How to Screenshot Part of the Screen on a Dell Computer

Fast answer: On a Dell computer running Windows, press Windows+Shift+S. The screen dims; choose rectangular snip, drag over the part of the display you need, then open the Snipping Tool notification to annotate and save the image. The selected area is copied to the clipboard first, so do not assume a file has already been saved. Microsoft documents this shortcut as selecting a region of the screen to capture to the clipboard (Microsoft Support).

Step-by-step: capture part of a Dell screen

1. Prepare the screen. Open the document, browser page or app and arrange the content exactly as you want it captured. Close anything that should not appear.
2. Open screen snipping. Press Windows+Shift+S at the same time. The desktop dims and a small Snipping Tool toolbar appears.
3. Choose a mode. Select rectangular snip for a normal box, freeform snip for an irregular outline, window snip for one app window, or full-screen snip for the entire display.
4. Select the area. For a rectangle, place the pointer at one corner, hold the mouse button, drag to the opposite corner and release. For freeform mode, draw around the subject.
5. Open the result. Windows copies the snip to the clipboard and normally shows a notification. Select that notification to open the capture in Snipping Tool.
6. Save or share it. In Snipping Tool, use the save button or Ctrl+S, choose a folder and select PNG, JPG or another offered format. You can also annotate, copy, share or print the capture.

Which snipping mode should you use?

Mode	What it captures	Best use
Rectangular	A box you drag	Most partial screenshots, documentation and bug reports
Freeform	An irregular shape you draw	Isolating a person, object or diagram
Window	A selected application window	Capturing one app without the rest of the desktop
Full screen	Every visible display	Recording the complete desktop state

For a precise part of a page, rectangular mode is usually the quickest. If the content extends below the visible viewport, a screen snip will not automatically create a scrolling capture; use the app’s own full-page feature or a browser capture tool instead.

What happens after you select the area?

The region first goes to the clipboard. Paste it into Paint, Word, an email, a chat message or an image editor with Ctrl+V. To create a file, open the Snipping Tool notification and save from there. This distinction matters when you close the notification or restart the computer before saving.

Snipping Tool can mark up the image with a pen or highlighter, crop it, copy it again and share it. If you need a delayed capture, open Snipping Tool from the Start menu and choose its timer before selecting the area.

Keyboard alternatives on Dell computers

Full screen saved automatically

Press Windows+PrtSc to capture all visible screens and save the file in Pictures\Screenshots. This is a full-screen shortcut, not a partial-area selection.

Print Screen by itself

On current Windows versions, pressing PrtSc can open screen snipping. Windows lets you change this behavior in Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard. If the key instead copies the entire screen, paste the result into an image editor and crop it.

Why the Dell key may look different

Dell keyboards do not all use the same labels or function-row layout. Some laptops require Fn with the relevant function key; some desktop keyboards without a dedicated Print Screen key use Fn+Insert. The Windows+Shift+S method avoids finding a particular Dell Print Screen key. For a hardware-key question that does not match these instructions, check the manual for your Dell model (Dell Support).

Make a cleaner, more useful partial screenshot

• Zoom the app to a readable level before selecting the region.
• Move the pointer away from important content; the cursor may appear in some captures.
• Close notifications, menus and private windows that could be included accidentally.
• Use rectangular mode for aligned edges and freeform mode only when the shape itself matters.
• Save immediately with a descriptive filename such as checkout-error-2026-10-01.png.
• For sensitive information, crop or cover account numbers before sharing.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Nothing happens after the shortcut	The Windows key is locked, the shortcut was pressed incorrectly, or Snipping Tool is unavailable	Press the three keys together, unlock the Windows key if your keyboard has a gaming-lock switch, then launch Snipping Tool from Start and try again.
The image is copied but no file exists	Region snipping writes to the clipboard first	Select the notification, open Snipping Tool and save with the save button or Ctrl+S.
The wrong monitor or window was captured	The selection began outside the intended display or window	Repeat the shortcut and start the drag inside the correct display. Use window mode when you need one app only.
The capture is blank or black	Protected video, remote-session policies or graphics overlays can block capture	Try capturing a normal window, disable an overlay if permitted, or use the application’s export or screenshot command.
PrtSc is missing	Dell keyboard layout differs by model	Use Windows+Shift+S; consult the model guide for Fn combinations.
The shortcut works but saving fails	Folder permissions, storage space or a damaged Snipping Tool installation	Save to Desktop, verify free space, then update or repair Snipping Tool from Windows app settings.
Text in the snip is hard to read	The source was zoomed out or the selected region is small	Increase page zoom before capturing, select a larger region, or capture at the source’s native scale.

When a browser screenshot API is a better fit

The Dell shortcut is designed for what is visible on your local display. An API is useful when you need repeatable captures of URLs in a build, documentation pipeline, monitoring job or server process. It can also capture pages without arranging a physical desktop first.

Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo provides a single-request website screenshot API. Before capture it accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits cost nothing, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Its MCP server includes take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for the complete option list. These runnable examples capture a URL; replace it with the page you need.

cURL

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" \
  -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY \
  --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com \
  -o shot.webp

Python

import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
    params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
    timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const q = new URLSearchParams({
  access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY',
  url: 'https://stripe.com'
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
const fs = await import('node:fs/promises');
await fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));

ScreenshotNeo supports full-page captures, CSS-element selection, device presets or custom viewports, dark mode, retina scale, PDF output, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, selector or network-idle waits, blocked resources, headers, cookies, user agents, authorization, timezone, geolocation, transparency, resizing, caching with a chosen TTL, signed links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API and an OpenAPI specification. Existing parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, which helps when switching.

For performance and cost, reuse a cache TTL for unchanged pages, use element capture when full-page output is unnecessary, and choose the smallest viewport and image format that meets your need. Failed loads and cache hits are not billed; only clean shots are billed. Plans include 1,000 free shots per month with no card, then Starter is $5 for 3,000 shots; yearly billing gives two months free.

Create a free ScreenshotNeo account for 1,000 screenshots each month with no card.

FAQ

Does Windows+Shift+S save a PNG automatically?

No. It copies the selected region to the clipboard and opens a notification. Save it from Snipping Tool or paste it into an app that can save images.

Can I capture only one application on a Dell?

Yes. Open Windows+Shift+S and choose window snip, then select the application window.

What if my Dell has no Print Screen key?

Use Windows+Shift+S. If you need a hardware shortcut, check whether your model maps Print Screen to Fn+Insert or another function-layer key.

Can I capture a page that is longer than the screen?

Not with a normal rectangular snip. Use a browser’s full-page capture feature, an application export, or a screenshot API.