Since the October update, Microsoft’s operating system includes a comprehensive and easy-to-use screen capture tool.
If you have been using a Windows PC for a long time, you probably know that the Print Screen key on the keyboard allows you to take a screenshot, which is automatically saved in the Windows clipboard. But then, what to do next? Paste the captured capture in Paint to finally save the resulting image? Other, much simpler solutions exist.
Microsoft offered an application, Screen Capture Tool, which simplified the process somewhat, but was not perfect. Since the October update, Windows 10 integrates Screen Capture and Sketch, a tool in our opinion less good than the Fire Snip, but which is much more practical than the old screen capture tool.
1. Capture on the fly
The Snapshot & Sketch utility can be called up using a simple keyboard shortcut. To use it and quickly take a screenshot, simultaneously press Windows + Shift + S keys.
The utility is then displayed at the top center of the screen, and the cursor for selecting the area to capture is ready to capture the image.
The only problem is that once the screenshot has been taken, you only have a few seconds to click on the pop-up displayed at the bottom right and which opens the image in Screenshot and sketch, for the ‘edit, but above all save it as an image.
As it is, your capture only exists within the Windows clipboard and the only solution to recover the image is to paste it into a document or image editing software. Which is therefore really not practical.
2. Use the Screenshot & Sketch app
The most viable solution to taking and saving your screenshots is to go through the utility’s full window. To open it, click the Start menu and then, in the list of available programs, tap Screenshot and sketch.
Now that the program is open on your machine, all the screenshots taken automatically appear in its main pane. Click New and select the area to capture. Unfortunately, the utility does not allow, as with some competitors, to easily capture a complete window, for example by holding down the space bar.
Once the capture has been made, it is possible to edit it using the annotation tools provided, to crop it, but also and above all, to save it by clicking on the button appearing on a floppy disk.
3. Configure the Print Screen key
If you are not happy with the use of the keyboard shortcut mentioned in step 1, it is still possible to configure the Print Screen key on your keyboard to automatically trigger Screen Capture and Sketch.
From the main application window, click on the three dots, and enter Settings.
Click Use the Print button. Screen to open the screenshot.
A window asking if you want to change the application appears. To change this setting, Snapshot & Sketch needs to change Windows settings. Click Yes to open Windows Keyboard Settings.
Scroll through the various options in Windows Keyboard Settings to reach the section dedicated to the Print Screen Shortcut. Activate the functionality by clicking on the appropriate button and close the settings.
Then restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
To take a screenshot quickly, all you have to do is press Print. screen before clicking on the pop-up to save your image.