How To Take A Screenshot On A PC

Taking a screenshot on your computer is a very simple process in Windows Vista as well as earlier versions, such as Windows XP. Capturing an image of your screen is as easy as a press of a button.

Screen captures or screenshots are images of your computer screen - basically a "snapshot" of what is on your computer screen. These screenshots can be used as learning tools, to demonstrate a computer issue, or to just capture a particular image of your computer screen for later use.

There are many applications that you can purchase or download for free that will give you the ability to take screenshots of your computer screen. However, if you do not have one of these screen capture applications available, you can still take sceenshots using the Print Screen (prt sc) button on your keyboard, or by utilizing the Snipping Tool offered in Windows Vista.http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Take-a-screen-capture-print-screen

This page will show you how to take a screenshot in Vista using the Snipping Tool, and also how to take a screenshot using the Print Screen button.

When saving your screenshot image, you'll need to choose an appropriate file format in order to get the best image quality. Here are your choices:

GIF: best for screenshots that contain text, a limited number of colors, and you want to keep the file size small.http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Understanding-picture-file-types

PNG: best for screenshots that contain a lot of colors; provides a sharper image than JPEG.http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Understanding-picture-file-types

JPG/JPEG: best for screenshots of photographs that contain a lot of colors, little to no text, and require a small file size.http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Understanding-picture-file-types

For more information on choosing file types, click here

If you have Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate editions, then you're in luck. Windows Vista comes with the Snipping Tool that makes capturing screenshots much easier than in previous versions of Windows.

Open the Snipping Tool by clicking the Start button, choose All Programs, choose Accessories, and then choose Snipping Tool.

If this is the first time you've used the Snipping Tool, you may get a pop-up asking if you want to add the Snipping Tool to the Quick Launch bar. The Quick Launch bar is located to the right of the Windows Start button and contains shortcuts to frequently used applications. If you want a shortcut to be placed on the Quick Launch bar, choose Yes.

You will see your cursor change to a cross-type symbol, a small Snipping Tool window will open, and your screen will become dim. Use your mouse to click and drag over the image that you want to capture. The selected area will become highlighted. Then just release your mouse button and the image will be captured and opened in the Snipping Tool window. You can then make edits to the image and save it.

To learn more about using the Windows Vista Snipping Tool, click here. To view a video tutorial on how to use the Snipping Tool, click here.

To save the screenshot, click the Save Snip button. The Save As dialog box will open. Choose the location where you want to save the image, name it, choose a File Type, and click Save. Alternatively, if you just want to email the image to someone without having to save it first, you can just click the Send To button.

If you have Windows 7, the Snipping Tool is already installed in the Professional, or Ultimate editions. Windows 7 has essentially the same tool as for Vista. Follow the instructions (above) for Vista.

The following steps will teach you how to take a screenshot using the Print Screen button on your keyboard. On your keyboard, there is a Print Screen button located in the upper right corner of your keyboard. It is usually labeled "PrtScn". This Print Screen button is what enables you to capture an image of your computer screen.

To capture the entire screen, press the Print Screen [PrtScn] or [PrtScn]/[SysRq] button on your keyboard. To capture just the active window, hold the Alt key down while pressing the Print Screen button. You won't see anything happen, but your computer has captured the image from your computer screen and has saved it temporarily. In order to see the image, you have to paste it into an image editing program.

The Print Screen button is typically to the right of the F12 key. The exact location varies by manufacturer and the space available.

Microsoft has a free image editing program called "Paint" that you can use to edit your screenshots.

To open Paint, click on the Start button, choose Programs, then Accessories, and click on Paint. When the Paint program opens, press Ctrl+V and the screenshot image that you captured will be pasted into the Paint window. Alternatively, you can click on the Edit menu and choose Paste.

To learn more about using MS Paint, click here. To watch a video tutorial about MS Paint, click here

To save the screenshot, click on File, then Save As. Choose the location where you want to save the image, then name it, choose a File Type, and press Save.

Top 10 Reviewhttp://screen-capture-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

1. Snagit

2. Fullshot

3. HyperSnap DX

4. Quick Screenshot Maker

5. Any Capture

6. SPX Instant Screen Capture

7. Easy Screen Capture

8. Solid Capture

9. Screenshot Magic

10. Screenshot Utility

CEO Worldhttp://ceoworld.biz/ceo/2010/04/13/top-best-screen-capture-software-for-you

1. Snagit

2. Quick Screenshot Maker

3. Fullshot

4. HyperSnap DX

5. Any Capture

6. Screenshot Utility

7. Easy Screen Capture