View source for Print Screen

{{short description|Key on most PC keyboards}}
{{Distinguish|Screen printing}}
[[Image:KeyboardWithPrintScreenRinged.svg|thumb|350px|right|A 104-key [[Personal computer|PC]] US English [[keyboard layout]] with {{key press|Print Scrn}} circled]]
'''Print Screen''' (often abbreviated '''Print Scrn''', '''Prnt Scrn''', '''Prnt Scr''', '''Prt Scrn''', '''Prt Scn''', '''Prt Scr''', '''Prt Sc''', '''Pr Sc''', or '''PS''') is a key present on most [[Keyboard (computing)|PC keyboard]]s. It is typically situated in the same section as the [[break key]] and [[scroll lock]] key. The print screen may share the same key as [[system request]].

==Original use==
Under [[Command line interface|command-line]] based [[operating system]]s such as [[MS-DOS]], this key causes the contents of the current [[text mode]] [[Computer display|screen]] memory buffer to be copied to the standard printer [[Computer port (hardware)|port]], usually LPT1. In essence, whatever is currently on the screen when the key is pressed will be printed. Pressing the {{key press|[[control key|Ctrl]]}} key in combination with {{key press|Prt Sc}} turns on and off the "printer echo" feature. When echo is in effect, any conventional text output to the screen will be copied ("echoed") to the printer. There is also a Unicode character for print screen, {{Unichar|2399|print screen symbol}}.

==Modern use==
Newer-generation operating systems using a [[Graphical user interface|graphical interface]] tend to save a [[bitmap]] image of the current screen, or [[screenshot]], to their [[Clipboard (software)|clipboard]] or comparable storage area. Some [[shell (computing)|shells]] allow modification of the exact behavior using modifier keys such as the [[control key]].

In [[Microsoft Windows]], pressing {{key press|Prt Sc}} will capture the entire screen,<ref name=windows7>{{cite web|title=Take a screen capture (print your screen) - Windows Help|url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/take-screen-capture-print-screen#take-screen-capture-print-screen=windows-7|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=25 April 2014}}</ref> while pressing the {{key press|[[Alt key|Alt]]}} key in combination with {{key press|Prt Sc}} will capture the currently selected window.<ref name=windows7/> The captured image can then be [[Cut, copy, and paste|pasted]] into an editing program such as a graphics program or even a [[word processor]]. Pressing {{key press|Prt Sc}} with both the left {{key press|Alt}} key and left {{key press|[[Shift key|Shift]]}} pressed turns on a high contrast mode (this [[keyboard shortcut]] can be turned off by the user).<ref name=windows10>{{cite web|title=Turn on high contrast mode|url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/turn-on-high-contrast-mode|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=2 February 2016}}</ref> Since Windows 8, pressing the {{key press|[[Windows key|Win]]}} key in combination with {{key press|Prt Sc}} (and optionally in addition to the {{key press|Alt}} key) will save the captured image to disk (the default pictures location).<ref name=windows8>{{cite web|title=Take a screen capture (print your screen) - Windows Help|url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/take-screen-capture-print-screen#take-screen-capture-print-screen=windows-8|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=25 April 2014}}</ref> This behavior is therefore backward compatible with users who learned Print Screen actions under [[operating system]]s such as [[MS-DOS]]. In Windows 10, the {{key press|Prt Sc}} key can be configured to open the 'New' function of the Snip & Sketch tool. This allows the user to take a full screen, specific window, or defined area screenshot and copy it to clipboard. This behaviour can be enabled by going to Snip & Sketch, accessing Settings via the menu and enabling the 'Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping'.

In [[KDE]] and [[GNOME]], very similar shortcuts are available, which open a screenshot tool (Spectacle<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spectacle |url=https://apps.kde.org/spectacle/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=KDE Applications |language=en}}</ref> or [[GNOME Screenshot]] respectively), giving options to save the screenshot, plus more options like manually picking a specific window, screen area, using a timeout, etc. Sending the image to many services (KDE), or even screen recording (GNOME), is built-in too.<ref>[https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-help/stable/screen-shot-record.html.en Screenshots and Screencasts] – GNOME Help.</ref>

[[Macintosh]] does not use a print screen key; instead, key combinations are used that start with {{key press|[[Command key|Cmd]]|[[Shift key|Shift]]}}. These key combinations are used to provide more functionality including the ability to select screen objects. {{key press|Cmd|Shift|3}} captures the whole screen, while {{key press|Cmd|Shift|4}} allows for part of the screen to be selected. The standard print screen functions described above save the image to the [[Desktop metaphor|desktop]]. However, using any of the key sequences described above, but additionally pressing the {{key press|Ctrl}} will modify the behavior to copy the image to the system [[Clipboard (software)|clipboard]] instead.

==Notable keyboards==
On the [[IBM Model F]] keyboard, the key is labeled PrtSc and is located under {{Key press|[[Enter key|Enter]]}}. On the [[IBM Model M]], it is located next to {{Key press|F12}} and is labeled Print Screen.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{keyboard}}
{{keyboard keys}}

[[Category:Computer keys]]
[[Category:Computing terminology]]