How To Do Print Screen On Windows Jun 2026

We’ve all been there. You see something on your screen—an error message, a hilarious chat, a crucial piece of data—and you need to capture it instantly. You tap the key, open Paint, paste, and save.

Did you know you can change how the Print Screen key behaves? how to do print screen on windows

Press Windows + V to open Clipboard History (if enabled). This lets you see and paste multiple recent screenshots and copied items. We’ve all been there

| Problem | Likely Fix | | :--- | :--- | | | On many laptops, hold Fn (Function) + PrtScn . Or look for a key labeled Ins , PrtSc , or a camera icon. | | Screen doesn't dim | That's normal unless using Win + PrtScn . Dimming only happens for auto-save. | | Nothing pastes (Ctrl+V) | Your clipboard is empty. Try recapturing. Ensure you're pasting into a program that accepts images (Notepad won't work, Paint will). | | Game Bar doesn't open | Go to Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar > turn it On. | | "Win + Shift + S" opens something else | Some third-party apps (Dropbox, OneNote, ShareX) remap this. Check their settings. | Did you know you can change how the Print Screen key behaves

Press the PrtScn key once. On many laptops, you may need to hold the Fn (Function) key simultaneously (e.g., Fn + PrtScn ).

This is arguably the most useful shortcut in the Windows arsenal. When you press this, your screen overlays with a white frosted filter, and a small toolbar appears at the top.

This is the method that has existed since the dawn of the GUI.