Print screen

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A 102-key PC US English keyboard layout with the print screen key marked in red.

Print screen (often abbreviated, such as Prt Scr or Print Scrn) is a key present on most computer keyboards, typically situated in the same section as the break and Scroll lock keys. Print screen is shared with SysRq. Under earlier command-line based operating systems, this caused an exact copy of the current screen output to be sent to the standard printer port, usually LPT1. In essence, whatever was currently on the screen when the key was pressed was printed.

[edit] Use today

Newer-generation operating systems using a graphical interface tend to copy a bitmap image of the current screen to their clipboard or comparable storage area, which can be inserted into documents as a screenshot. Some shells allow modification of the exact behaviour using keys such as control.

In Microsoft Windows, pressing print screen will capture the entire screen, but pressing the Alt key in combination with print screen will capture the currently selected window. You can then 'paste' in a graphics software such as Microsoft Paint, and you will get a 'paste' of the screen or window that was previously on your screen. Proceeding to save the Microsoft Paint document will create a screenshot of what was selected when you pressed '<Alt>+Prt Scr'.

In GNOME and KDE desktop environments Print Screen behaviour is similar to that of Microsoft Windows by default. However, a window will additionally pop up, prompting to save the screenshot to a file (in the PNG format by default).

2005 saw Microsoft complying with copyrighted digital media on the new Windows Media Player 9. NASA's broadcast of Operation Deep Impact could only be screen captured with grayish-black print screens. The un-updated Real Player provided a means to get around this, but they followed shortly after not allowing images of broadcasts, music videos, etc. to be taken. Today disabling the printscreen is an option Windows offers to movies, music videos, and computer games. Warning: Non-Microsoft print screen utility programs available for purchase also have to honor these licensed media rights and will not copy them correctly.

[edit] See also

• SysRq

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