How To Save A Screen Image

It is often helpful to be able to save an image of the screen.

This tip sheet will show you how to do a "screen dump" so you can

• capture error messages to send along with your emails
• capture a scoring screen showing the work you have finished
• add useful graphic images to your documentation

(1) Download and install a copy of Irfanview

This is a free program (although the team greatly appreciates donations). The program has a very open license and does not have any spyware. http://www.irfanview.com/

(2) Do a PrtScrn

-- Select the active window that you want to save by clicking on it.
-- ALT PrtScrn will capture only that window. PrtScrn alone will capture the entire screen.
-- Nothing will appear to happen, but a copy of the screen image will be put in the Windows clipboard.

(3) Run IrfanView

(4) Paste the image from the Windows clipboard into IrfanView by hitting CTRL V (think of the "V" as a wedge that will insert the image.)

-- IrfanView will automatically make a new page.
-- It will look weird at first, just like the page you just copied! But, look closer and you will see that it is a full-screen image inside the IrfanView window.

(5) Crop the image the way you want.

-- Click and drag the mouse to form a marquee (framing box) around the area you want.
-- Hit ESC if you want to clear the marquee and start again.
-- After the marquee is built you can move the cursor slowly over the frame to get resizing arrow and/or the zoom feature.
-- Use Edit/Crop Selection  to crop away everything that is outside the marquee. CTRL Y also works.

(6) Save the image as a GIF file.

-- Use File/Save As to save your new image as a file.
-- Use camelCaseForTheFileName.gif (no spaces! everything lower except beginning of new words)

Both GIF and JPG  files can be view directly in most browsers and do not need other programs (such as Word) to be seen by users. The images do not have to be embedded inside an HTML file. If they are, both the HTML file and the graphic file must be sent to the user together.

Remember, that smaller is better. Just present the essential information with your GIF.