skype program. In principle, there are no special means for this in itself, and the whole procedure will be reduced to the classic version, which is further proposed first for consideration.
How to take a screenshot on a computer in the classic way?
Now let's move on to practical actions. To begin with, let's consider the classic, if I may say so, old-fashioned way. It is clear that every computer device, whether it is a stationary terminal or a laptop, has a keyboard, which usually belongs to the PS / 2 standard. In other words, the first proposed solution is suitable for all IBM-compatible computers without exception, in other words, PC or PC.
So how do you take a screenshot on a Windows PC? As it turns out, it's easier than ever. If you look closely at the keyboard, at the top right you can see a button labeled Print Screen or a similar abbreviation for the full name. It is she who is responsible for taking pictures. How to take a screenshot of a computer with Windows 7 or any other system on board? Yes, just click the button, after the picture will be sent to the clipboard. But that's half the battle. We will consider further actions a little later, but for now let's see what actions can be performed on laptops.
How to take a screenshot on a laptop?
The laptop keyboard differs from the standard only in that it has additional keys and buttons. In this case, we are talking about the Fn key, the role of which insimilar in some ways to the Shift or Alt buttons. With its help, you can call the execution of additional operations.
On laptops, the above snapshot button may be combined with another primary key (eg End). Thus, the question of how to take a screenshot of the screen on a laptop with Windows on board is already solved by using a combination of two keys. On some models, such a sequence may not work, so you will also have to include the Alt key in the main combination.
On laptops, by the way, some manufacturers provide not only combined, but also separately placed buttons on the main panel, which eliminates the use of the Fn key or any other combinations, which makes taking a picture even easier. But after that, and in any case, you still have to call the graphic editor, unless the button action is associated with pre-installed software that will open the picture on its own and in automatic mode. But this, as you probably already understand, is a rarity. Cluttering the panel with additional buttons is possible, perhaps, only in the case of ultrabooks that have a screen diagonal of 18 inches or more.
How do I open a snapshot and save it?
So, we figured out how to take a screenshot of the screen on a computer. We assume that the picture is copied to the clipboard. Now it needs to be "manifested" in some way. After performing this operation, some actions to copy files or text fragments without specialutilities that save everything that has been buffered cannot be used, otherwise the snapshot will simply be erased.
At this stage, the question of how to take a screenshot on Windows 10 or any other similar system is to call any graphic editor and place the image in it. In order not to install additional programs, you can use the standard Paint application, which is preinstalled in Window systems of any generation. We use the insert mode through the right-click context menu or the combination Ctrl + V. That's it. Picture inserted. Now it needs to be saved. As usual, this is done through the file menu with the choice of the "Save as …" item, after which the desired image format and the desired save location are selected. Please note that it is best to save the file in-p.webp" />
How do I take a screenshot of part of the screen?
However, the question of how to take a screenshot of the screen has another solution that few people know about. And it consists in using a special tool called"Scissors". This tool is mostly used to not "take a picture" of the whole screen, but to take a picture of only a certain selected area.
How to take a screenshot using this tool? It's also simple. First, find it in the list of programs through the Start menu. After launching this tool, the cursor will change from an arrow to a cross. Changing the appearance of the cursor is intended to create a selection area. Now all that remains is to select the desired screen fragment, and the content will be automatically copied to the clipboard, after which it can be pasted, for example, into a Word text editor or into a letter sent by e-mail.
If the object needs to be saved, click on the button with the image of a floppy disk, and then, as usual, enter a name and select the location where the file will be saved. As you can see, the question of how to take a screenshot of the screen on personal computers or laptops with Windows on board is solved quite simply. Next, we will consider several similar methods, but already in relation to mobile devices. We will not touch Apple devices, but we will take smartphones and tablets running Android family operating systems as a basis. In these systems, oddly enough, there are several more ways to create snapshots, and additional applications, which will be discussed separately, often have much more capabilities than those offered for installation in Windows.
Screenshot in Android systems: method one
So how to take a screenshotscreen on Android? The first method is suitable for almost all devices running this operating system that have a mechanical (not touch) Home button.
The problem of how to take a screenshot on this type of phone is solved by simultaneously pressing this button while holding the power button in parallel.
Second method
The second method is designed for those models in which the Home button is presented in a touch version. For example, let's consider how to take a screenshot of the screen on Galaxy with Android operating systems of the fourth version and higher.
