Q: In Windows 8.1, pressing the PrintScreen button takes a snapshot of my desktop and saves it to my Windows Clipboard so I can paste the results into Word, Excel, or elsewhere; but how do I create a file image of my PrintScreen results?
A: In Windows 8 and 8.1, holding down the Windows key and pressing the PrintScreen button will take a screenshot of your desktop and automatically save it to your Libraries, Pictures, Screenshots folder, as pictured below.
As an alternative, my favorite method for converting
screenshots to files is to use the Windows Snipping Tool, which is
included in Windows 8, 7, and Vista. To access this tool, select the
Start button, All Programs, Windows
Accessories, Snipping Tool. (Alternatively, you can also
search for Snipping Tool.) To use the Snipping Tool, click the New
button; this action will cause your screen to freeze and turn
gray. Next, use your mouse to select the screen area you want to
capture, after which your captured image will appear in the
Snipping Tool canvas, as pictured below.
To save the captured image as a file, select File,
Save As, browse to the path where you want the file saved,
enter a file name, select the desired file format (PNG, GIF, JPG, or
MHT), and click Save. The advantages of using the Snipping Tool
rather than the Print - Screen tool are that you can specify the exact
area to be captured, produce a higher-resolution image, and save the
image to a variety of popular file formats. Furthermore, no cropping
is required.
J. Carlton Collins (carlton@asaresearch.com) is a technology consultant, CPE instructor, and a JofA contributing editor.
Note: Instructions for Microsoft Office in “Technology Q&A” refer to the 2013, 2010, and 2007 versions, unless otherwise specified.
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