Print Screen

A 102-key PC US English keyboard layout with print screen circled

Print screen (often abbreviated Prt Scr, Print Scrn, Prt Scn, Prt Sc or Prnt Scrn) is a key present on most keyboards, typically situated in the same section as the break key and scroll lock key. Print screen is shared with system request. Under earlier command-line based operating systems, this caused the contents of the current screen memory buffer to be copied to the standard printer port, usually LPT1. In essence, whatever was currently on the screen when the key was pressed was printed.

Use today

Newer-generation operating systems using a graphical interface tend to copy a bitmap image of the current screen to their clipboard or comparable storage area, which can be inserted into documents as a screenshot. Some shells allow modification of the exact behavior using keys such as control.

In Microsoft Windows, pressing print screen will capture the entire screen, while pressing the alt key in combination with print screen will capture the currently selected window. The captured image can then be pasted into an editing program such as a word processor, email, or graphics software. Pressing print screen, with both the alt key and shift key depressed, turns on a high contrast mode for people with visual impairments.

In GNOME and KDE desktop environments Print Screen behavior is similar to that of Microsoft Windows by default. However, a window will additionally pop up, prompting to save the screenshot to a file (in the PNG format by default).

Macintosh computers use the key sequence command-shift-3 for this functionality. The image is saved to a file on disk, unless additional modifiers are pressed. To capture only a selected area of the screen, use command-shift-4.

On RISC OS Computers, the Print Screen key opens up the print dialogue box, similar to pressing 'Ctrl+P' in Microsoft Windows, or 'Command+P' in Macintosh.

On modern day laptops, the 'fn' key, which is located to the left of the alt key, will, when held down, activate the 'print screen' command (as well as all the other secondary commands belonging to a key, such as num lock or mute buttons).

See also

• SysRq

• Mac OS X: Shortcuts for taking pictures of the screen

IBM PC keyboard (Windows, ANSI US layout)
Esc		F1	F2	F3	F4		F5	F6	F7	F8		F9	F10	F11	F12		PrtScn/ SysRq	Scroll Lock	Pause/ Break
																	Insert	Home	PgUp		Num Lock	∕	∗	−
																	Delete	End	PgDn		7	8	9	+
																					4	5	6
																		↑			1	2	3	Enter
																	←	↓	→		0    Ins		.  Del