The Chromebook’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, with new models available for both students and professionals. These laptops come with a slew of advantages, including a simple, streamlined method for taking screenshots. The screenshot can be a useful tool for communicating with teammates, whether you use it for homework or to handle important business projects while working remotely.
Here is how to take a screenshot on Chromebook as well as other ways to do this effectively.
How to Take a Screenshot On Chromebook With the Keyboard Shortcut
A screenshot keyboard shortcut has long been available in Chrome OS. Take the following steps:
- Press the Shift + Ctrl + Show buttons on your Chromebook (the Show window looks like a rectangle with two vertical lines next to it).
- Select Screenshot from the menu that appears at the bottom of the screen.
- Select whether you want to take a full-screen, partial-screen, or window screenshot. To access the screenshot menu if you’re using an external keyboard that lacks the Show button, press Shift + Ctrl + F5.
How to Take a Screenshot On Chromebook: Use the Screen Capture Tool in Quick Settings
Google added a screen-capture tool to the Quick Settings menu on Chromebooks with the release of Chrome OS 89 in March 2021. Here are the steps to follow using a screen capture tool:
- Select Screen Capture from the Quick Settings menu at the bottom-right of your screen.
- Check that what you want to capture is visible on your screen.
- Choose whether you want to capture the entire screen, a single window, or just a portion of your screen in the tool that appears.
Screenshots are copied to your Clipboard automatically. They’ll also appear in Tote, a feature introduced with Chrome OS 89 that keeps important files at your fingertips. To access recent downloads, screen captures, and pinned files, open Tote from the Shelf.
Screenshots are also saved to your “Downloads” folder for later retrieval. To change where they are saved, press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, then select Settings > Select folder, then select the folder you want, and future screenshots will be saved there.
Given the limited hard drive space on Chromebooks(Opens in a new window), one option is to save these images to Google Drive, where they will be accessible across devices.
How to do Print Screen on a Chromebook
Shift + Ctrl + Show Windows is the quickest keyboard shortcut for taking screenshots on your Chromebook. It launches the Screen Capture tool, which allows you to take a screenshot of a specific area of your screen.
You can also use the Ctrl + Show Windows shortcut (Chromebook’s Print Screen button equivalent) to take a quick screenshot of your full screen.
How a Chromebook Allows You to Take Screenshots Without a Keyboard Shortcut
You can make screen captures without using the Windows key if you don’t want to remember shortcut keys. Click on the time on the Chromebook’s taskbar (also known as the “Shelf”) to open the Quick Settings menu. The toolbar will then appear after you press Screen Capture.
The Screen Capture tool allows you to capture not only screenshots but also screen recordings. The button for switching between photo and video recording modes is located on the left side of the toolbar. You can capture your entire screen, a single window, or a specific part of your screen using the buttons in the middle of the toolbar. These options are applicable to both screenshotting and video recording.
How to Take a Screenshot on a Chromebook Tablet
Some Chrome OS tablets may lack a physical keyboard. Don’t worry; there’s a simple combination of buttons you can use to take a screenshot on a tablet.
To take a screenshot, press the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. The screenshot will then be registered by your screen, and a picture of your entire screen will be taken.
You can also use the stylus to capture a screen if your device supports it, such as HP Chromebooks.
To begin, press the Pen button on the Chromebook’s shelf. Choose Capture Region from the drop-down menu. Second, select a portion of your screen to capture with the stylus. Finally, lift it away from the screen to capture your screenshot.
How to Access Screenshots on Chrome OS
When you take a screenshot or screencast, it is immediately available in the Clipboard. It remembers the last five items you’ve saved to it. Simply press Search + V to see what’s available.
Recent screenshots can also be found in a holding area called Tote. Click the Tote button on the shelf to open it.
Screenshots from the Clipboard that have already been deleted can be found in your files. Simply launch the Files app on your Chromebook device, and your screenshots will be in the Images folder, and your screencasts will be in the Videos folder.
How to Take a Screenshot on Chromebook: Third-Party Software
The built-in screenshotting tool in Chrome OS may appear dull and feature-limited, but there are a number of apps and Chrome extensions available with additional functionality. Our picks for the easiest tools for Chromebook laptops, including Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung, are listed below.
#1. LightShot
LightShot is a popular free screen capture program. It is cross-platform, so you can get it as a Chrome extension or a program. The app allows you to capture, edit, and upload screenshots to the server.
