9 Best Ways To Take A Screenshot on Lenovo Laptops

For many of us, taking screenshots is a daily activity. They are easy to capture and serve many purposes. Your Lenovo laptop also comes with screenshot capturing features that you can use without installing anything.

Let’s know how to take a screenshot on your Lenovo PC and tablet. Moreover, if you’re using a Lenovo Chromebook, we have got you covered as well.

5 Methods of Taking a Screenshot on Lenovo laptops (Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7)

Using Lenovo IdeaPad, ThinkPad, Yoga, or any other model featuring Windows? Use these techniques for capturing screenshots:

1. The Print Screen Shortcut Key
2. Snipping Tool
3. Snip & Sketch
4. Game Bar
5. Free Screenshot Apps for Windows

1. The Print Screen Shortcut Key

If you’re using any version of Windows and your keyboard has the Print Screen key, you can use it to take screenshots. The Print Screen button is written as PrntSc, PrntSn, PrtSc, or in any other variation.

It’s mostly located on the uppermost row of the keyboard with the Insert and Delete keys, but you should also look for it on the bottom row of your keyboard. You may also see a small scissors icon on the PrtScn key on some Lenovo laptops.

Okay, but how to take screenshots with it? I pressed the Print Screen button and nothing happened. If you’re wondering about this, follow these steps to capture a snapshot with the PrtSc key on Lenovo PCs:

• Open the window, game, video, or anything you want to capture.
• Press the Windows logo + PrtSc keys together on your keyboard. It’ll take a screenshot of your entire screen and save it to This PC > Pictures > Screenshots. To see if it worked, you need to check out the folder.
• If the above shortcut key doesn’t take the screenshot, press the Fn key + PrtSc key at once. The Fn key is mostly in the last row of your keyboard. Check the Screenshots folder again to confirm that the screenshot has been taken.
• To capture the screenshot of an active window, press the ALT + PrtSc keys together.

The Print Screen screenshot method is a quick way of capturing screenshots. So, it’s suitable for users who want to take many screenshots in a short amount of time or any user who wants to capture the entire screen by just pressing the shortcut keys.

This method also lets you capture screenshots of full-screen applications so you can capture screens of any video or game easily. And as it doesn’t interrupt anything, you can keep watching or playing while taking screenshots.

Speaking of no interruptions, you can take screenshots of lists and menu and dialog boxes that disappear when you click elsewhere with this method.

On the other hand, Print Screen isn’t for people who like to select a portion of the screen for capturing a screenshot. Moreover, people who want to edit the image right off the bat won’t like the Print Screen method as well. If you want these features, you shouldn’t miss Method 2 and 3.

2. Snipping Tool

The bond between Microsoft Windows and Snipping Tool is old and strong. Even though we’re seeing its successor (Snip & Sketch) being pushed by Microsoft, Snipping Tool is a pretty good screenshot tool. It’s pre-installed on Windows 7, 8.1, 10, and 11. For Windows 7, it’s the best no-installation method of capturing screenshots.

Let’s learn how to use Snipping Tool:

• To open Snipping Tool, click the Start menu, type ‘snipping tool’, and launch the app.
• You’ll see a small application open.
• Click ‘New’ to take a screenshot. You can select the portion of the screen you want to capture (custom screenshot). It’s called the ‘Rectangular Snip’ mode. This is the most effective method and also the default option.

• If you want to take a screenshot of an active window, you can click ‘Mode’ and select ‘Window Snip’.

• Similarly, for capturing a screenshot of the entire screen, go to ‘Mode’ and choose ‘Full-screen Snip’. The moment you select the option, it’ll capture your whole screen.
• Moreover, if you want to capture a screenshot of something without the restriction of a rectangular shape or any shape, select ‘Free-form Snip’. You can click and drag your mouse like a pen anywhere to capture a screen.
• When you click ‘New’ the entire screen is grayed. This means you can now select the part of the screen to capture.

• Click and drag the crosshair cursor to take a screenshot.
• The screenshot will open in Snipping Tool with some editing options so you can quickly mark things or do anything else and then save it. For editing, you have a Pen, Highlighter, and Eraser in the Toolbar. For more editing, open it with Paint 3D by clicking the balloon icon.

• To save the image, click the floppy disk icon in the toolbar or press the CTRL + S keys on your keyboard.

• A dialog box will open. Choose the location, name, and format of the image and click Save. You can choose from JPG, PNG, GIF, and MHT formats. But mostly JPG and PNG are used. The former is for smaller sizes and the latter for better quality.

Snipping Tool has some good aspects like:

• It provides you the option where you want to save the image, name the image, and choose the image format.
• Moreover, with it, you can choose a portion of the screen as you aren’t stuck with a screenshot of your entire screen. This makes capturing screenshots and sharing easier.
• Speaking of sharing, when you capture a screenshot with Snipping Tool, it’s copied to your clipboard so you can paste it anywhere even if you haven’t saved the image yet.

