June Wan/ZDNet
Picture this: You're working on a presentation and want to elevate the slides by inputting relevant visuals. You find the perfect image on Google Maps, but you want to crop out all of the "extra" labels, destinations, and distractions. The best way is to take a screenshot. While the Chromebook approach to screenshotting is a little different than your standard Windows or Mac-powered computer, here's a brief walkthrough of how to do it.
Step 1: Open Quick Settings
In the bottom right corner of your screen, find the Quick Settings bar (Clock icon). Click the bar so that you can see all of the Quick Setting toggles.
Step 2: Select "Screen Capture"
On the bottom left row, just below the Wi-Fi toggle, select the "Screen Capture" option.
Step 3: Capturing Content
From here, you will have the option to choose the content you want to capture. A menu will appear in the center of the screen prompting you to drag your mouse and encapsulate the part of the screen (or the entirety) you wish to capture.
Drag your mouse over what you want to capture, expanding the box around the desired content. Release the mouse once everything you want to capture is inside the box's perimeter and click the "Capture" bottom.
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Step 4: Copied to clipboard
At this point, a mini image of the screenshot should appear in the right hand corner. Below the "Copied to clipboard" notification are options to edit, in case you want to crop or rotate the image, and to delete the shot.
Step 5: Save and share
Now you can paste straight to email, Slack, documents, PowerPoint, etc.
The screenshot will automatically save to your files.
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How do I attach a screenshot to an email on a Chromebook?
Luckily, screenshots automatically download to your Chromebook unless you actively delete them. If you want to send an email, press the file icon (paperclip) and find the screenshot amongst your photo files. If you have just taken the screenshot, that image is most likely the first one in your files.
Can I screen record on a Chromebook?
Like the screenshot process, go to Quick Settings > Screen Capture.
Instead of clicking the camera icon, click to its right on the video camera icon.
After you select the camera icon, you can choose to record some or all of the screen by dragging the mouse around the selected area before you record. End the recording by pressing the video camera icon (red dot) in the bottom status bar.
As with the screenshot process, the captured video should appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.
Is there another way to take a screenshot without going to Quick Settings?
Depending on the model, some Chromebooks may have a button in the very top of the keyboard that allows you access the screen capture menu.
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