Screenshot Chromebook: with this method it always works [step-by-step plan]

Making a print screen on a Chromebook is actually childishly simple, but you just have to know how to do it. We explain below how to take a screenshot Chromebook with a simple step-by-step plan.

Screenshot Chromebook to make? Take a screenshot on a Chromebook is easy by a key combination Ctrl + Show windows to press. If you only want a screenshot of part of your screen, the key combination Shift + Ctrl + Show windows.

What exactly is a print screen?

Making a print screen is actually nothing more than making a (digital) print of your screen, nowadays also known as a screenshot. This can be done in a number of ways, where you make a print of your entire screen, or just a part. Maybe you want more than just what is on your screen and capture an entire website or a document, those are all options.

Every system has a different way to take screenshots, for example it works differently on a Mac, Windows and a Chromebook. In this article I explain how you can make a print screen on your Chromebook and what you can do with the file afterwards.

Screenshot Chromebook: that is how it works

There are many different ones Chromebooks on the market, some of which you can also use as a tablet by folding it in half. In this first section, we assume that you do Chromebook used as a laptop, so with the touchpad/mouse and the keyboard.

Then there are two different options for creating Chromebook print screen. This way you can capture the entire screen, but it is also possible to make a selection of the screen and therefore only capture a small part.

Before we begin, there is one key that is necessary when taking screenshots that I would like to "explain" first. That's the so-called 'show windows' key that you can see in the picture below.

Screenshot of full Chromebook-screen

To take a screenshot on you Chromebook to make it full screen there is a simple key combination that will do this for you.

It can be that simple. Before I further explain what options you have afterwards, I will first explain how to take a screenshot of part of the screen.

Printscreen Chromebook: Part of the screen

To capture part of the screen as a print screen on your Chromebook is there any other key combination you need.

Below is a short step-by-step plan.

So by pressing 'Shift' you can choose which part of the screen you want to actually capture.

Handy option after screenshot: copy

If you have made the screenshot, you will get the option to view it at the bottom right, but also to copy it.

If you choose that option, the screenshot will be placed on your clipboard, so you can paste it anywhere. This can be in a messenger such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, for example, but also in an email, document or other program. This way you can send screenshots from your email even faster Chromebook.

This is a feature I personally use very often.

Where can you find screenshots on Chromebooks?

Did you take a screenshot and accidentally clicked away the window or are you just looking for your saved collection of print screens on your Chromebook? Then it is fortunately very easy to find it again.

By default, ChromeOS names the screenshots as follows: 'Screen shot at .png'. This way you can always retrieve at what time the screenshot was made if that is important.

On the print screen below, you can see how the print screens are saved in the downloads folder on your Chromebook.

Take a screenshot on Chromebook as tablet

There are also more and more people who opt for one Chromebook with touch screen. In certain cases, you can also use it as a tablet by folding it completely in half. This also means that you don't have a keyboard and the above key combinations are therefore not an option.

Fortunately, there is still a way to print a screen Chromebook can make. For people with an Android phone, this may look familiar, because the key combination is actually the same (of course, it may differ slightly depending on the brand).

It can be that simple! Here too you have now made a screenshot (of your full screen) in tablet mode on a Chromebook.

So much for taking screenshots by default within ChromeOS, but there are many more options available that can be performed by third-party apps or extensions. Below I have made a short list of apps / extensions that I have good experience with for making print screens Chromebooks.

Print screens Chromebook with an extension

Taking screenshots with an external app or extension generally offers a bit more options in terms of editing and sharing the captured images. The two apps I discuss below are widely used and therefore add the necessary functions.

Lightshot (Chrome extension)

Lightshot installs as a Chrome extension and has been on the market for years. In fact, I even used this tool once, when I was little, on Windows.

With Lightshot you can easily take screenshots on your Chromebook, from the full screen, but also choose a selection. You then have all kinds of options to edit the print screen and, for example, simply add an arrow to indicate something.

If you are satisfied, it is again easy to share it, this can be done in two ways:

• Share via Lightshot cloud service – Here the screenshot is uploaded to Ligthshot, after which you get a link that you can forward. If someone clicks on the link, they will see the screenshot.
• Save the screenshot locally on your Chromebook.

I myself am quite enthusiastic about Lightshot as a screenshot tool, but I always choose to save it locally. My screenshots don't necessarily have to be publicly online.

They explain exactly how Lightshot works in this video.

Nimbus Screenshot & Screen Video Recorder

Nimbus is a very extensive Chrome extension and therefore offers many more options than Lightshot.

For example, it is of course also possible to use all the functions of Ligthshot here, including taking partial or complete screenshots of pages, but there are also options to record your screen, for example.

You can then edit these (video) recordings, convert them to MP4 or GIF and share them with several different channels. In terms of sharing, Nimbus also has many options: think of sharing directly to Google Drive, Dropbox, but also services such as Slack.

The makers of Nimbus have also made an explanation about how you can record your screen on your Chromebook in Chrome.

Finally,

So there are many options for taking screenshots on a Chromebook. You can do this through the built-in capabilities, but if you need more features and capabilities, there are plenty of options with extensions.

Are you looking for more tips and useful tricks, then our Chromebooktips.

Header Image: Lightshot