In this case, you must simultaneously hold down the volume down and power keys for one or two seconds, after which the picture will be saved (we will tell you where to look for screenshots separately).
Third method
The third solution for how to take a screenshot on your phone is to simultaneously hold down the two touch buttons "Home" and "Back".
However, this option is not suitable for all devices and is mainly designed for devices that use outdated mobile operating systems.
Fourth method
Finally, the most advanced technique to solve the question of how to take a screenshot of the screen on Android is palm actions (only supported by default on Samsung Galaxy S flagship devices,in which this function is initially activated).
To take a picture, you just need to slide the edge of your hand while touching the screen, from right to left or vice versa. If for some reason the function is not available, you need to enter the settings, and through the menu of movement, palm control and gesture control, reach additional parameters, where you should activate the item for creating a screenshot with the palm of your hand (although, in theory, this is usually not required).
Where is the picture?
As a rule, the created screenshots are automatically placed in the gallery or documents folders. But if you need to find the picture manually, you need to go to the Pictures directory on the internal drive and find the ScreenCapture or Screenshots directories there.
Additional programs for taking snapshots in Windows
As it turns out, not everyone likes the native tools of any type of operating system, since the actions performed with their help are often somewhat antediluvian. In this case, third-party utilities specially designed for this purpose can be used to simplify the work.
So, for example, the Lightshot program can be called very popular and simple, which, by the way, is designed for both Windows and mobile systems, and can also be installed as a separate plug-in in the Google Chrome browser.
The FastStone Capture application looks no less interesting, which seems to also create a snapshot using hot keys, but opens it automatically in the editor.
It's also easy to take a picture in Snagit. Her advantageis that it is capable of creating scrolling screenshots or even taking scrolling shots at a set time interval. The application has a built-in editor, in which you can immediately configure the paths for saving files, plus additional tools for processing the created images.
Another very simple utility is GreenShot. It is slightly inferior to the previous one in terms of the number of options and settings, but it is completely easy to use and perfect for any novice user.
In the Fraps application, you can set a hot key and initially set the format in which the captured pictures will be saved. But the Screen Capture utility works on the basis of the same Print Screen key, which looks somewhat inconvenient. Another disadvantage is the immediate sending of a screenshot to the Internet by default (this can be corrected by the switch to save the snapshot "Where to save …").
Android apps
For mobile systems, such applications are also available in sufficient quantities. Among all that is presented in the storage itself or available for download on Internet resources, the following applications can be separately noted:
- "Screenshot".
- Screenshot touch.
- Screenshot ER Pro.
- Screenshot It.
- Screenshot UX.
- DroCap 2 (only for rooted devices) and others.
Each of these programs is interesting in its own way and often has a wider range of features than applications installed under Windows. And this is no longer aboututilities for instantly fixing everything that happens on the screen of the device with video recording. But, as you understand, any such application needs to be tried, as they say, in action. No description will give a complete picture of the capabilities of a particular applet.
What to use?
That, in fact, is all that concerns the resolution of the question of how to take a screenshot of the screen. The only question left unanswered is preference. Which of the proposed methods should be used? It seems that those users who refuse regular means of desktop and mobile systems are completely wrong. Classical methods work without additional installed programs. Another thing is that third-party utilities have their own editors, which are superior to the same Paint to a fairly high degree. Of course, you can't refuse them this. But in most cases, using a regular button on the keyboard or keys on phones is enough.
The only thing that can be added is that third-party utilities allow you to immediately customize the output format (but on Windows you can change it when saving, on mobile systems you can't). So what to choose anyway? There is no definite answer here, since each user has his own preferences. If we talk about third-party utilities in general, in order to choose something suitable, in theory, each program needs to be tried in real use, not paying attention to colorful descriptions on the Internet, and this takes time, and you also have to install applications. Although they have smalldimensions, however. The user can simply forget about them, and then when cleaning the computer or phone, they will wonder where so much garbage came from.
If it comes to that, software testing can only be done in this way: install the application, work with it, don't like it, delete it. And then after all, many immediately install a bunch of utilities, and then they are not removed. In addition, some such programs can create their own processes in the "Task Manager" that will run in the background, and the applications themselves can always be in the system tray in the area of \u200b\u200bhidden icons. This also needs to be remembered. The load on system resources, of course, is small, but in combination with other running software applets, this can adversely affect the performance of the operating system.
