How to Use the Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping in Windows 11
You can set your Print Screen key to open Screen Snipping in Windows 11, letting you capture your screen with a single key press.
Screen Snipping is a handy tool that takes over from the older Snipping Tool. It lets you capture your whole screen, a single window, or a custom-sized rectangle.
Usually, pressing Print Screen in Windows 11 captures your whole screen to the clipboard. However, you can change this so it opens the Screen Snipping tool instead.
This small change really speeds things up. You can instantly pick the exact part of your screen you want to capture, without digging through menus.
Press Windows key + I to open Settings, navigate to Bluetooth & devices, then Keyboard, and toggle “Use the Print screen key to open screen snipping” to On. This change allows your Print Screen key to directly launch the screen snipping tool.
What Happens When You Turn This On or Off?
The Print Screen key setting in Windows 11 allows you to choose between opening the Snipping Tool for easy screen grabs or keeping its old function of just taking a screenshot. When the Snipping Tool feature is on, pressing the Print Screen key directly launches the Snipping Tool, making it quick to capture exactly what you need.
When it’s On: Pressing your Print Screen key will bring up the Snipping Tool, letting you capture your screen immediately.
When Windows 11's screen snipping is off, the Print Screen key returns to its original function, taking a full screenshot and saving that image to the computer's clipboard.
Installed screenshot apps can change how the Print Screen key works on Windows 11. Users may need to restart their personal computers after changing this setting for the Print Screen key function to update.
How to Turn On or Off Print Screen for Screen Snipping
Option 1Using Windows Settings
- Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Click on Bluetooth & devices on the left menu.
- Click Keyboard on the right side.
- Look for "Use the Print screen key to open screen snipping" under Shortcuts and hotkeys.
- Turn it On or Off depending on what you want.
You can easily set your Print Screen key to open the Snipping Tool using Windows Settings. Just press the Windows key and the I key together to open Settings, then navigate to Bluetooth & devices, and select Keyboard. Look for the option labeled 'Use the Print screen key to open screen snipping' and switch it on.
Open Keyboard Settings in Windows 11
Turn On or Off the Print Screen Key for Screen Snipping
After you change the setting, you can close Settings.
Option 2Using a Registry File (For Advanced Users)
For those comfortable with advanced system changes, you can use a registry file to control whether your Print Screen key launches the Snipping Tool. To enable Print Screen for snipping, you would use the command 'reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard" /v PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f'. To disable it, the command is similar but with a different value.
To turn ON Print Screen for Snipping:
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard" /v PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /fTo turn OFF Print Screen for Snipping:
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard" /v PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /fSummary
- Quick Access: Press Print Screen to open Snipping Tool instantly.
- Easy to Change: Turn this feature on or off anytime in Settings.
- Default in New Windows 11: The Snipping Tool opens by default with Print Screen in recent Windows 11 versions.
- May Need Restart: Restart your PC if changes don't take effect right away.
- More than Screenshots: Snipping Tool lets you draw, save, and share your screen captures easily.
With the Print Screen key set up for snipping, you get instant access to the Snipping Tool just by pressing the Print Screen key. You can easily turn this handy feature on or off whenever you like within Windows Settings. Recent Windows 11 versions often have this set to open the Snipping Tool by default.
How to make Print Screen use Snipping Tool?
You can press the Windows key, Shift, and S all at once. This three-key combo brings up a small toolbar for taking screenshots.
How do you snip with the Print Screen key?
To snip with the Print Screen key, you'll typically press Ctrl + PrtSc, which makes your screen go gray and lets you choose what to capture.
Was this guide helpful?
About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!