Screenshots, screen dumps, or screenprints, as they're sometimes referred to, can be an incredibly useful tool. They are often underutilised; mainly due to the fact that a lot of people just don't know how to take them. There is a genuine misunderstanding of the term too, so that some people take a photo of their screen and think that's it.
How to take a screenshot on Windows
In Windows there are multiple methods of how to take a screenshot. On most keyboards there is a key labeled 'Prt Sc'. It may vary slightly from keyboard to keyboard but in most cases it's a condensation of 'Print Screen'. Pressing this button takes an image of your display and stores it on your clipboard. You can then paste it into documents by pressing CTRL and V at the same time, or pasting from the right click context menu.
The second method on Windows is to hold the Windows key and the Print Screen key together simultaneously. This then saves the screenshot into a folder called 'screenshot' within the pictures folder: [User-Name]\pictures\screenshot. Please note this method only works in Windows 8 and upwards.
The third method of taking a screenshot in Windows is to use the snipping tool. You can find this in the start menu and searching for the snipping tool. The snipping tool allows you to grab a selection of the screen, which can then be copied and pasted into a document or saved anywhere you choose. Using the snipping tool you can select any area or shape to save, select a window, or the entire display.
Taking a screenshot on a Mac
To take a screenshot on a Mac there are two options: pressing CMD, Shift and 3, this takes a full screenshot, or pressing CMD, shift and 4. The second option lets you grab part of the screen, which you select with the cursor. These two methods save screenshots to the desktop, making it extremely easy to find and access your screenshots.
Android, and iOS (iPhone and iPad)
On most modern Android phones, taking a screenshot is pretty much universally achieved by pressing and holding the power/lock button and volume down button. A screenshot is then saved, which can be found in (device dependent) the gallery or photos app. If your device has both a gallery and photos app it should appear in both. However, on some Android devices, such as a Samsung Galaxy, you can take a screenshot by pressing and holding the power/lock and the home button simultaneously. Just like on other android devices, the screenshot will be saved and will appear in the gallery or photos app. You will also receive a notification in the notification shade which can be dismissed, or you can share the screenshot right from the notification, without needing to open the photos or gallery apps.
On iOS, much like on Samsung Galaxy devices, to take a screenshot you press and hold the power/lock and home button. The screenshot is then saved and you can find it in the photos app on your iDevice.
It's all that easy!
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