Taking a Screenshot

Some activities may require you to take a screenshot. The exact procedure to use depends on what kind of computer operating system you have.

Linux Computers

If you’re running a Linux computer, you can normally take a screenshot by pressing the “Print Screen” button on your keyboard. This button may be abbreviated “PrtSc,” “Prnt Scrn,” or similar. On laptops, you may need to hold down the Fn key to access this key, as the physical key may be shared with another key on the keyboard.

In most desktop environments, you will see a dialog appear with various options, including a way to save the screenshot. If nothing appears, check your Pictures folder to see if your environment simply saves the screenshot without asking. If not, then you might need to install an extra package and/or enable screenshots in your desktop settings.

Mac Computers

In macOS, you can take a screenshot by pressing Command+Shift+3. In other words, press the Command key, Shift key, and number 3 key at the same time. The screenshot will be saved to your desktop automatically. For more information, please see this Apple Support article.

Windows Computers

If you’re running Windows, you can take a screenshot by pressing the Windows key and the “Print Screen” key on your keyboard at the same time. This button may be abbreviated “PrtSc,” “Prnt Scrn,” or similar. On laptops, you may need to hold down the Fn key to access this key, since the physical key might be shared with another key on the keyboard. The screenshot will be saved in the Screenshots folder inside your Pictures folder.

You can also use the Snipping tool to take a screenshot in Windows. For more information, please see How to take screenshots on Windows 11.

Using Your Phone

Unless an activity specifically requires you to use a screenshot tool, you can also take a picture of your computer screen with your phone. The challenge with this approach is that you will need to copy the picture to your computer in order to get it into the worksheet. The exact method for transferring a photo from your phone to your computer depends on the kind of phone you have (and even the type of computer you have). Some possible approaches include using an app to transfer the photo from your phone to a cloud service where you can download it on your computer; connecting your phone to your computer via a USB cable; and emailing the photo to yourself from your phone.