How to Print Your Screen in Windows 11 and 10
Windows has no single "print my screen" button, but there are several ways to get what's on your screen onto paper. Here they all are, from the fewest steps to the most. Pick the one that fits what you need.
In short: to print the whole screen, PrintDeskTop does it in one click. To print just one window or part of the screen, or to save the picture as a file, use the Windows keys below.
1. Print the whole screen in one click: PrintDeskTop
PrintDeskTop is a small free program made for exactly this. It sends your whole screen straight to your printer as one page.
- Download and install PrintDeskTop (free, 703 KB).
- Click the Windows Start button, type PrintDeskTop and click it. Your screen prints.
For one-click printing, right-click PrintDeskTop and choose Pin to taskbar, or set a shortcut key such as Ctrl + Alt + P (step by step in pictures). More on How to Use It.
2. Save the whole screen as a picture, then print it: Windows key + Print Screen
- Press and hold the Windows key and press Print Screen (often labelled PrtScn or PrtSc). The screen dims for a moment.
- Windows saves the picture in your Pictures folder, inside Screenshots.
- Open that folder, double-click the newest picture, and press Ctrl + P to print it.
Good when you want to keep a copy of the screen as a file.
3. Print just one window: Alt + Print Screen and Paint
- Click the window you want, so it is in front.
- Press and hold Alt and press Print Screen. Windows copies a picture of that window only.
- Open Paint (click Start and type Paint) and press Ctrl + V to paste the picture.
- Press Ctrl + P to print it.
4. Print part of the screen: Windows key + Shift + S
- Press Windows key + Shift + S. The screen dims and a small bar appears at the top.
- Drag a box around the part you want.
- A notice appears in the bottom-right corner. Click it to open the picture in the Snipping Tool.
- Press Ctrl + P to print it.
On many Windows 11 PCs, pressing the Print Screen key on its own opens this same bar.
Print your screen to a PDF file
Use way 2, 3 or 4 above. When the Print window opens, choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer, click Print, and pick where to save the file.
Which way should I use?
| You want to | Best way |
|---|---|
| Print the whole screen, fast | PrintDeskTop: one click or one key |
| Keep the screen as a picture file | Windows key + Print Screen |
| Print only one window | Alt + Print Screen, then Paint |
| Print only part of the screen | Windows key + Shift + S |
| Make a PDF of the screen | Microsoft Print to PDF |
If something goes wrong
- Nothing prints: check that your printer is on and is the default printer (Start, type Printers, click Printers & scanners). PrintDeskTop always uses the default printer; the FAQ shows how to change it.
- Two copies come out with a shortcut key: see How to fix multiple print problem.
- The Print Screen key does nothing on a laptop: some laptops need the Fn key held down too (Fn + Print Screen).
Microsoft's own help: Keyboard shortcut for Print Screen and Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots.