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Print Screen (often abbreviated Print Scrn, Prnt Scrn, Prnt Scr, Prt Scrn, Prt Scn, Prt Scr, Prt Sc, Pr Sc, or PS) is a key present on most PC keyboards. It is typically situated in the same section as the break key and scroll lock key. The print screen may share the same key as system request.
Original useEdit
Under command-line based operating systems such as MS-DOS, this key causes the contents of the current text mode screen memory buffer to be copied to the standard printer port, usually LPT1. In essence, whatever is currently on the screen when the key is pressed will be printed. Pressing the Template:Key press key in combination with Template:Key press turns on and off the "printer echo" feature. When echo is in effect, any conventional text output to the screen will be copied ("echoed") to the printer. There is also a Unicode character for print screen, Template:Unichar.
Modern useEdit
Newer-generation operating systems using a graphical interface tend to save a bitmap image of the current screen, or screenshot, to their clipboard or comparable storage area. Some shells allow modification of the exact behavior using modifier keys such as the control key.
In Microsoft Windows, pressing Template:Key press will capture the entire screen,<ref name=windows7>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while pressing the Template:Key press key in combination with Template:Key press will capture the currently selected window.<ref name=windows7/> The captured image can then be pasted into an editing program such as a graphics program or even a word processor. Pressing Template:Key press with both the left Template:Key press key and left Template:Key press pressed turns on a high contrast mode (this keyboard shortcut can be turned off by the user).<ref name=windows10>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since Windows 8, pressing the Template:Key press key in combination with Template:Key press (and optionally in addition to the Template:Key press key) will save the captured image to disk (the default pictures location).<ref name=windows8>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This behavior is therefore backward compatible with users who learned Print Screen actions under operating systems such as MS-DOS. In Windows 10, the Template:Key press key can be configured to open the 'New' function of the Snip & Sketch tool. This allows the user to take a full screen, specific window, or defined area screenshot and copy it to clipboard. This behaviour can be enabled by going to Snip & Sketch, accessing Settings via the menu and enabling the 'Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping'.
In KDE and GNOME, very similar shortcuts are available, which open a screenshot tool (Spectacle<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> or GNOME Screenshot respectively), giving options to save the screenshot, plus more options like manually picking a specific window, screen area, using a timeout, etc. Sending the image to many services (KDE), or even screen recording (GNOME), is built-in too.<ref>Screenshots and Screencasts – GNOME Help.</ref>
Macintosh does not use a print screen key; instead, key combinations are used that start with Template:Key press. These key combinations are used to provide more functionality including the ability to select screen objects. Template:Key press captures the whole screen, while Template:Key press allows for part of the screen to be selected. The standard print screen functions described above save the image to the desktop. However, using any of the key sequences described above, but additionally pressing the Template:Key press will modify the behavior to copy the image to the system clipboard instead.
Notable keyboardsEdit
On the IBM Model F keyboard, the key is labeled PrtSc and is located under Template:Key press. On the IBM Model M, it is located next to Template:Key press and is labeled Print Screen.