Screenshots - Capture pictures of your computer screen

by Adam West | More from this Blogger

21 Apr 2006 01:00 PM

Screenshots are very useful and easy to create. Today, I want to introduce screenshots, answering a few questions I have received from readers about them.

What is a screenshot?

Quite simply, it is a picture of all or part of what is being displayed on your computer monitor.

Screenshots are also sometimes called screen captures or screen dumps. While most people tend to use the terms synonymously, others use each term to distinguish the type of screenshot being taken. For example, some will only use the term screen capture to describe capturing video of your screen over time. For general purposes, however, all three terms can be used interchangeably.

Why use screenshots?

Screenshots are useful for many reasons. One popular use is to help others learn to navigate through various types of software. If you get a chance, browse through the blogs here in this topic (Computers, Internet, and Electronics) and you will see how Scott and I use screenshots while giving Windows tips or discussing various software products.

Another use for screenshots is to get help with troubleshooting. Say, for example, you are having trouble with a program or constant annoyance that you just can't figure out. You can easily take a screenshot or two and email them to a trusted technical advisor (friend, family member, tech support, and so on) for help. With the screenshots you send, they can easily see your settings or the error box that pops up.

I often use screenshots to take a picture of how I have certain things set up on my computer. For example, I take screenshots of my Windows desktop so I can easily see where all of my icons are placed. If the icons are ever moved by other computer users, I can easily check the screenshot and see how I had them arranged.

Do I need special software to create screenshots?

No. Both Microsoft and Apple operating systems have the ability to take simple screenshots. You can capture either the entire screen or just the active window to the clipboard for use in any photo editing/creation software.

If you want more flexibility with the types of screenshots you can take, you may want to look at using a separate screen capture program. These programs allow you to capture more specific parts of the screen, text from Web pages or PDF documents, motion video of your screen movement, and even pictures from games and applications you are running.

How do I capture screenshots?

I'll cover screenshot basics in my next blog. Also, I'll briefly introduce a few of the more popular screen capture programs that you can purchase. You can check out a blog I wrote about Windows keyboard shortcuts for an introduction to creating screenshots.

Learn more about Adam West

Adam is avid computer and electronics hobbyist. He and his young family call central Texas home. His love of the application of multimedia and electronics has lead him to Families.

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Lisa Kennedy (4068) 21 Apr 2006 09:14 PM

I'm looking forward to your next blog! I knew you could do this, but didn't know how!