How to take a screenshot on Windows 11 (5 Ways)

Screenshots have become an essential tool in today’s digital world, and Windows 11 offers diverse ways to capture what you see on your computer’s screen. Whether you’re a student, a casual user, or a seasoned techie, this guide will equip you with the knowledge on how to take screenshots on Windows 11 like an expert.

Most methods explained in this guide rely on built-in screenshot tools found in Windows 11. However, if you want more flexibility when taking screenshots on your Windows 11 PC, you can take a look at the third-party screenshot apps I have suggested below. So, without any further ado, let’s get started!

How to take a screenshot on Windows 11 with keyboard shortcuts

The quickest way to capture screenshots on Windows 11 is through the Print Screen (PrntScn) key on the keyboard.

Take screenshots using the Print Screen key

With a single press of this key, you can summon Windows 11’s built-in screenshot tool and take screenshots almost instantly. Here’s how you can use this key to take screenshots on your Windows 11 PC:

1. Press the Print Screen key (PrtScn) on your keyboard to open the screenshot tool.
   When the screenshot tool opens, a toolbar will appear at the top, and the screen will turn gray.
   
2. Click the Camera icon → Then, click the Snipping mode button (third icon from the left).
   
   
   
3. Select your preferred Snipping mode and capture the screenshot.
   

To view the screenshot, use Ctrl + V to paste it into an application like Paint or Word.

Take a screenshot of full-screen

Although pressing the Print Screen key opens the screenshot tool, you still have to take the screenshots manually.

If you want to take screenshots more quickly, you can press and hold the PrtScn + Windows key to screenshot your whole screen.

Take a screenshot of a particular window

If you want to capture just the active window instead of the whole desktop, hold down the Alt key while pressing PrtScn. This shortcut will copy the current window to your clipboard, and then you can paste it into an app that supports images.

If you use the above methods, by default, the screenshot will be copied to the clipboard and stored in the screenshots folder.

To view all the screenshots taken using the Print Screen key, you may go to C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Pictures\Screenshots

How to take screenshots with Snipping Tool in Windows 11

The Snipping tool is one of the best Windows 11 features that allows you to capture and edit screenshots without any hassle.

With the Snipping tool, you can capture screenshots of the whole screen, an app window, or a selected area. Not only that, you can even use the Snipping tool to record your computer’s screen.

1. Open the Snipping tool on your Windows 11 computer from the Start Menu.
   You can also use the Windows + Shift + S shortcut to open the Snipping tool.
2. When the tool opens, click the Snipping mode button (second button from the right)
   
3. Select your preferred Snipping mode → Then, click New to capture the screenshot.
   
4. After you take a screenshot, you may use the built-in editor to edit the screenshot.
   You can annotate the screenshot, export the screenshots, or even extract text from it.
5. Once you finish editing the screenshot, click the floppy disk icon to save the image.
   

To view screenshots captured using the Snipping tool, you can visit this folder: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Pictures\Screenshots

You might have noticed during the process that the moment you hit any Snipping mode button and release the cursor, a thumbnail image will be created at the bottom right of your screen. You can click that image to view it. Once the preview opens, you can even hit the Share button to send it across a supported app or platform.

In Windows 11, from the Snipping Tool’s settings, you get the option to designate the folder where you prefer to store your screenshots. To do that, open the Snipping tool > Click the three-dot button > Select Settings > Toggle on Ask to save edited screenshots.

How to use the Xbox Game Bar to take screenshots in Windows 11

The Xbox Game Bar is a pretty handy tool in Windows that can be used to launch recently played games, connect with friends, broadcast your gameplay, or monitor hardware performance while gaming. However, that’s not all. You can also use the Xbox Game Bar to capture screenshots as well as short video clips on Windows 11.

1. Press the Windows + G shortcut to open the Xbox Game Bar.
2. Click the Capture icon (one that looks like a webcam) from the toolbar.
   
3. Click the Camera icon to take screenshots on your Windows 11 computer.
   

You can also use your Xbox controller to do this. Just press the Share button on a connected Xbox controller to quickly take screenshots, or press and hold the button to capture short video clips while you’re gaming.

When you capture screenshots using the Xbox Game Bar on Windows, your screenshots will be saved in the following location: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Videos\Captures

Take screenshots with buttons and keys on Surface devices

On Microsoft Surface 2-in-1 devices, you can use a combination of keys and buttons to take screenshots. Frustratingly, Microsoft still hasn’t figured out how to implement this feature, and the key combination keeps changing after every few generations of new Surface devices.

Here’s a quick rundown on how you can take screenshots on any Microsoft Surface device, depending on the model you currently own:

• Surface Pro 4 and newer devices (without the Type and Touch Cover): Power + Volume up button
• Surface Pro 4 and newer devices (with the Type and Touch Cover): Windows key + PrntScrn key
• Original Surface, Surface 2, and Surface 3 devices: Windows key + Volume down button
• Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 devices: Power button + Volume down button

All screenshots taken using keys and buttons on Microsoft Surface devices can be accessed from C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Pictures\Screenshots

Best screenshot tools for Windows

While built-in tools in Windows should suffice for most users, several of the best third-party tools capture screenshots on your PC that offer comparatively more flexibility and advanced editing features.

Here are the best free and paid third-party screenshot apps that I would personally recommend to anyone looking for options:

• Greenshot (Free): Greenshot is an open-source screenshot app for Windows that allows you to snap screenshots of the whole screen, specific windows, or defined regions with customizable keyboard shortcuts. Moreover, you can also use the tool to create custom naming schemes for your captured screenshots and set default image formats and custom file paths to save the screenshots automatically.
• TechSmith’s Snagit (Paid): Snagit is a paid screenshot app that offers a complete suite of screen-capturing tools. You can use Snagit to take screenshots, create screen recordings with audio, and capture scrolling screenshots. Apart from that, Snagit also offers a built-in image editor that can be used to annotate screenshots, copy text with OCR, redact private information, and much more.

Wrapping up…

There you have it, folks! With the five methods in this guide, you can quickly take screenshots on your Windows 11 like a pro.

Not only that, you can even annotate and edit the screenshots as per your requirements. However, if you have any other doubts, please let us know in the comments section.

Also read:

• How to take screenshots on Android phone: Complete guide
• How to use Chrome extensions on Android phone
• 12 Ways to free up RAM in Windows 11 and 10