All the Ways to Take Screenshots in Windows 11

Print Screen shortcuts

Let’s start with the most obvious method: your keyboard’s dedicated screenshots button, the Print Screen key (truncated to “PrntScrn” on some keyboards).

Although most full-size keyboards have a dedicated Print Screen key, smaller keyboards and laptops often have the Print Screen key as a secondary function (usually on the F12 key), in which case you must simultaneously press the “FN” key and the Print Screen key.

This key can be used in a variety of ways for screenshots, but the following are the most common:

• Press Windows key + Print Screen key to save an image of whatever is currently on-screen in the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
• The other bog standard screenshot technique for Windows is to just press Print Screen (or FN + Print Screen) to copy an image of the current desktop to your clipboard. With the screenshot copied, open any image editing app or word-processing app that supports images, and paste it (either Right-click > Paste, or press Ctrl + V), then save the document.
• Press Alt + Print Screen to copy a screenshot of just the window or app that you’re actively using to the clipboard. Make sure you click on the app or folder window you want to capture before pressing the shortcut. Remember to paste and save the screenshot in another program.
• If your keyboard doesn’t have a Print Screen key at all, the Windows key + FN + Space shortcut will also copy a screenshot to your clipboard.

Related: How to Run Android Apps on Windows 11

Screen Snipping and Snip & Sketch tools

Screen Snipping and Snip & Sketch are two built-in apps that let you click and drag to select specific areas to screenshot in addition to the default Print Screen shortcuts.

Technically, both apps work together; you take a screenshot with Snip & Sketch, then use Snipping Tool to crop, edit, or draw over the selection and save it as an image with Snipping Tool. The Snipping Tool menu also has a capture delay option, allowing you to delay your screenshot by three, five, or ten seconds.

The simplest way to get started is to use the Start menu to search for “Snipping tool” and then open it from the results.

Instead of taking a screengrab, you can change the Print Key function to open the Snipping Tool. This is done in the Settings menu in Windows 11:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
2. Enable “Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping.”
3. Close the Settings menu, then press “Print Screen” to open the Snipping Tool.

Here’s how to take a screenshot with the tool once it’s opened:

1. Click “New” from the Snipping Tool pop-up menu or press “Windows key + Shift + S” to start a new capture with Snip & Sketch. You can also set up a capture delay, if you want.
2. A tiny menu appears at the top of the screen, and your desktop will dim slightly.
3. The menu includes four icons that will change your snippet shape: The first icon on the left is a rectangular selection, the second is a “free form” selection, third captures the currently-selected app or folder window (like Alt + Print Screen), and the right-most icon is a full screen capture (like pressing the Print Screen key or Windows key + Print Screen).
4. Click the selection type you want, then click and drag to select the part of the screen you want to save as a screengrab.
5. The image will open in the Snipping Tool menu. There will be several editing options, including pen tools, image cropping, and other adjustments you can use, if desired.
6. Click the “Save” icon to save the image to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.

Related: How to Install Windows 11 Right Now

You can also use Snip & Sketch without using the Snipping Tool (I know, it’s confusing):

1. Press Windows key + Shift + S at any time you’re not using the Snipping Tool to open Sketch & Snip instead. This skips the Snipping Tool menu for setting delay timers and takes you directly to the screengrab menu.
2. After taking the screenshot, it will be copied to your clipboard so you can paste and save it elsewhere.
3. You can also click the pop-up notification to open your screenshot in Snipping Tool so you can edit and save it as an image.

There are numerous methods for taking a screenshot on Windows 11… for now, at least, thanks to the numerous keyboard shortcuts and the built-in Snipping Tool and Sketch & Snip apps. Because Windows 11 is still in beta, some of these methods may change, merge, or vanish in future versions of the OS, or new screenshot options may be added. If that happens, we’ll make sure to update this guide.