PrtScnnäppäintä

PrtScnnäppäintä, often abbreviated as PrtScn, is a key found on most computer keyboards. Its primary function is to capture a screenshot of the entire screen or a portion of it, depending on the operating system and specific key combinations used. The name is derived from "Print Screen," a legacy feature from older operating systems where pressing the key would actually send the screen's content to a printer.

On Windows systems, pressing the PrtScn key typically copies the entire screen content to the clipboard. This means the image is not saved as a file but can be pasted into an image editing program or document. To capture only the active window, users often press the Alt key in combination with PrtScn. Newer versions of Windows also support the Windows key + PrtScn combination, which saves the screenshot directly as a PNG file in the Pictures > Screenshots folder.

In macOS, the equivalent functionality is achieved using different key combinations. Command + Shift + 3 captures the entire screen and saves it as a file on the desktop. Command + Shift + 4 allows for selecting a specific area of the screen to capture, also saving it to the desktop. Command + Shift + 4 followed by the spacebar and then clicking on a window will capture just that specific window.

Linux distributions also utilize the PrtScn key, with its behavior varying slightly depending on the desktop environment. Generally, it behaves similarly to Windows, copying the screen to the clipboard or initiating a screenshot utility. The PrtScn key remains a fundamental tool for users who need to document visual information from their computer displays.