How To Take Screenshots On Windows Laptops And MacBook: A Quick Guide

Learn how to easily capture your screen on both Windows and Mac laptops. This guide covers simple keyboard shortcuts for full-screen and partial screenshots, as well as using built-in tools like the Snipping Tool for Windows and the Screenshot app for Mac.

Taking screenshots of the laptop screen can prove useful in several scenarios.  For instance, you may quickly capture the information on the screen by taking screenshots of papers, receipts, and other digital items for reference or troubleshooting. In instances of cyberbullying or online harassment, screenshots may also be used as proof. With a few fast keyboard actions, you can snap screenshots on MacBooks and Windows computers. 

How to take a screenshot on a Windows laptop?

Simply press the Windows and Print Screen (PrtScn) buttons simultaneously to snap a complete screenshot of your Windows laptop's screen. The laptop screen will briefly darken when you push them at the same time. This indicates that a screenshot has been taken. It will be stored in the Pictures folder's Screenshots subfolder.

Use the Snipping Tool to take a screenshot of a specific region of the screen. After pressing Windows Key + Shift + S, choose the screenshot's form using the mouse pointer.

You can select from these options: Rectangle, Window, Full Screen and Freeform. Now, click and drag the cursor over the area you wish to capture, then release. The screenshot will get copied to the clipboard and saved in the Screenshots folder.

How to take a screenshot on a Mac?

Press and hold the Shift, Command, and 3 keys simultaneously to capture the whole screen on a MacBook. You may adjust the screenshot by clicking on the thumbnail that shows up in the Mac screen's corner. Waiting will cause the Mac to automatically save the screenshot.

Press and release the Shift, Command, and 4 keys simultaneously to capture a section of a MacBook's screen. The pointer becomes a crosshair when this key combination is pressed. Now, click the mouse or trackpad button and drag the crosshair while holding it to choose the appropriate area of the screen.

Right now, you have three options. Release the mouse or trackpad button to take a screenshot of the section. You must press and hold the Space bar while dragging in order to relocate the chosen area without altering its size. Simply use the Esc (Escape) key to end the screenshot.

A window or menu must first be opened in order to be captured. Press the Shift, Command, and 4 keys simultaneously, then let go. Next, hit the Space bar and let it go. The pointer becomes a camera symbol as a result of these combined actions.

Click the window or menu now to capture a screenshot of it. You must click while holding down the Option key in order to remove the window's shadow from the screen capture. You may just use the Esc (Escape) key to end the screenshot.

Additionally, macOS Mojave 10.14 and newer versions of the operating system come with a Screenshot app from Apple. Press Shift, Command, and 5 simultaneously to launch the Screenshot app straight. Alternatively, you may find the Screenshot program in the Applications folder's Utilities folder and open it.

On your MacBook, the screenshots will get saved with the name ”Screen Shot [date] at [time]”. This is the default save location. If you want to change the save location of the screenshots, you can do so via the Screenshot app.