How to Instantly Save Print Screen Screenshots as an Image on Windows
Do you often take screenshots using the Print Screen shortcut but have to paste them into another app before you can save them? Would you like all screenshots captured via the Print Screen key to be saved directly to a folder rather than on the Windows clipboard? Windows allows users to bypass the clipboard and save Print Screen screenshots directly to a folder.
In this article, we’ll demonstrate how to do that and save the screenshots in the format of your choice. Also, we will discuss some tips for taking better screenshots.
Why Does the Print Screen Key Save Snapshots to the Clipboard?
By default, when you take a screenshot with the Print Screen key, the screenshot is immediately copied to the Windows clipboard. Here are some of the primary reasons for this:
Print Screen is quite handy if your situation fits the ones above, but if you intend to save snapshots directly to your computer, Print Screen saving images to a clipboard can be pretty annoying.
If that’s the case for you, too, don’t worry. Windows allows you to save Print Screen screenshots directly to your screenshot folders. Let’s see how it’s possible to do that.
How to Save Print Screen Images Directly to Your Device
You have to use a different key combination to save Print Screen snapshots directly to your device. Instead of pressingPrint Screenalone, you must press bothPrint ScreenandWindows (Win)keys simultaneously. Doing so will save a screenshot of your current screen to your device, but where are these screenshots stored, and how can you access them?
To access the screenshots taken usingPrntScn + Winkey combination, openFile Explorerand navigate toThis PC > Pictures > Screenshots.
You can also access these screenshots through theRecent filessection inQuick access.
How to Change the Location of Saved Snapshots on Windows
To change the location of screenshots captured using thePrntScn + Winkey combination, follow the below steps:
That’s it. Every screenshot you capture from now on usingPrntScn + Winkeys combination will be saved to the new location.
If you prefer to save screenshots captured with the Print Screen shortcut to the Downloads folder, select theDownloadsfolder as the target location when following the above instructions. This way, every new capture will be saved to the Downloads folder.
How to Save PrtScn Screenshots in Either PNG or JPEG Format
Screenshots taken with the Print Screen key or combinations are saved in the PNG format by default. Therefore, if you want to get the final output of snapshots in the PNG format, there is no need to make any changes. On the other hand, you may’t directly capture screenshots in the JPEG format using Print Screen, so you’ll need to rely on a workaround.
If you want to save screenshots in JPEG format, follow these steps:
If you don’t want to use this method, you may also use other Windows tools to take screenshots, such as Windows Snipping Tool, which will allow you to save captured screenshots in your preferred format, take delayed screenshots, edit captured screens, and do much more.
Tips to Take Print Screen Screenshots More Efficiently
The Print Screen feature in Windows makes it easy to capture screenshots, but there are a few ways you can make it more efficient. The following tips will help you be more productive when taking snapshots with Print Screen:
Aside from the tips above, we have a guide on moremodifiers that speed up the screenshot-taking process on Windows. Don’t forget to check it out and see how to make the screenshotting process even faster.
What If the Print Screen Key Doesn’t Work Properly?
While it’s unlikely that Print Screen will stop grabbing the screenshots for you, it can stop working if there are problems with the Print Screen keyboard key, the F-lock key is disabled, there’s third-party interference, or you’re using outdated keyboard drivers.
If this happens to you, you can quickly resolve the problem by following a few steps. In our guide onfixing the Print Screen key not working on Windows, we have covered all the fixes you can use to resolve the problem.
Save Print Screen Screenshots More Efficiently on Windows
Capturing screenshots is one of the most common tasks users perform throughout the day. We hope our tips will help you capture screenshots on Windows more efficiently. Also, you should now be able to save them in the format of your choice.
Furthermore, try third-party screenshot apps to take your screenshot experience to a whole new level. Several popular choices, including Snagit, PicPick, and ShareX, are worth checking out.
Here are the best Windows screenshot tools, whether you need a basic screen capture app or something with advanced features.
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