How to do a Video Screenshot?

Taking a "video screenshot" means capturing a still image, or a single frame, from a video that is playing on your computer screen. This allows you to save a specific moment from a video as a picture. On a PC, there are several straightforward keyboard shortcuts you can use to achieve this, capturing the current display of your screen, which includes any playing or paused video.

Effective Methods for Capturing Video Screenshots on PC

You can easily capture a still image from a video playing on your computer using built-in Windows functionalities. These methods essentially take a snapshot of whatever is currently displayed on your screen, including your video player. For best results, it's often recommended to pause the video at the exact moment you wish to capture before taking the screenshot.

Here are the primary methods:

1. Using the PrtScn Key

The PrtScn (Print Screen) key is a quick way to capture your entire screen.

• How to do it:
  • Navigate to the video you want to screenshot.
  • Pause the video at the desired frame.
  • Press the PrtScn key (sometimes labeled Print Screen, Prnt Scrn, or Prt Sc).
• What it does: This action copies a screenshot of your entire screen to your clipboard.
• Next steps: You'll need to paste this image into an image editor (like Paint, Photoshop, or even a document) to save or edit it.

2. Using Alt + PrtScn for Active Window Capture

This method is ideal when you only want to capture the video player itself, without capturing your entire desktop or other open windows.

• How to do it:
  • Ensure the video player (or the browser tab with the video) is the active window (click on it once).
  • Pause the video at the frame you want.
  • Press Alt + PrtScn simultaneously.
• What it does: This copies a screenshot of only the active window to your clipboard.
• Next steps: Similar to PrtScn, you'll need to paste this image into an image editor to save it.

3. Using Windows + Shift + S for Custom Selection

This method provides more flexibility, allowing you to select a specific area of your screen to capture, which is perfect for cropping just the video frame.

• How to do it:
  • Play or pause your video at the desired frame.
  • Press Windows key + Shift + S simultaneously.
• What it does: Your screen will dim, and a small toolbar will appear at the top. You can then click and drag your mouse to select the precise area you want to screenshot.
• Next steps: The selected area is copied to your clipboard. A notification will pop up from the "Snip & Sketch" tool (or "Snipping Tool" on older Windows versions) allowing you to open the captured image for immediate editing, annotation, or saving. This method often provides the most efficient workflow for directly saving the image.

Summary of Video Screenshot Methods

Here's a quick overview of the methods discussed:

Method	Keys Used	Capture Area	Output	Best For
Entire Screen	PrtScn	Whole display	Copied to clipboard	Quick capture of everything visible
Active Window	Alt + PrtScn	Current active application	Copied to clipboard	Capturing just the video player
Custom Selection	Windows + Shift + S	User-defined rectangular area	Copied to clipboard & Snip & Sketch notification	Precision capturing of the video frame only

Information based on methods described by Zight.com (February 27, 2024).