There are some things that are impossible for Snipping Tool to capture like it can’t take a screenshot of dialog boxes and menus that go away when you click elsewhere.

It doesn’t have a shortcut key with which you can launch the application. Its shortcut key works only when you’re on the window of Snipping Tool. Moreover, you can’t take screenshots of full-screen applications with it.

If you want a better option and are on Windows 7, use Method 5. However, if you’re using a Windows 11 or 10 Lenovo computer, explore Method 3.

3. Snip & Sketch

Some users like the Print Screen method because it’s fast while others prefer Snipping Tool as it lets them select the area to be captured. Snip & Sketch combines the features of both these tools as it has the best features of both methods without their flaws. It’s pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11.

3.1 How To Open Snip & Sketch?

There are three methods of opening Snip & Sketch:

• Click the Start menu, type ‘snip & sketch’, and launch the app.
• When the app opens, click the ‘New’ button at the top left corner to prepare the app for taking a screenshot.

• The visual clue is that your whole screen will get a black overlay and there will be Snip & Sketch screen capturing options at the top-center of the screen.

OR

• If you like keyboard shortcuts, you can press the Windows key + SHIFT + S keys at once to get the dark overlay and the instant screen capturing options at the top of the screen.

OR

• If you want another easier method of opening Snip & Sketch without shortcut keys or typing anything, click the notifications icon at the end of the taskbar to open the Action Center.
• Select the ‘Screen Snip’ button to see the same dark overlay and screenshot options at the top of the screen.

3.2 Take a Custom Screenshot by Selecting a Portion of the Screen

This method is useful if you don’t want to capture the whole screen or window.

• Open Snip & Sketch by pressing the Windows logo + SHIFT + S.
• When the screen is darkened, click the one rectangle icon at the top of the screen to take a Rectangular Snip. It’s selected by default as well.

• Click and drag your mouse cursor to select the area you want to capture. Release when done.
• The screenshot will be saved to your clipboard. You can access it by clicking the notification.
• The screen image will open on Snip & Sketch with some editing options to quickly make some changes if you want. Annotating and marking the screenshot is easy with these options.

• To save the screenshot, click the floppy disk icon at the top right of the screen or press the CTRL + S keys.
• To share the screenshot, click the arrow button at the top right corner of the toolbar.

• Name the image, choose its location, and select its format. The default location is the user account’s Pictures folder and the default image format is PNG.

3.3 Capture a Freeform Screenshot

If you like to take pictures of things that aren’t square or rectangle, you can use the Freeform Snip option.

• Open Snip & Sketch by pressing Windows logo + SHIFT + S keys.
• When the screenshot options appear, click the custom shape icon.

• Select the area of the screen by moving the mouse cursor freely anywhere.

• After taking the screenshot, edit it if you want, and then save it by pressing CTRL + S.

3.4 Screenshot an Active Window

If you only want to capture an entire window (not the entire screen), use the Window Snip option.

• Open & Snip & Sketch.
• At the top of the screen, click the stacked squares icon.

• Now, move your mouse cursor to the window you want to capture and click it to take a screenshot.
• Open the image through notifications. It’ll open on Snip & Sketch.
• Perform edits or markups if you like and then save it.

3.5 Capture Your Entire Screen

For taking a screenshot of your entire screen, you can select the Fullscreen Snip button. It works identical to the Print Screen method, but you can open the image with Snip & Sketch and edit it before saving it.

• Launch Snip & Sketch by pressing the Windows + SHIFT + S keys.
• On top of the screen, click the Fullscreen icon right before the Close icon.

• It’ll instantly take a screenshot of your entire screen.
• Open the image from the notification.
• The screenshot will be opened in Snip & Sketch where you have a few editing tools.
• Edit and save it.

3.6 Why Use Snip & Sketch?

The biggest benefit of Snip & Sketch is that it lets you take screenshots when in full-screen mode. So, when playing a game or watching a full-screen video, you can press the shortcut keys to capture a portion of the screen or the entire screen.

Moreover, you can easily screenshot tricky menus and lists that disappear by clicking elsewhere. For example, the right-click menu on any app or the Windows desktop, the Start menu, the Settings menu in some apps, and others. With it, you can just bring up the menu, press the shortcut keys and capture the screenshot.

Also, you get multiple modes of screen selection for taking a screenshot and you can edit it before saving it. On top of that, it lets you choose your image location, name, and format.

4. Game Bar

Game Bar on Windows 10 and 11 is dedicated for gamers to capture screenshots and screen recordings while playing games. If you’re a gamer, you’ll love it. But if you want a simple screenshot tool, you wouldn’t like it and you’re better off using Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch. Anyways, here’s how to use Game Bar:

• Open the Start menu, type ‘Game Bar’, and launch the first app.
• You’ll see a few widgets open.
• To capture a screenshot, click the camera icon on the top-left widget.

