At times, you come across a situation where you need to grab a screenshot, annotate it, and share it with colleagues. Capturing a full or specific screenshot is quite on Windows 11. You can either use the default Snipping Tool or explore third-party options to take screenshots like a pro.
Most users will be completely fine with the default Snipping Tool in Windows 11. But some may find it limiting in terms of editing. The Windows ecosystem is packed with capable third-party screenshots app to meet your growing needs. Let’s start with the built-in option and explore third-party apps to take screenshots on Windows 11.
1. Use the Print Screen Key
It’s the easiest way to take screenshots on Windows 11. Most Windows laptops and third-party keyboards come with a dedicated PrtSc key to capture the entire screen. You should look for the PrtSc button and press it to take a full screenshot. It doesn’t offer an option to grab a specific part on the screen.
Save Screenshots to OneDrive
If you use OneDrive on Windows, you can automatically save all screenshots to Microsoft’s cloud storage platform. Here’s how.
Step 1: Select the OneDrive icon in the Windows taskbar.
Step 2: Hit the Settings gear and open Settings.
Step 3: Enable the ‘Save screenshots I capture to OneDrive’ toggle.
2. Use the Snipping Tool to Take Screenshots on Windows 11
The PrtSc key takes the entire screenshots. If you want to capture a specific part, use the Snipping Tool.
Step 1: Press Windows + Shift + S keys to launch the Snipping Tool in the background.
Step 2: Use the trackpad or mouse to capture the screen and you will see a notification confirming the same.
Step 3: You can click the notification to open the editing tool.
Step 4: You can annotate it using a pen and highlighter. You can change the stroke size and color as well.
Step 5: Once you make relevant changes, press Ctrl + S keys to open the destination folder in the File Explorer menu.
You can send the edited screenshot using the Windows 11 share menu.
Add a Border to Each Screenshot
Snipping Tool also lets you automatically add a border to each screenshot. You need to make a tweak from the app’s settings menu.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Snipping Tool. Hit Enter to open the app.
Step 2: Click the three-dot menu and open Settings.
Step 3: Enable the ‘Add border to each screenshot’ toggle.
Step 4: Expand the same menu to change the border color and thickness.
The Snipping Tool isn’t limited to taking screenshots on Windows 11. It also lets you record the screen on the PC.
3. Take Screenshots in Microsoft Edge Browser on Windows
The default Microsoft Edge browser on Windows 11 comes with a screenshot function. You don’t need to use the Snipping tool or any third-party app to grab the content. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Open the Microsoft Edge browser on Windows.
Step 2: When you come across an interesting article on the web, click the camera icon at the top.
Step 3: Capture an area or take a full screenshot.
Step 4: You can copy the screenshot, open markup tools, or use Bing Visual search to learn more about the picture.
Step 5: Marup capture will open a familiar menu to use the pen tool.
Since the trick is a part of the Microsoft Edge browser, you can use the same steps on Edge for Mac too.
4. Use NexSnap to Capture the Screen on Windows 11
As we mentioned earlier, there is no drought of capable third-party screenshot apps on Windows. Among them, we found NexSnap to be a modern and feature-rich alternative to the Snipping Tool. Let’s check it out.
Step 1: Download and install the NexSnap app from the official website.
Step 2: Open the app and take a screenshot.
Step 3: You can play with a gradient background, add wallpapers from Unsplash, play with filters, and even annotate the picture with several tools.
Step 4: NexSnap also lets you add frames to create the perfect mockup. You can add iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux frames.
NexSnap is free to download and use. The paid plan starts at $9.99 per year. If you frequently take several screenshots on your Windows 11 PC, the asking price is worth it.
Take Screenshots Like a Pro
If you find the default Snipping Tool limiting, use third-party options like NexSnap to take screenshots like a pro. Microsoft Edge users can simply use the built-in web capture tool to grab content from a post.