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Step 1
Set Up the Shot
Just like in photography, you need to prepare your screen to be snapped. If you want to take a screenshot of a specific webpage, navigate to that page and allow it to load completely. You may need to scroll down to find the information that needs to be capped. Make sure whatever it is you need a picture of, is clearly visible on your screen.
If you want to take a picture of your desktop, clear your screen by closing any open windows, or by using the “Show Desktop” shortcut. Be aware that if you click “Show Desktop,” any windows you currently have open will be noticable in the screenshot. If you don't want others to see what websites you are currently looking at or any other sensitive information, it's best to make sure all windows are completely closed before you take the screenshot. -
Step 2
Taking the Screenshot
To take a screenshot, use your “Print Screen” (or “Prnt Scrn” on compact laptop keyoards) option. This is usually located somewhere in the upper right-hand corner of your keyboard. It may also be a secondary function of another key, which is more likely if you are using a laptop. If it is a secondary function, you may need to hit the “Function” or “Fn” key before you hit the “Print Screen” key.
Once you hit “Print Screen,” a copy of your screen will be saved to your clipboard. You may notice a small blip when you take a screenshot, or you may not notice anything. Either way, if done correctly, the screenshot is saved and ready to be used. -
Step 3
Paste the Screenshot into Your Paint Program
Immediately after taking the screenshot, paste it into your favorite paint program, like Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, or GIMP. If you do not have an professional paint program, you can use MS Paint, which comes bundled with every version of Windows. To find and open MS Paint, click “Start” in the lower left-hand size of your screen. Choose “All Programs,” usually located at the very bottom of the pop-up menu, and look for “Accessories,” usually near the top of the list of programs. You should see an icon for “Paint,” with a graphic of some paintbrushes in a cup next to it. If it's not listed in “Accessories,” it may be under “Entertainment.”
With Paint or your paint program now open, hit “Control” + “V” or navigate to your toolbar and choose “Edit” and “Paste.” Your screenshot should pop up on the screen. You can save it as either a .JPG or a .GIF in its current size, which will be a large as your screen's current dimensions, or you can resize it to make it easier to display before saving.
If you do resize your screenshot before saving, first save a copy of your screenshot in its full size. Otherwise, you probably won't be able to read any of the text in the screenshot, and if you want to take a screenshot to save the text of a webpage, you want to make sure it's easy to understand.
Voila! You have now taken a screenshot.
If the size of the webpage you are trying to cap is larger than the screen – i.e., you have to scroll up or down to see the rest of the information – then you will need to take a screenshot of the page in multiple views, by scrolling down, taking a screenshot, saving, and repeating, until you have the entire webpage capped.
Comments
Summersile said
on 7/29/2009 Excellent Article. Thanks for the info.
mboone84 said
on 7/28/2009 Thank you so much for this article very helpful I am making my own website and wanted to add this feature to it that would allow people to understand better what I am talking about AWESOME ARTICLE!!!!