How do I Print Screen a copy window?

To copy only the active window on your Windows PC using the Print Screen function, you need to use a simple keyboard shortcut.

Capturing a Single Window Screenshot

Taking a screenshot of just the window you are currently working in, rather than the entire screen, is a common need. Windows provides a built-in method using the Print Screen key in combination with the Alt key.

According to the reference, to capture only the currently active window:

• Press and hold the Alt key.
• While holding Alt, press the Prt Screen key. (This key is often labeled "PrtScn", "PrntScrn", or similar, and is typically found in the top-right section of your keyboard).

This action copies an image of the active window directly to your computer's clipboard.

Pasting Your Captured Window

Once the window screenshot is on your clipboard, you can paste it into various applications that support images, such as:

• Image editors (like Paint, Photoshop, GIMP)
• Document editors (like Microsoft Word, Google Docs)
• Email clients
• Messaging apps

To paste the image, navigate to the application where you want to place it and:

• Press Ctrl + V (the standard paste shortcut).
• Alternatively, use your preferred paste method (e.g., right-click and select "Paste" or use the application's menu option).

Comparison: Full Screen vs. Single Window

It's useful to understand the difference between the two primary Print Screen actions on Windows:

• Full Screen: Pressing just the Prt Screen button copies your entire screen (all monitors if you have multiple) to the clipboard.
• Single Window: Pressing Alt + Prt Screen copies only the currently active window to the clipboard.

Action	Keys Pressed	Result	Destination
Capture Full Screen	Prt Screen	Image of entire screen	Clipboard
Capture Active Window	Alt + Prt Screen	Image of the currently active window	Clipboard

Using Alt + Prt Screen is efficient when you only need a specific window's content and want to avoid capturing the surrounding desktop or other open applications.

This method provides a quick way to grab a copy of a window for reports, documentation, or sharing.