I’m primarily a Mac user and find the convenience of the CMD + SHIFT + 4 shortcut an invaluable tool to write documentation. Sometimes I do need to write on my Windows system though, and my mind simply keeps forgetting how to create convenient shortcuts there with the same convenience. I usually end up searching for the Snipping Tool, followed by getting frustrated with it.
Before I forget again, here’s how to take a screenshot on Windows using a shortcut (or in true Windows fashion, several shortcuts).
WIN + SHIFT + S (Partial Screenshot)
The Windows + SHIFT + S shortcut will grey out the screen and lets you draw a rectangle of whatever you’d like to capture. The resulting screenshot is copied to memory. Hit Edit – Paste or CTRL + V to paste it into other documents.
PrntScn Key (Full Screenshot)
Every Windows keyboard has a PrintScreen key hidden somwhere. It’s often labelled PrntScn or something similar, either accessible on its own or via a Functions Key. Hunt for it somewhere near the number block on the right hand side of your keyboard. Pressing that key will take a screenshot of the full display and copy it into memory.
ALT + PrntScn (Active Window Screenshot)
A variation on the above full-screen capture is the addition of the ALT key. When pressed together with the suprious PrntScn key, Windows will capture the currently active window and copy it into memory, complete with status bar (but without those slightly annoying shadows around it).
Thanks to HowToGeek for these tips. PS: That link contains about 147 other suggestions on how to take screenshots on Windows.
Handy Tip for WordPress Users
When you paste a screenshot with any of the above options into WordPress, the system is clever enough to upload the file to your server in the background. Now that’s handy!