Double-click the feather icon to activate LightShot. To capture, move the cursor over the window. Click to select the area you want to capture when a black dashed border appears.
Text boxes, comment boxes, arrows, rectangles, and other tools are also available in LightShot. Once you’ve made all of your changes, simply click the Save icon to finish.
#2. Awesome Screenshot
Awesome Screenshot is a screen-recording tool for Chromebooks that allows users to record and share their screens when explaining something.
You can take screenshots, blur personal information, add notes and comments, and share them with one-click uploads to other platforms (or simply save them to your computer).
Awesome also integrates and synchronizes with popular tools such as Slack, Asana, and Trello to make it easier to collaborate with colleagues and clients.
#3. Flamory
Flamory, as opposed to the previous software, has some additional features in addition to capturing, editing and sharing screenshots.
You can use the tool to create page snapshots with searchable screen grabs and content, bookmark pages, and make thumbnails. It copies the file or web page that appears on your screen; double-clicking the screen grab takes you to the exact location on the web page.
Furthermore, if your snapshots contain private data, you don’t have to worry about it being spread across the Internet. Flamory saves all snippets and history on your Chromebook while ignoring hidden files and private browsing sessions.
How to Edit Screenshots & Videos
After taking a Chromebook screenshot, you may want to edit it to make it perfect. Here’s how to do it in more detail.
Chrome OS Editing Tools
With the existing Chrome OS editing tools, you can make basic adjustments such as cropping, rotating, and resizing. It also includes color and tone filters, as well as annotation.
Third-Party Options
If you need to make numerous changes, consider using a third-party tool such as Canva or PicMonkey. Both programs offer free trials and tutorials so you can become acquainted with the available tools before editing your screenshots.
Because Canva and PicMoney are web-based, you must upload your photo files to the sites for editing. The programs will not take up space on your Chromebook’s internal hard drive, which is a plus. You can also use Canva or PicMoney on any compatible device for additional edits or redownloads.
Where Can I Find Video Captures?
You can fine-tune your captures, but a Chromebook is not a powerful video editing tool. As a result, your options for modifying video files are limited. You do have some basic options, such as changing the length of the video. However, if you need to make extensive changes, you should use a third-party app.
How to Keep Track of Your Screenshots
Screenshots are an essential part of modern life. They’re a quick and easy way to share a unique recipe, a hilarious meme, or a troubling social media comment that you want to report for harassment. Whatever you use screenshots for, if you take several per day and never organize or delete them, you may become overwhelmed by these files.
Screenshots consume space, particularly on your Chromebook’s limited internal storage. Backing up your screenshots to your Google Photos account is the best way to save them for later. Otherwise, to avoid screenshot clutter, review and delete your captures on a regular basis if you don’t think you’ll need them again.
How to take a screenshot on Chromebook with keyboard without Windows key?
If you are using an external keyboard that does not have a Show Windows or Screenshot key, you can still take a screenshot of the entire screen by pressing Ctrl and F5. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl and Shift and F5 to bring up the Screen Capture menu and/or take a screenshot of a portion of the screen.
How do you screenshot on a Chromebook without F5?
In any other case, the combination of the Ctrl and Show windows keys is a speedy method that can be used to capture a screenshot of the entire screen. On the top row of the keyboard is a key that looks like a rectangle with two lines on the right side. This key is referred to as the “Show windows” key. (It is the same as pressing the F5 key on a standard computer keyboard.)
Conclusion
When communicating with friends or coworkers, a screenshot may be the best way to get your point across. Use it to save important moments in your online life, create picture tutorials to assist a loved one, or document important financial events. Screenshots can be used in an infinite number of ways. And Chromebooks make capturing, editing, and sharing them a breeze.
N.B: Before Sharing, Double-Check Your Screenshot
Keep in mind that a full screenshot captures everything on your screen, including potentially private and personal information you may not want to share. Check your screen captures carefully to avoid sharing personal information that you don’t want others to see. This includes everything from website titles in browser tabs to sensitive information such as bank statements or medical history.
Just make sure to crop out any sensitive information you don’t want others to see, and avoid using your work computer to take personal screenshots or vice versa. Screenshots are extremely useful, but it is far too easy to create and share a screenshot that puts you or your employer at risk.
References
