How to Take Screenshots on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Windows

Snipping Tool (Built-in)

Windows key + Shift + S    → Opens snipping bar

Select from four modes:

Mode	Shortcut
Rectangular snip	Windows + Shift + S → drag area
Freeform snip	Windows + Shift + S → draw shape
Window snip	Windows + Shift + S → click window
Full screen snip	Windows + Shift + S → choose from top

The screenshot copies to your clipboard. Click the notification to edit and save.

Print Screen

Print Screen (PrtScn)     → Copies full screen to clipboard
Alt + Print Screen        → Copies active window to clipboard
Windows + Print Screen    → Saves full screen to Pictures/Screenshots

Xbox Game Bar

Windows + G       → Open Game Bar
Windows + Alt + PrtScn  → Screenshot of active window

Best for: capturing specific windows or game screenshots.

macOS

Built-in Shortcuts

Cmd + Shift + 3     → Full screen (saves to desktop)
Cmd + Shift + 4     → Selection tool
Cmd + Shift + 5     → Screenshot toolbar (all options)

Selection Mode

Press Cmd + Shift + 4:

Action	Result
Drag	Select a region
Press Space	Capture a specific window
Hold Option	Capture without shadow (window mode)
Hold Shift	Lock one axis while selecting

Screenshot Toolbar

Cmd + Shift + 5 opens a toolbar with options:

Capture entire screen
Capture selected window
Capture selected portion
Record entire screen
Record selected portion

Options: timer (5 or 10 seconds), save location, show mouse clicks.

Linux

GNOME (Ubuntu, Fedora default)

Print Screen (PrtScn)     → Full screen screenshot
Alt + Print Screen        → Current window
Shift + Print Screen      → Select area
Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen → Same, but copy to clipboard

GNOME Screenshot Tool

# Open the GUI tool
gnome-screenshot --interactive

Or use the toolbar:

Activities → Search "Screenshot" → Open

KDE (Kubuntu, Neon)

Print Screen      → Opens Spectacle (screenshot tool)

Spectacle offers: full screen, current screen, window, region, and rectangular selection.

Command Line

# Full screen
gnome-screenshot

# With delay (5 seconds)
gnome-screenshot -d 5

# Active window
gnome-screenshot -w

# Select area
gnome-screenshot -a

# Save to specific file
gnome-screenshot -f ~/Pictures/screenshot.png

Third-Party Tools

Tool	Platform	Best For
Snagit	Windows, macOS	Annotations, video recording
Lightshot	Windows, macOS	Quick sharing, basic editing
Flameshot	Linux	Powerful annotation tools
Shutter	Linux	Advanced editing, delayed capture
Greenshot	Windows	Open source, lightweight
ShareX	Windows	Screen recording, OCR, upload

Advanced Features

Scrolling Screenshots (Windows)

Windows + Shift + S → select area → scroll (if supported by app)

Or use the browser’s built-in tool:

Chrome/Edge: F12 → Ctrl+Shift+P → type "screenshot" → "Capture full size screenshot"

Annotating Screenshots

Windows: After snip, the Snipping Tool editor opens automatically.

macOS: Use Preview or Markup (Cmd+Shift+5 → click thumbnail → edit).

Linux: Use Flameshot or GIMP.

Related: Learn keyboard shortcuts and browser cache clearing.