There was a time when the Print Screen key was the only way to take screenshots in Windows. But Microsoft’s operating system has evolved, and we now have more built-in options to take screenshots. In Windows 7 and beyond, we have the Snipping Tool. In Windows 10, there are two built-in apps to take screenshots.
Microsoft also launched a built-in screenshot tool for Office apps in 2013. Do you know that you can take a screenshot from a built-in feature of your MS Word (2013 and after)? If you haven’t used this feature so far and don’t know how to use it, continue reading this article.
We are going to discuss how you can take a screenshot through the Word’s built-in tool.
Using Microsoft Word’s Built-in Tool to Take Screenshots
Open MS Word, navigate to its ribbon and click on the Insert tab.
You will get a drop-down menu. Here you will find the Screenshot among the regular options of Pictures, Shapes, 3D Models, SmartArt, and Charts.
Click on the Screenshot button.
As you click on Screenshot, it opens another drop-down menu called Available Windows. This menu will give you the thumbnail preview of all the windows opened on your device at the moment.
In the above example, only a blank MS Word window is open on the device. When you select a thumbnail from this menu, it swiftly copies it to the Word file. It will be inserted like any other image, and hence you can position (aligning, text wrapping, etc.) it in the same manner.
Using MS Word to Take Screen Snippets
Microsoft has kept the built-in screen-capturing feature of MS word more functional than the Print Screen key. In many cases, you don’t need the screen-capture of an entire window but just its particular section. For all such requirements, MS Word’s Screenshot function has another feature called Screen Clipping.
This option allows you to take snippets of any part of the screen outside of the Word window.
The Screen Clipping feature works pretty similarly to the Snipping Tool. When you click on it, the Word window disappears, the screen goes dim, and a rectangular-drawing cursor appears on the screen. Select the area that you want to snip and remove your hand from the mouse button. The selected area will directly copy in the open Word document.
Why There Is a Need for Built-in Screenshot Feature in MS Word?
Many people ask that when we have multiple built-in screen-capturing options in Windows, why MS Word needs one of its own? MS Word’s built-in screenshot tool has an edge over the Print Screen Key or the Snipping Tool for various reasons. Let’s see.
You don’t need to switch between mouse and keys: This built-in tool allows you to take and use a screenshot of any open, active, or inactive window in one go without resorting to keyboard shortcuts that either take a full screen or active window screenshot.
It can streamline your work: If you are working on a document where you need to use a lot of screenshots, a built-in tool ensures quick and convenient working as compared to any external app.
It is handy for taking snippets: Usually, you have to open the Snipping Tool to take screen snippets and then paste it from there in your document. With a built-in tool, you can take and use a snippet then and there without opening the app and using paste function.
But if you are using earlier Word versions, you still have to use the Windows’ built-in screenshot tools.
