If you've ever tried to take a screenshot of a game with the Print key. screen, you probably noticed that it didn't work. Because it doesn't work with full screen games, you have to use another method to capture your best gaming moments. If you are using Steam to play, you can use the built-in screenshot utility. You can also use MSI Afterburner which is a popular alternative for taking screenshots in any game. Finally, if you are using Windows 10, you can use the preinstalled Xbox app.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using Steam
Step 1. Open Steam
Using Steam to take screenshots is the easiest solution if you have played on the platform before. Steam has a built-in screenshot feature that you can use for any game available. If you don't play on Steam, read the method of using MSI Afterburner.
- You will find Steam in the section All applications from your Start menu or Windows screen. On Mac computers, you will find it in the folder Applications. In most Linux distributions, Steam is found in the menu Applications.
Step 2. Click on the Steam menu
Then select Settings to display the Steam settings menu.
Step 3. Click the In Game tab
The Steam overlay settings will be displayed.
Step 4. Click the Screenshots Shortcut field
It will allow you to define a new key for screenshots. By default, F12 is selected.
Step 5. Press any key
You can also press the key combination you want to use. You can press a single key or hold down Ctrl / Command, Alt / ⌥ Opt, or press ⇧ Shift and another key to create a combination.
Step 6. Click Folder Screenshots
You will be able to change the folder where the screenshots are saved. Select the folder you want to use.
Step 7. Choose your other screenshot options
You can set Steam to display a notification, play a sound, or keep an uncompressed copy. The uncompressed copy will be an exact replica of your in-game screen, but will be much larger in size.
Step 8. Click OK to save your changes
You will be able to take new screenshots with your new settings.
Step 9. Start a game
Start the game in which you want to take a screenshot. You can use the key you set to take a screenshot in any game in Steam.
Step 10. Take a screenshot as you play
Press the key or the key combination to take a screenshot. If you've turned on notifications, you'll hear or see them right away.
Method 2 of 3: Use MSI Afterburner
Step 1. Download the MSI Afterburner installer
MSI Afterburner is a graphics card utility that, in addition to other things, allows you to take screenshots of your games. You can download it for free at gaming.msi.com/features/afterburner.
- The file will be downloaded in ZIP format. Double click on it to open it then click on Extract to extract the installation file.
Step 2. Launch the installer
Double-click on the extracted installation file to begin the installation process. Keep all of the default settings and follow the on-screen prompts to install the program.
RivaTuner will be installed after the initial installation process is complete. Again, follow the on-screen directions for this operation
Step 3. Launch MSI Afterburner
The main interface will open. You'll see several options, but don't be afraid of whatever is in the window. Taking screenshots will be very easy.
Step 4. Click Settings
This button is at the bottom of the window. It will allow you to configure some settings before taking screenshots.
Step 5. Click on the Screen capture tab
It sits at the top of the window Settings and allows you to view the screenshot settings.
Step 6. Click on the Screen capture field
It usually indicates None. The next key you press will become the screenshot key.
Step 7. Press any key
Select the key or key combination you want to use to take screenshots. You can use any key on your keyboard, but be careful not to choose one that you use to play. If you hold down the Ctrl, alt = "Image" or ⇧ Shift keys you can create a combination of shortcuts.
Step 8. Select your screenshot format
The "bmp" format will be the most faithful, but it will also be the largest and will need to be converted before uploading or sharing. The "png" format offers the best compression-to-quality ratio. The "jpg" format is the smallest format, but at the cost of an obvious loss of quality.
- The "jpg" format offers a "Quality" slider unlike the 2 others.
- "PNG" is the most common format for posting or sharing screenshots.
Step 9. Select a screenshot folder
You can change the folder where your screenshots are saved. Click on the button Browse to open a window and navigate to the folder you want to use.
Step 10. Save your changes
Click on the button OK at the bottom of the settings window to save your changes.
Step 11. Launch a game with MSI Afterburner enabled
You can reduce it if you want. MSI Afterburner is very light and you should not experience any performance degradation while it is running.
Step 12. Press the screenshot key
You can also press the key combination if that's what you set. Your screenshot will instantly be saved to the folder you selected.
Method 3 of 3: Use the Xbox app for Windows 10
Step 1. Open the Xbox app in Windows 10
You will find it in the Start menu. You can also press the ⊞ Win key and type "xbox".
You can use the Xbox app to take a screenshot of any game that's compatible with Windows 10
Step 2. Click the Settings button
You will find it in the menu on the left of the screen.
Step 3. Click the Game DVR tab at the top of the menu
The DVR and screenshot settings will be displayed.
Step 4. Slide the DVR switch to the On position
The DVR must be enabled in order to take screenshots with the app. Click the switch to slide it to the On position.
Step 5. Create a custom screenshot shortcut (optional)
When the DVR is enabled, the default shortcut is ⊞ Win + Alt + Print. screen. If you want you can click on the empty field next to it and define your own shortcut.
Step 6. Click the Open Folder button
It is located in the "Save screenshots" section and opens the folder where your screenshots will be saved.
Step 7. Go back one directory
Then move the folder Catches in another location. If you want to change where the screenshots are saved, you will need to move the folder Catches in a new location. The screenshots will be automatically saved in the folder Catches wherever it is.
- For example, to save them in the folder Pictures, go back to the previous directory and drag the folder Catches in the file Pictures in the sidebar.
Step 8. Start a game
Launch the game in which you want to take a screenshot. The Xbox app does not need to be open to use the screenshot feature.
Step 9. Press your screenshot key
You can also press the key combination you defined to take a screenshot. This will be saved in the file Catches that you may have moved previously.
