Compare the Snipping Tool with the Print Screen key as screenshot methods.

### Why this is right The key difference is how much control you have over the capture and what happens to the image afterward. The Snipping Tool lets you choose a capture area and offers delay and annotation options, while the Print Screen key uses fixed shortcuts for the screen or active window. A Print Screen capture must then be pasted into an image-editing application. ### The concept A **screenshot** is an image of what is displayed on your screen. The Snipping Tool lets you select a rectangle, draw a free-form outline, capture a window, or capture the whole screen; it can also delay the capture, let you mark up the image, and save or copy it. The **Print Screen** key captures the full screen, while the **Alternate (Alt)** key combined with Print Screen captures only the active window, meaning the window currently in use. With Print Screen, you paste the captured image into an image-editing application before working with it. | Method | What it captures | What you can do with the image | |---|---|---| | Snipping Tool | A chosen region, window, or full screen | Save or copy; use delay and annotation options | | Print Screen | Full screen, or active window with Alt | Paste into an image-editing application | ### What a good answer covers - The Snipping Tool offers several capture shapes and targets. - It includes delay and annotation options. - Print Screen captures the full screen; Alt+Print Screen captures the active window. - Print Screen captures must be pasted into an image-editing application. ### Watch out Do not assume pressing Print Screen automatically saves an image as a file. The capture must be pasted into an image-editing application. ### Terms - **Screenshot**: An image showing screen contents at a particular moment. - **Snipping Tool**: A tool for capturing selected parts or all of the screen, with options for handling the image. - **Print Screen**: A keyboard key that captures the full screen. - **Alt**: Short for Alternate, this key changes the Print Screen capture to the active window when used with it. - **Active window**: The window currently selected for use. - **Annotation**: A mark or note added to an image. ### Remember Use the Snipping Tool when you need to choose or mark up a capture; use Print Screen for a quick full-screen capture, or Alt+Print Screen for the active window.