Screenshot
Alternatively referred to as a screen dump, snapshot, or screen capture, a screen shot or screenshot is an image that is created from a software program or the operating system. Once a screenshot has been captured it can be saved as an image file such as a GIF or JPEG, manipulated, or printed.
In the picture to the right, is an example screenshot in the computer game Caesar.
There are several ways to capture a screenshot, often each of these methods depend on what computer operating system you are using and what you intend to take a screenshot of. Below is a listing of all the different ways to create screenshots.
Microsoft Windows users and most other operating systems
The simplest way to take a screenshot is to press the print screen key on the keyboard. This takes a screenshot of the full screen and places it into the computer clipboard. Once in the clipboard, paste that screenshot into Microsoft Paint or other image editor.
Pressing and holding the
ALT key while pressing the print screen key will
take a screenshot of the active window,
instead of the full screen.
Microsoft Windows Vista (not home basic) and Windows 7 users can use the
Snipping tool to more effectively take screenshots in
Windows.
Apple Mac users
Apple Mac OS users can take a screenshot of their whole screen by pressing Command + Shift + 3. This will create a new TIFF file on your Desktop.
To take a picture of part of the screen press Command + Shift + 4 and than select the area of the screen you want to take a screenshot of.
If you need to copy the image to the clipboard instead of a file press Control + Command + Shift + 3 or 4.
Other software operating systems, programs, or games
If you are unable to successfully create a screenshot using any of the above recommendations, use a third-party software program. Below is a listing of some screenshot programs you may wish to consider.
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzpro/ (Apple users)
http://www.atlantsoft.com/utils/ssm.htm
http://www.fraps.com/ (Games, Images, and movies)
http://www.screen-capture.net/
http://lightshot.skillbrains.com/landing/lightshot1.html
http://www.screenshot-utility.com/
http://www.techsmith.com/products/snagit/default.asp
Open a search for additional screenshot / capture programs.
Games
Many games will include a screenshot option or setup that enables the players to press a key such as the print screen key or F11 key. This varies between games and it is recommended you refer to the game key options or the manual for information about this availability. If this is not available, see the next section.
Screen shots from movies
When watching a movie or video file you may want to grab a single screenshot image.
Viewing, editing, and saving screen shots
Although many of the above downloadable programs allow you to capture screenshots, they may not have all the image editing features you need. Use an image editor to perform cropping, rotating, or other image editing tasks.
Also see: Fraps, Game definitions, Print screen