How to Take a Screenshot

For Windows (and Linux) users:

Windows offers a single, straightforward method for taking screenshots of your entire screen. To do so, press the Print Screen button. This copies an image of your screen to the clipboard. You'll then likely want to open a photo editing application like Paint, Adobe Photoshop, or Gimp, create a new document, and press Ctrl+V to paste the contents of your clipboard.

For Linux users, if you're using the Debian, Ubuntu, and many other Linux variants, the above instructions should work. Your desktop environment and applications may have several other ways to take and utilize screenshots, so be sure to find what works best for you.

For mac OS X users:

OS X gives you lots of useful options to take and utilize screenshots:

• Take a screenshot of the entire page:

  To take a screenshot of the entire page and save it to the desktop, press the following keys simultaneously: command+shift+3
  To take a screenshot of the entire page and save it to the clipboard, press the following keys simultaneously: command+control+shift+3

• Take a screenshot of a window:

  To take a screenshot of a window and save it to the desktop, press the following keys simultaneously: command+shift+4, then press the spacebar, then click the desired window.
  To take a screenshot of a window and save it to the clipboard, press the following keys simultaneously: command+control+shift+4, then press the spacebar, then click the desired window.

• Take a screenshot of an area of your choosing:

  To take a screenshot of an area of your choosing and save it to the desktop, press the following keys simultaneously: command+shift+4, then click and drag your cursor over the desired area.
  To take a screenshot of an area of your choosing and save it to the clipboard, press the following keys simultaneously: command+control+shift+4, then click and drag your cursor over the desired area.
  

iOS users: iPad, iPhone, and iPod

Taking screenshots on your iOS device is extremely simple: just click both the home button and the on/off button simultaneously. You'll hear a satisfying photo click and your screenshot will be saved in your Photos. You can then email, SMS, or sync to use the screenshot.

Android Users

For Android 4.0 users and beyond, press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously. You'll see an animation and your screenshot will be saved to your Gallery. Launch the Gallery app and tap Screenshots to view and share your screenshots.

Conclusion

Now that you have the tools to take screenshots on a variety of devices - you just need to get started. A few suggested uses of screenshots:

• A green alternative to printing
• Submit a screenshot to tech support - a picture can literally say a thousand words.
• Easily share what you’ve stumbled upon online with friends!