Printing the screen or taking a screenshot on a Chromebook is a straightforward process. Chrome OS, the operating system for Chromebooks, provides simple keyboard shortcuts to capture either the entire screen or a portion of it. Here’s how to do it:
To Capture the Entire Screen:
- Press the Ctrl + Show Windows keys together.
- The Show Windows key is typically located on the top row of the keyboard and features a rectangle with two lines on the right side, resembling a window. This action will capture the entire screen.
- Once you press these keys, the screen will flash briefly, indicating that a screenshot has been taken. The screenshot is then automatically saved in the “Downloads” folder.
To Capture a Portion of the Screen:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows keys together.
- The cursor will change to a crosshair.
- Click and drag the crosshair over the area of the screen you want to capture, then release to take the screenshot.
- The selected portion of the screen will be captured, and the screenshot will be saved in the “Downloads” folder.
Additional Tips:
- Accessing Screenshots: You can access your screenshots by opening the “Files” app and navigating to the “Downloads” folder. Chrome OS automatically saves screenshots in this location.
- Notification: After taking a screenshot, a notification will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen. You can click on this notification to immediately see the screenshot, copy it to the clipboard, or edit it.
- Editing Screenshots: If you need to edit your screenshot, you can use the built-in image viewer by double-clicking the screenshot file in the “Files” app. For more advanced editing features, consider using a web-based editor or downloading an app from the Google Play Store (if your Chromebook supports Android apps).
- Clipboard Option: If you want to quickly copy a screenshot to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file, press Ctrl + Show Windows + Switch Window (or Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows + Switch Window for a portion of the screen). The Switch Window key is typically the fifth key on the top row and allows you to paste the screenshot directly into an image editing tool or document without saving it first.
By following these steps, you should be able to easily print the screen on your Chromebook, whether you need a snapshot of the entire screen or just a specific area.