• You’ll get a notification that the screenshot has been saved.
• To access the screenshot, go to This PC > Videos > Captures.
• There is no default app for it to edit, but you can right-click the screenshot and open it with Paint 3D or any other app to edit.

5. Free Screenshot Apps for Windows

Finding the right screenshot tool that has all the right features is hard. For us, the best free, in-built tool is Snip & Sketch, but if you’re using Windows 7 or don’t like Snip & Sketch, you can search for better free apps online to suit your needs.

5.1 Search Online

• Launch your web browser and search on Google ‘free screenshot tools for Windows’.
• Visit a few websites to find free apps.
• Install a few of them and find a good one.
• Uninstall all other apps you installed for experimentation.

5.2 Search on Microsoft Store

• Open Microsoft Store.
• On the search box, type ‘screenshot‘.
• Look for apps that have ‘Free’ written under them.

• Install a few of them to test them.
• Keep one and uninstall the rest.

How To Capture Screenshots on Lenovo Chromebooks?

Chromebooks feature Chrome OS which is considered lightweight and fast. To take screenshots on a Lenovo Chromebook, your best bet is the Chromebook’s in-built tool – Screen Capture.

1. Taking Screenshots with Screen Capture
2. Capturing a Screenshot of an Active Window

1. Taking Screenshots with Screen Capture

With Screen Capture, you can take screenshots and record screens. We’ll use the screenshot feature.

• Open Screen Capture by pressing the CTRL + SHIFT + Show windows keys together. Or click the Time at the bottom right corner of the screen and select ‘Screen Capture’.

• You’ll see the tool visible at the bottom of your screen.
• There are two screen capture options. The camera icon is for snapshots while the video icon is for screen recordings.

• With Screen Capture, you can either capture the entire screen, choose a rectangular portion of the screen, or screenshot an active window.
• The rectangular screenshot mode is selected by default.
• To take a screenshot, click, hold, and drag the mouse cursor on the area of the screen you want to capture and then release.
• A notification will show that the screenshot has been taken.
• You can find the screenshot in your Downloads folder.

2. Capturing a Screenshot of an Active Window

In some cases, we only need to take a screenshot of the active window. You can use the rectangular selection to select the active window, but a faster method is to use the dedicated keyboard shortcut key for this. 

• Keep the window you want to capture on the front.
• Press the CTRL + Show window keys at once.
• The screenshot will be taken and saved to the Downloads folder.

How To Take Screenshots on Lenovo Tablets?

1. Taking Screenshots on Lenovo Windows Tablets
2. Capturing Screenshots on Lenovo Tablets Running on Android

1. Taking Screenshots on Lenovo Windows Tablets

Windows tablets have similar options to Windows laptops. So, you can use some of the screenshot-taking methods mentioned in the Lenovo laptops section. The best method is to use the Snip & Sketch app.

1.1 Using Snip & Sketch

• Go to the Notification Center by tapping the area where you see numbered notifications (far right side of the taskbar).
• Tap the ‘Screen Snip’ button.
• Your screen will be darkened and the Snip & Sketch options will be visible at the top of the screen. 
• Take a screenshot.
• Then edit it and save it.

1.2 Physical Buttons

If you want to capture the whole screen instantly, you can also employ the power and volume buttons for taking screenshots.

• Bring up the screen to be captured.
• Press the On/Off button and Volume Down button at the same time.
• The screenshot will be taken.

2. Capturing Screenshots on Lenovo Tablets Running on Android

On Android tablets, the screenshot-taking methods are similar to any tablet and smartphone.

2.1 Physical Buttons

You can take a screenshot of the entire screen by pressing the physical buttons of your Lenovo tablet:

• Go to the app or screen you want to capture.
• Press the Power + Volume Down keys at once.
• The screenshot will be taken.
• You may get a notification and the option to edit it before saving it. If not, go to the Gallery and edit the screenshot from there.

2.2 Take Screenshot from the Quick Settings Panel

It does the same thing as the above method, but the only difference is that you don’t need to press the physical keys as it can be accomplished by going to the Quick Settings panel.

• Bring up the screen to be captured.
• Swipe down from the top to see the notification area and Quick Settings panel.
• Tap the screenshot icon.
• Edit and save the screenshot.

2.3 Third-Party Apps

The above two methods capture a screenshot of the whole screen. If you want to select the portion of the screen or want more options, install screenshot apps from Google Play Store.

• Open Google Play Store
• Search ‘screenshot app’.
• Try out some of the apps.

Conclusion

On your Lenovo devices, you can take instant screenshots or select a specific area of the screen for each screenshot depending on the operating system and screenshot method you’re using.

FAQs