Capture Screenshots on the Desktop or Application

Sometimes, when you are writing a narrative either in word document, or an email or even to present in a PowerPoint slide (destination), it is essential to capture a screenshot of whatever you are talking about.  A screenshot can remove any confusion to your readers or audience about the subject or content that you are describing in your narrative.  While there are small applications like the snipping tool, Snagit, Lightshot, there is a little trick in Windows that can help you capture a screenshot.

The Print Screen button on your keyboard can capture the screenshot in the RAM memory, and you can then paste it either in the Word document, Email message or a Slide in PowerPoint.  The commonly used CTRL + V (Paste) can be used to transfer the screenshot from the RAM memory to the destination document.

The illustration below shows how a screenshot is captured on the desktop (with many windows open), and how the screenshot appears when you paste the screenshot on a blank slide (but it could be a Word document or an email message, etc).

Steps to Perform:

When you are looking at whatever you want to capture on your screen, like a desktop or an application, press the Prt Scr button (usually on the upper right side of the keyboard)

Open the destination document where you are writing your narrative or you want to place the screenshot (for our example, we will use a PowerPoint slide)

Press the CTRL + V combination to paste the screenshot from memory into the destination document (in this case, a blank slide in PowerPoint)

To Capture a Dialog Box Only:

If you are attempting to capture a dialog box or a pop up message, then use ALT + PrtScr.  While PrtScr button by itself will capture a screenshot of the whole screen, ALT + PrtScr will only capture the message or dialog box.