To automatically save a full-screen screenshot as a file, press these keys together. Your screen will briefly dim to confirm the action, and the image will be saved to your Pictures > Screenshots folder.
| Action | Keys | Result | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | PrtSc alone | Copies entire screen. Paste (Ctrl+V) into an app (Word, Paint, email). | | Active window to clipboard | Alt + PrtSc | Copies only the currently selected window. | | Save directly to file | Win + PrtSc | Screen dims briefly; screenshot saved automatically in Pictures > Screenshots as a PNG file. | | Screen recording (Xbox Game Bar) | Win + Alt + PrtSc | Captures a screenshot of the active game/app window (can also record video with Win+G ). | how to print screen on laptop
| Goal | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Win + PrtScn (Auto-saves) | Cmd + Shift + 3 | | Capture Selection | Win + Shift + S | Cmd + Shift + 4 | | Capture Active Window | Alt + PrtScn (Copies to clipboard) | Cmd + Shift + 4 then Space | To automatically save a full-screen screenshot as a
Pressing this key copies the entire screen to your clipboard. You must then paste it into a program like Microsoft Paint or Word using Ctrl + V . Paste (Ctrl+V) into an app (Word, Paint, email)