How to screenshot on a Dell laptop or desktop
To screenshot on a Dell computer, press Windows + Shift + S and drag over the area you want, or press Windows + PrtScn to save the whole screen to Pictures\Screenshots. On many Dell laptops PrtScn shares a key with Insert or an F key, so you may need to hold Fn as well.
10 September 2026
Dell screenshot shortcuts at a glance
Dell computers run Windows, so the screenshot tools are the Windows ones. What changes from model to model is the keyboard: where the Print Screen key sits, what it is called, and whether it needs the Fn key. Once you know that, every shortcut below works the same on an Inspiron, XPS, Latitude, Vostro or Alienware.
- Windows + Shift + S: opens the snipping bar. Drag a rectangle, pick a window or take the full screen. The capture goes to the clipboard, and on Windows 11 it is also saved to Pictures\Screenshots by default.
- Windows + PrtScn: saves the full screen straight to Pictures\Screenshots. The screen dims for a moment to show it worked.
- PrtScn on its own: on current Windows 11 builds this opens the Snipping Tool bar. On Windows 10, or if that setting is off, it copies the whole screen to the clipboard.
- Alt + PrtScn: copies only the active window to the clipboard.
- Windows + Alt + PrtScn: saves the active window through the Xbox Game Bar, into Videos\Captures.
Where is the Print Screen key on a Dell keyboard?
The label varies: PrtScn, PrtScr, Prt Sc or PrtSc all mean the same thing. On Dell desktop keyboards with a full layout, it is in the cluster to the right of F12, above Insert.
Dell laptops squeeze it in. On many Inspiron, Vostro and Latitude laptops it sits at the right-hand end of the top row, sharing a key with Insert, Home or End, or printed as a second function on one of the F keys. On some XPS models the top row is a touch strip rather than physical keys, and the key legends change with the Fn key. Layouts differ by model and year, so check the small print on your top row rather than going by a photo of another Dell.
If you cannot find it at all, you do not need it. Windows + Shift + S does everything PrtScn does, and the on-screen keyboard (search for On-Screen Keyboard in the Start menu) has a PrtScn key you can click.
When you need the Fn key on a Dell laptop
If PrtScn is printed in a different colour or on the same key as something else, it is usually a secondary function. Press Fn + PrtScn, or Fn + Windows + PrtScn to save to a file.
Dell laptops also have a function lock. On many models, Fn + Esc switches the top row between media keys (volume, brightness) and F keys, and some show a small light or lock icon on Esc. If PrtScn only works with Fn some days and without it on others, the lock has probably been toggled. Many Dell laptops also have a Function Key Behavior option in the BIOS setup that sets the default.
How to screenshot on a Dell laptop, step by step
- Get the screen ready: close anything private and open the window you want.
- Press Windows + Shift + S. The screen dims and a small bar appears at the top.
- Choose Rectangle, Window, Full screen or Freeform, then drag or click.
- A notification appears in the corner. Click it to open the capture in the Snipping Tool, where you can crop, draw and save.
- To paste it straight into an email, chat or document, press Ctrl + V.
- To find the saved file, open File Explorer and go to Pictures, then Screenshots.
How to screenshot on a Dell desktop
A Dell desktop with a standard keyboard is the simple case: PrtScn is a key of its own and needs no Fn. Press Windows + PrtScn to save the full screen. If you have two monitors, PrtScn and Windows + PrtScn capture both screens as one wide image. To capture just one monitor, use Windows + Shift + S and pick Full screen or Rectangle on the screen you want.
Compact Dell wireless keyboards may put PrtScn on a shared key. The same Fn rule applies.
Dell 2-in-1s, detachables and Chromebooks
Dell's 2-in-1 laptops (such as some Inspiron and Latitude models) and Latitude detachables can be used without the keyboard. In tablet mode, pressing Power and Volume Up together takes a full-screen screenshot on many Windows 11 tablets. If your model does not respond, open the Snipping Tool from the Start menu and tap New.
Dell has also sold Chromebooks, mostly for schools. They run ChromeOS, not Windows, so none of the shortcuts above apply. Press Ctrl + Show windows instead, and see our Chromebook guide for the rest.
Capture a whole web page on a Dell
Every shortcut above captures only what fits on the screen. For a long web page, such as a receipt, an article or a design to review, use a full page screenshot extension. NeoReader Full Page Screenshot is free for Chrome, Edge and Firefox. It scrolls and stitches the whole page, then opens an editor where you can crop, add arrows and text, and blur private details before saving as PNG, JPG or PDF.
Two of our free web tools help afterwards: Screenshot to PDF combines several screenshots into one PDF, and Screenshot to Text copies the words out of an image. Both run in your browser, and your images stay on your device.
