Want to grab your screen fast—no fluff, no hunting for buttons? This is it. These are the exact keyboard shortcuts you need to take screenshots on Windows and Mac, including how to open the Snipping Tool.
🪟 Windows Screenshot Shortcuts
Action Shortcut Full screenPrtScn
Active window onlyAlt + PrtScn
Windows shortcut for Snipping toolWindows + Shift + S
opens Snipping Tool overlayWindows + PrtScn
(saves to Pictures > Screenshots)Game Bar screenshotWindows + G, then click the camera icon
Mac Screenshot Shortcuts
Action Shortcut FullscreenCommand + Shift + 3
Selected areaCommand + Shift + 4
Specific windowCommand + Shift + 4, then tap Spacebar
Screenshot menuCommand + Shift + 5(includes screen recording too)Copy screenshot to clipboardAdd Control to any combo above
🛠️ Related Tips
- Where do screenshots go?
Windows:
Pictures > Screenshotsfolder.
Mac: By default, they save to your desktop unless changed. - Want to record your screen instead?
Mac:
Command + Shift + 5> Record options Windows: UseWindows + Gto open Game Bar - Mac:
Command + Shift + 5> Record options - Windows: Use
Windows + Gto open Game Bar
Best free screen capture tools: - ShareX (Windows) – highly customizable
- CleanShot X (Mac) – pro-grade, paid
- [Snip & Sketch (Windows)] – Built-in and reliable
- [OBS Studio] – For screen recording, both OS
📥 Download This as a Printable PDF
Want to keep these shortcuts handy on your desk or wall?
Download the PDF cheat sheet
⏳ More Ways to Save Time
- Use clipboard managers like [Ditto (Windows)] or [Paste (Mac)] to store multiple screenshots.
- Set up hot corners (Mac) or quick access toolbars (Windows) to trigger capture modes even faster.
- Use cloud screenshot tools like Lightshot or Droplr if you share images often.
No more clicking around—just screen, snap, done.
Keyboard Shortcuts, Function Keys & Excel FAQ
What are 20 essential keyboard shortcuts?
These are some of the most commonly used shortcuts across Windows applications:
- Ctrl + C – Copy
- Ctrl + V – Paste
- Ctrl + X – Cut
- Ctrl + Z – Undo
- Ctrl + Y – Redo
- Ctrl + A – Select all
- Ctrl + S – Save
- Ctrl + P – Print
- Ctrl + F – Find
- Ctrl + N – New window or document
- Ctrl + O – Open
- Ctrl + T – New browser tab
- Ctrl + W – Close tab
- Ctrl + D – Bookmark page
- Ctrl + R – Refresh
- Alt + Tab – Switch between open apps
- Ctrl + Shift + Esc – Open Task Manager
- Ctrl + L – Focus address bar
- Windows + D – Show desktop
- Windows + L – Lock screen
These shortcuts are widely supported in Windows and many applications.
What are 25 essential keyboard shortcuts?
In addition to the 20 above, here are 5 more useful shortcuts:
- Ctrl + U – Underline
- Ctrl + B – Bold
- Ctrl + I – Italic
- Ctrl + H – Find and Replace
- Ctrl + K – Insert hyperlink
These are especially helpful in word processors and web editors.
What are 50 keyboard shortcuts?
A full list of 50 shortcuts includes those above plus advanced ones like:
- Ctrl + Shift + T – Reopen closed browser tab
- Ctrl + Shift + N – Open incognito/private window
- Ctrl + Shift + V – Paste without formatting
- Ctrl + Shift + Esc – Open Task Manager
- Alt + F4 – Close current window
- Ctrl + Shift + S – Save As (in some apps)
For a comprehensive list, refer to this PDF guide.
What does Ctrl + A to Z do?
Each Ctrl + [A–Z] combination performs a different function, depending on the application. For example:
- Ctrl + A – Select all
- Ctrl + B – Bold
- Ctrl + C – Copy
- Ctrl + D – Bookmark (browser) or font settings (Word)
- Ctrl + E – Center align (Word)
- Ctrl + F – Find
- Ctrl + G – Go to (Word)
- Ctrl + H – Replace
- Ctrl + I – Italic
- Ctrl + J – Justify (Word)
- Ctrl + K – Insert hyperlink
- Ctrl + L – Left align (Word)
- Ctrl + M – Indent (Word)
- Ctrl + N – New document
- Ctrl + O – Open
- Ctrl + P – Print
- Ctrl + Q – Remove paragraph formatting (Word)
- Ctrl + R – Right align (Word)
- Ctrl + S – Save
- Ctrl + T – New tab (browser)
- Ctrl + U – Underline
- Ctrl + V – Paste
- Ctrl + W – Close window
- Ctrl + X – Cut
- Ctrl + Y – Redo
- Ctrl + Z – Undo
These shortcuts are widely supported across applications.
What do the F1 to F12 keys do?
Function keys have different uses depending on the application:
In Windows:
- F1 – Help
- F2 – Rename selected item
- F3 – Search
- F4 – Address bar (File Explorer)
- F5 – Refresh
- F6 – Cycle through screen elements
- F7 – Spell check (in some apps)
- F8 – Boot menu (during startup)
- F9 – Refresh document (Word)
