How to screenshot an entire page on windows

As a software reviewer at PCMag, snapping screenshots is something I need to do many times each day. There’s no better way of showing readers how a program actually looks in operation than by showing screenshots. I mostly review Windows software, so I’m familiar with the various ways to capture screens on that operating system. Nearly every computer user occasionally needs to take a screenshot, if only to share what they’re seeing on the screen with a colleague.

It’s astonishing how long it has taken to perfect this simple capability. Windows has had screen-printing capabilities since the first PCs in the 1980s (their text-based option differed from today’s raster screenshots). Windows 10 introduced new ways to take screenshots, like using the Snip & Sketch utility, and taking screenshots in Windows 11 is even smarter with its version of the Snipping Tool.

Here, we're concerned with screenshots in Windows 10. Below, I walk you through the several ways to capture the Windows 10 PC screen so that you can make an informed decision on which method works best for you.

1. Use Shift-Windows Key-S and Snip & Sketch

PC hardware is nice, but it’s not much use without innovative software. I’ve been reviewing software for PCMag since 2008, and I still get a kick out of seeing what's new in video and photo editing software, and how operating systems change over time. I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine, the Windows 7 review, and I’ve witnessed every Microsoft win and misstep up to the latest Windows 11.

Prior to my current role, I covered software and apps for ExtremeTech, and before that I headed up PCMag’s enterprise software team, but I’m happy to be back in the more accessible realm of consumer software. I’ve attended trade shows of Microsoft, Google, and Apple and written about all of them and their products.

I’m an avid bird photographer and traveler—I’ve been to 40 countries, many with great birds! Because I’m also a classical fan and former performer, I’ve reviewed streaming services that emphasize classical music.

There shouldn’t be any difficult part when it comes to taking a screenshot. However, you might struggle to fit all the relevant information and have no choice but to put together separate screenshots using a photo editor.

The good news is that you can avoid this headache by using free Chrome or Firefox extensions, or built-in tools.

How to Take a Full-Page Screenshot in Google Chrome

If your default browser is Google Chrome, there are plenty of options you can use to take a full-page screenshot:

• Screen Capture
• Scrnli Screenshot & Screen Video Recorder
• GoFullPage
• Screenshot Master: Full Page Capture

ScreenCapture is one of the best extensions available for Chrome.

How to Take a Full-Page Screenshot Using ScreenCapture

To access the extension’s menu, all you have to do is click its icon. If you need to take a screenshot of the entire page, select Whole page screenshot. ScreenCapture will scroll by itself the entire page and will open a new tab that contains the screenshot.

Using ScreenCapture, you can edit your screenshots without having to open another app or an online editing tool. You can add text, arrows, or other elements using the extension. When you've finished editing, you can save it as PDF, or PNG, or copy it to your clipboard.

If you need more control over the screenshot, select Capture area. You can edit the captured area by resizing the box. If you want to take a scrolling screenshot, click and hold the lower part of the box and scroll the page using your mouse. If you want to quit taking a screenshot, simply press Esc.

To access your screenshots, open the extension’s menu and click Show History. There you can view, download, or delete your screenshots.

How to Take a Full-Page Screenshot Without an Extension

If you feel you already have too many extensions installed, you can take a screenshot using Chrome’s Developer Tools. Before trying this method, keep in mind it works better for websites with text-based content rather than web apps.

Follow these steps to take a full-page screenshot:

1. Open Chrome’s menu.
2. Head to More tools > Developer tools.
3. Click the three-dot icon from the top-right corner and select Run command. Also, you can press Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows or Command+Shift+P on Mac.
4. Type screenshot into the search box.
5. Select Capture full-size screenshot.
6. Once Chrome takes the screenshot, it should save it into your Downloads folder.

How to Take a Full-Page Screenshot in Mozilla Firefox

If you prefer Firefox, here are a few options that you can try:

• Nimbus
• Full Web Page Screenshots
• Awesome Screenshot & Screen Recorder
• Evernote Web Clipper

Nimbus is one of the best Firefox extensions you can use for full-page screenshots.

How to Take a Full-Page Screenshot Using Nimbus

After you've installed Nimbus, click its icon to access the extension's menu. Before taking the screenshot, you can select what you will do after the capture.

Nimbus gives you plenty of options since you can edit the capture, send it to storage, upload it, or download it to your computer.

If you select the Entire page option, Nimbus will capture the page content while scrolling on its own. Then, it will open the screenshot in a new tab. You can use its tools to edit the image by adding text, arrows, shapes, and more. You can even blur parts of the image.

If you don’t need to capture the entire page, click Selected & Scroll. This will bring up a capture box that you can resize. For a scrolling screenshot, click and hold the box’s lower part and scroll using your mouse.

How to Take a Scrolling Screenshot Without an Extension

Mozilla has a built-in tool that you can use to take a scrolling screenshot. To make it available, right-click the browser’s toolbar and select Customize Toolbar. Then, click and drag the Screenshot tool into the toolbar.

Go to the website you want to take a screenshot of, wait until it’s fully loaded, and click the Screenshot tool. To take a full-page screenshot, click Save full page.

If you only need a scrolling screenshot, drag the cursor on the page to create a capture box. Then, click and hold the lower part of the box and scroll the page.

Don’t Take Multiple Screenshots

There are many options when it comes to extensions that help you take a full-page screenshot, and you can test a few until you find one that you like.

How do I take a scrolling screenshot in Windows?

How do I take a screenshot of a whole web page in Windows 10?

How do I take a screenshot of a scrolling page?

Is there a way to screenshot an entire webpage?