What is Print Screen Key? Easy-to-understand explanation of the basic operation of screen capture

Explanation of IT Terms

What is the Print Screen key?

The Print Screen key, also known as PrtScn or PrtSc, is a key usually found on a computer keyboard. Its main purpose is to capture or take a screenshot of the current display on your screen.

Basic operation of screen capture using the Print Screen key

1. Press the Print Screen key: On most keyboards, this key is located at the top right section, usually near the Home, Insert, and Delete keys.
2. Capture the entire screen: By pressing the Print Screen key alone, you capture an image of your entire screen, including all open windows and applications.
3. Capture the active window: If you want to capture only the currently active window, press the Alt key along with the Print Screen key. This will capture the active window and ignore everything else on your screen.
4. Save the screenshot: Once you press the Print Screen key or the Alt + Print Screen key combination, the captured screenshot is copied to your computer’s clipboard. You then need to open an image editor or a program such as Paint or Photoshop and paste the screenshot into a new image file.

Remember: Pressing the Print Screen key only copies the screenshot to the clipboard. You still need to paste it into an image editing software or an application to save it in a file format such as JPEG or PNG.

Top Tips:
– To capture only a specific portion of your screen, you can use third-party screen capture software that offers more advanced features.
– On some keyboards, you might find a dedicated key for capturing only the active window, labeled as “PrtScn” or “Active Win.”

Using the Print Screen key is a quick and straightforward way to capture and save information from your screen. It’s a useful tool for creating tutorials, sharing interesting content, or troubleshooting technical issues. So, give it a try and start capturing your screen effortlessly!

Reference Articles

Reference Articles

Read also

[Google Chrome] The definitive solution for right-click translations that no longer come up.