How To Print Screen on Windows 11

With the move to Windows 11, many users are experiencing confusion with the user interface. The Start Menu has moved, corners are rounded, and the shortcut keys you were used to may no longer work. Capturing screens has always been an important part of working, gaming, or even sending tech support error messages!

Method 1: Quick and Easy (Print Screen key)

If you want to take an immediate screenshot of whatever is currently on your screen, the best way is still to use the Print Screen key, though it may behave differently depending on which other keys you press with it.

To copy to Clipboard:

Press the “PrtScn” key, which is generally located at the top-right corner of your keyboard.
At this point, nothing will visually happen.
Go to a program, e.g. Word, Paint, or Slack, and press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot.

To Save a File Directly:

If you do not want to immediately paste the screenshot, but rather save it for later use, you will need to use the Windows Key + PrtScn keyboard shortcut.
The screen will momentarily darken (as the camera shutter would).
The image will automatically be saved in your Pictures > Screenshots directory.

Method 2: The “Snipping Tool” (for custom shapes)

It is my personal favorite method. Sometimes you don’t want to show your messy desktop, only the paragraph or photo you want to show.

Press Windows key + Shift + S to open a grayed-out screen with a toolbar at the top. Use your mouse to click and drag a box around what you would like to snip out. When you release the mouse button, you will receive a notification in the bottom-right corner. Click on that notification to edit, draw on, or save your snip.

Method 3: For the active window only

If you are getting an error message on a small screen and do not want to show the browser tabs behind the window, first click the window to make it active. Then, press Alt + PrtScn. This copies only that specific window to the clipboard. You can then paste (Ctrl + V) it wherever you want.

Method Four: Xbox Game Bar (Gamers and Video)

While playing Video Games, shortcuts may not be available due to Windows 11 errors or other glitches. So, this feature built into Windows 11 for playing video games has a special overlay for this situation.

To open the Xbox Game Bar, press Windows Key plus G on your keyboard.
Once opened, look for the Capture Widget (the camera icon).
To take a screenshot, click on the camera icon.

Recommended Use Case: You can also use this tool to record screen video clips.

FAQ – “Where do my Screenshots Get Saved?”

It is usually where confusion sets in for many individuals. Regardless of which method you use, the screenshots can be located in one of two different locations:

If you used the Clipboard (Method 1 or Method 3), the image hasn’t been saved yet. Instead, it is sitting in your computer’s Temporary Memory. You must paste it into an application, and then save the file from there.
If you used Windows + Print Screen (method 1): Open File Explorer (folder icon), then go to Pictures, and find the Screenshots folder.
If you used the Xbox Game Bar, these are typically saved in Videos > Captures!