How do I take a single screenshot when working on a dual monitor setup? What are the shortcuts for screenshots on dual monitors?

Posted August 11, 2005

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I haven’t researched enough to know if this is specifically for the type of video card you have, but I believe it is a built in windows shortcut.

I have a dual monitor setup at home right now, two 17″ CRT’s. I often take screenshots for many different uses, when communicating with people, to keep the look of a website for reference as well as other reasons. Since I got my video card late last year for this setup, I have noticed that when taking a screenshot, it takes a shot of both of my screens together. The resolution is set at 2560 x 960, so before I was getting screenshots that were only 1280 x 1024 (960 is a video card increment), and now anytime I take a screenshot, I have to crop it down to the actual size I want.

Not anymore.

Most people know, to take a screenshot, you hit the “Print Screen” button on your keyboard. It is usually listed “Prt Scr” or some other abbreviation, and on my keyboard it is located up next to my F keys, right to the right of F12 and right above the Insert key.

To take a screenshot of the screen you are actively working all you have to do is hit this keyboard shortcut;

alt + Print Screen

When there is a dual monitor setup, you will only have one monitor, or usually program, active at one time. Whatever is active, that is the screenshot you will take.

Then of course open your favorite graphics editing program, even Windows Paint and paste in your screenshot and save;

Paste = Ctrl + V

Save = Ctrl + S

There you go, very helpful, and has changed my life since I learned it a couple of weeks ago.