The quickest way depends on what you want to capture
The Print Screen key (often labeled PrtScn or Print Scr) copies your entire screen to the clipboard, but what happens next differs between Windows and Mac. On Windows, pressing Print Screen alone does nothing visible — the image sits in memory until you paste it into a program like Paint or Word. On a Mac, there is no Print Screen key; instead you use keyboard shortcuts that save the image directly to your desktop or clipboard.
Most people find the dedicated screenshot tools faster than hunting for the Print Screen key. Windows 11 and 10 have a built-in Snip & Sketch tool, and macOS has a Screenshot app. Both let you choose what to capture — a window, a region, or the full screen — before taking the shot.
Key Takeaways
- On Windows, Print Screen copies the full screen to your clipboard; you then paste it into Paint, Word, or another program to save it as a file.
- Windows 11 and 10 include a Snip & Sketch tool (press Windows key + Shift + S) that lets you select a region and saves it automatically.
- On a Mac, press Command + Shift + 3 for a full-screen shot saved to the desktop, or Command + Shift + 4 to select a region.
- Screenshots taken with Print Screen on Windows go to the clipboard only and disappear if you copy something else, so paste them immediately.
- Most laptops have a dedicated screenshot tool built in; using it is faster and more reliable than the Print Screen key alone.
Windows: Using Print Screen and the clipboard
Press the Print Screen key (usually in the upper right of your keyboard, above the arrow keys). Nothing happens on screen, but the image is now in your clipboard. Open Paint, Word, or any program where you can paste an image, then press Ctrl + V. The screenshot appears. You can then crop it, draw on it, or save it as a file.
The drawback is that Print Screen captures everything — your entire monitor, including taskbars and windows you did not mean to include. If you have two monitors, it captures both. And if you copy anything else (text, a file, another image) before you paste, the screenshot is lost.
Windows: Using Snip & Sketch for faster, cleaner screenshots
Press Windows key + Shift + S. Your screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top. Click the icon for the type of capture you want: rectangle (the default), freeform, window, or full screen. Then select the area you want. The screenshot is copied to your clipboard and a notification appears in the lower right corner.
Click the notification to open the Snip & Sketch editor, where you can crop, annotate, or save the image. You can also save it directly by pressing Ctrl + S. This tool is faster than Print Screen because you choose what to capture before taking the shot, and the image does not disappear if you copy something else.
On Windows 11, Snip & Sketch is built in. On Windows 10, it may be called Screenshot Tool or Snipping Tool depending on your version, but the keyboard shortcut is the same.
Mac: Full-screen and region screenshots with keyboard shortcuts
On a Mac, press Command + Shift + 3 to capture the entire screen. The image is saved as a file on your desktop with a name like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM.png". You do not need to paste it anywhere — it is already a file you can open, edit, or move.
To capture only part of the screen, press Command + Shift + 4. Your cursor changes to a crosshair. Click and drag to select the region you want. When you release, the image is saved to your desktop the same way.
If you want to copy a screenshot to your clipboard instead of saving it as a file (so you can paste it into an email or document), hold down the Space bar after pressing Command + Shift + 4 or Command + Shift + 3. The image goes to the clipboard instead of the desktop.
Mac: Using the Screenshot app for more control
Open Spotlight by pressing Command + Space, type "Screenshot", and press Enter. The Screenshot app opens with a toolbar at the bottom. Click the button for the type of capture: full screen, window, or selection. Then take your shot. The image appears as a thumbnail in the lower right corner of your screen.
Click the thumbnail to edit the image (crop, draw, add text) or let it sit for a few seconds and it saves to your desktop automatically. You can also drag the thumbnail to an email, document, or folder to save it there instead. This app gives you more options than the keyboard shortcuts alone, including the ability to set a timer before the shot is taken.
Chromebook: Screenshot options built into the system
Press Ctrl + Show Windows (the Show Windows key is usually where F5 would be on a regular keyboard, with an icon of overlapping rectangles). The entire screen is captured and saved to your Downloads folder. To capture only part of the screen, press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows, then click and drag to select the region.
The screenshot is automatically saved as a PNG file. You can also press the power button and volume-down button together (on some Chromebook models) to take a screenshot. Check your device manual if the keyboard shortcut does not work.
What to do after you take a screenshot
On Windows with Print Screen, you must paste the image into a program and save it as a file, or it will be lost. On Mac and Chromebook, screenshots are saved automatically to your desktop or Downloads folder. You can then open them in an image editor, email them, or move them to a folder.
If you take many screenshots, create a dedicated folder to keep them organized. Most operating systems let you change where screenshots are saved — on Mac, open System Preferences > Keyboard > Screenshots to choose a different location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does nothing happen when I press Print Screen?
Print Screen copies to your clipboard but does not show anything on screen. You must paste it into a program like Paint or Word to see it. On Windows, use Snip & Sketch (Windows key + Shift + S) instead — it is faster and shows you what you captured right away.
Can I take a screenshot of just one window?
Yes. On Windows, use Snip & Sketch and click the window icon, then click the window you want. On Mac, press Command + Shift + 4, then press Space and click the window. On Chromebook, there is no built-in window-only option, but you can use Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows to select the region around the window.
Where do my screenshots go?
On Mac and Chromebook, they save to your desktop or Downloads folder by default. On Windows with Print Screen, they go to your clipboard only — you must paste and save them yourself. With Snip & Sketch, they go to your clipboard, but you can save them by clicking the notification or pressing Ctrl + S.
Can I edit a screenshot after I take it?
Yes. On Mac, click the thumbnail that appears in the lower right corner. On Windows with Snip & Sketch, click the notification. On Chromebook, open the file from your Downloads folder in an image editor. All three let you crop, draw, or add text before saving.
How do I take a screenshot with a timer?
On Mac, open the Screenshot app and click Options, then choose a delay (3 or 10 seconds). On Windows, Snip & Sketch does not have a timer, but you can use the Delay option in the Snipping Tool on older Windows versions. On Chromebook, there is no built-in timer option.