How do I take a screenshot on Windows 11 without the Print Screen button?

Taking a screenshot on Windows 11 is easy even without a dedicated Print Screen button. There are several methods you can use to capture whatever is on your screen and save it as an image file.

Quick Answer

The quickest ways to take a screenshot on Windows 11 without Print Screen are:

• Use the Snipping Tool app
• Use the Win + Shift + S keyboard shortcut
• Use the Xbox Game Bar by pressing Win + G

These methods allow you to capture, annotate, and save screenshot images without needing any special buttons. Keep reading for more details on each one.

Steps to Capture Screenshots on Windows 11 Without Print Screen

Here is a more in-depth look at how to take screenshots using the main methods available in Windows 11:

Use the Snipping Tool

The Snipping Tool application included with Windows provides an easy way to take basic screenshots. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Snipping Tool”. Launch the Snipping Tool app.
2. The app will minimize itself. Click on its icon in the taskbar to make the Snipping Tool window reappear.
3. Click the “New” button or press Ctrl + N. Your screen will fade, indicating you can now select an area to capture.
4. Click and drag your mouse cursor to highlight the area you want. Or click once to capture the full screen.
5. Let go and the selected area will appear in the Snipping Tool window. You can now annotate, save, or copy the image.

This is a very straightforward way to grab basic screenshots on Windows 11. The downside is you have to open the Snipping Tool each time.

Use the Print Screen Shortcut

Windows includes a keyboard shortcut that functions like Print Screen:

• Press the Windows logo key + Shift + S on your keyboard.
• Your screen will darken and your mouse cursor will change.
• Click and drag to select an area, or click to capture the full screen.
• The screenshot will be saved to your clipboard so you can paste it into an app.

This is faster than the Snipping Tool since you don’t have to open an app first. The downside is that screenshots taken this way are not automatically saved – you have to paste them somewhere yourself.

Use the Xbox Game Bar

The Xbox Game Bar included with Windows provides more screenshot options:

1. Open the Game Bar by pressing the Windows logo key + G on your keyboard.
2. Click on the “Capture” button in the Game Bar.
3. Choose one of the screenshot capture options:
   • Standard will let you select an area of the screen with your mouse.
   • Fullscreen will capture your entire display.
   • Webcam will include a picture from your webcam.
4. The screenshot will be automatically saved to the Videos > Captures folder.

The Game Bar provides more flexibility for screen captures. You also don’t have to open a separate app. The only potential downside is having to click through the Game Bar interface to find the capture button. But once you get used to the steps, it is very fast.

More Screenshot Methods and Tips

In addition to the main options covered above, there are a few more ways to take screenshots in Windows 11 without a dedicated print screen button:

Use ALT + Print Screen for the Active Window

If you only want to capture the currently active window instead of the full screen, you can use the Alt + Print Screen keyboard shortcut:

• Open the window you want to capture so it is active and in focus.
• Press and hold the Alt key, then tap the Print Screen key (often labeled Print Scrn or Prt Scr).
• The screenshot will be saved to your clipboard.
• Paste it into an image editor or document to save it as a file.

This is handy for capturing application windows individually.

Use Microsoft Edge to Take Webpage Screenshots

The current Microsoft Edge browser makes it easy to capture screenshots of webpages:

1. Navigate to the webpage you want to capture in Edge.
2. Click the menu button (three horizontal dots) in the upper right corner.
3. Select “Capture screenshot” from the menu.
4. Choose to capture just the visible area or the full length of the webpage.
5. The screenshot will be saved to your Downloads folder as a PNG image.

This works great for quickly grabbing shots of articles, recipes, or any other website content.

Get Screenshots in OneNote

If you use OneNote for note taking, you can send screenshots straight into your notebooks:

• Set up Windows 10 or 11 to save screenshots to OneNote by going to Settings > Clipboard and toggling “Copy screenshots to OneNote”.
• Now anytime you take a screenshot with Win + Shift + S or any other method, the picture will also be sent to OneNote.
• Screenshots will be embedded on a new page in your open OneNote notebook.

With this set up, you can quickly capture screens and get them into your notes.

Learn Keyboard Shortcuts

All the main screenshot methods rely on keyboard shortcuts rather than buttons:

Print Screen	Win + Shift + S
Active Window	Alt + Print Screen
Xbox Game Bar	Win + G

Taking a few minutes to learn these combos will make taking screenshots much faster since you won’t have to move your hands back and forth between keyboard and mouse.

How to Find Your Screenshots in Windows

Screenshots you take on Windows don’t always go to the same folder. Here is where to find your screenshots from the different capture methods:

Method	Screenshot Location
Snipping Tool	Saves to location you choose
Print Screen shortcut	Copied to your clipboard
Xbox Game Bar	Videos > Captures folder
Microsoft Edge	Downloads folder as PNG
OneNote	Embedded on new page in open notebook

So depending on the screenshot tool or shortcut you use, you will find your captures in different spots. The clipboard, Downloads folder, Videos folder, and OneNote are the main places to look on Windows.

Customize Your Screenshot Workflow in Windows

If the default screenshot locations aren’t working for your workflow, you can customize where your screenshots are saved:

• Create a dedicated Screenshots folder at C:\Users\YourName\Screenshots or in your Pictures folder.
• Configure Snipping Tool to always save files there by default.
• Set up OneNote integration to send screenshots to a Screenshots notebook instead of your default notebook.
• Use a tool like Taporus to automatically save screenshots from any app to your custom folder.

Taking these steps will streamline your post-capture workflow so you always know where to find your screenshot files.

Conclusion

Even though most Windows PCs lack a dedicated Print Screen button these days, you still have many options to easily capture screenshots. Tools like Snipping Tool, Game Bar, and OneNote integration provide flexible ways to grab full screens, windows, webpages and more. Learning the keyboard shortcuts for each method makes capturing screens even faster.

With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to customize your Windows 11 screenshot setup in a way that meshes perfectly with your individual workflow. Then you can snap and share screenshots more efficiently than ever. Your newfound screenshot skills will come in handy any time you want to capture and share a computer’s screen contents.