How to take a screenshot on a PC

Taking a screenshot may seem like a trivial task, but it often isn't, especially for those who don't use their PCs frequently: don't worry, here's how

Not everyone knows how to take a screenshot on a PC. After all, it's not like you get an instruction manual when you buy a new computer, so there's nothing strange about not knowing how to take a screenshot. However, the variability of operating systems can sometimes complicate things, so it's completely normal.

First Windows 10, then the arrival of Windows 11 can confuse the ideas of those who use their PCs infrequently, or those who after years on Windows have decided to change step by buying a Chromebook. And knowing how to take a screenshot on a PC or Chromebook quickly and effectively is one of those skills that always come in handy on a multitude of occasions. Never fear, it's nothing impossible and less than ever complicated. Here's a short and simple guide within the reach of everyone, new and old alike, on how to take a screenshot for those who own a machine with Windows 10, with Windows 11 or a Chromebook.

How to take a screenshot on Windows 10

Taking a screenshot on Windows 10 is really very simple. Just press the Print Screen, PrtSc, or Stamp key on your keyboard (which one depends on the keyboard you have) and the image will be automatically saved in memory in the Images folder.

Sometimes just pressing one of the two keys is not enough to take a screenshot on Windows 10: you may need to press, along with them, the Win key, which is the one with the stylized Windows logo flag that is usually located in the lower left corner of keyboards.

In other circumstances, the Win key and the Print Screen or Stamp key need to be combined with the Ctrl or Fn keys, both of which are available on most keyboards.

How to take a screenshot on Windows 11

Taking a screenshot on Windows 10 is just as simple. Just keep in mind the key combination Win, i.e. the one with the Windows logo shown above, Shift, i.e. the one used for uppercase characters, and finally S. Pressing all three keys simultaneously will open the new tool developed by Microsoft for screenshots, which gives the user the opportunity to decide which area of the screen to save in memory.

With Win + Shift + S you are sure to take a screenshot by choosing which portion of the screen to save, but alternatively there are "simpler" keyboard combinations: Win + Stamp (or Print Screen) saves a screenshot directly as an image file, Alt + Stamp saves a screenshot of the window in the foreground at the moment of pressing, and finally just the Stamp key saves to the clipboard whatever is shown on the screen at the moment of pressing the key.

How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook

To take a screenshot on a Chromebook, you just need to press the Ctrl and Show windows keys at the same time - the one with the rectangle next to three vertical lines. Google's operating system also allows you to take partial screenshots, if you need to, by combining the Ctrl and Show Windows keys with the Shift key: just click on the displayed window and drag it.