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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPrint Screen captures both monitors because Windows treats your displays as one virtual screen. To capture only one monitor, press Windows + Shift + S, choose Rectangle, and drag within that monitor, or choose Window to capture a particular app. Use Alt + Print Screen for the active window, and Windows + Print Screen when you want Windows to save the entire virtual desktop automatically.
What Print Screen does with two monitors
Windows combines connected displays into a single coordinate space called the virtual screen. The monitors can sit side by side, one above the other, or at different vertical positions, but a full-screen Print Screen command treats that arrangement as one desktop.
Microsoft’s Windows graphics documentation describes the behavior this way: “PRINTSCRN takes a snapshot of the entire virtual screen; unless Use the Print screen to open screen capture is on in Windows Settings, in which case PRINTSCRN launches your installed snipping tool-type app.” That is why pressing Print Screen on a dual-monitor PC normally includes both displays. It is not a monitor-1-only command.
| What you want | Shortcut or control | What happens | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both monitors in one image | Print Screen | Copies the entire virtual screen | Clipboard |
| Both monitors saved automatically | Windows + Print Screen | Captures the full virtual screen | Saved image file |
| Active app window only | Alt + Print Screen | Captures the focused window, regardless of which monitor it is on | Clipboard |
| One monitor or a custom area | Windows + Shift + S | Opens Snipping Tool selection controls | Snipping Tool and clipboard |
| Use Print Screen to open selection controls | Enable the Windows setting | The Print Screen key opens your installed snipping-tool app | Snipping Tool |
Capture one monitor only
- Move the pointer to the monitor containing the content you need. This makes it easier to begin and end the selection inside the correct display.
- Press Windows + Shift + S. The screen dims and Snipping Tool’s capture bar appears.
- Choose Rectangle.
- Drag from one corner of the area on the target monitor to the opposite corner. Keep both points inside that monitor’s boundaries. You can select the whole display by starting near its top-left corner and dragging to its bottom-right corner.
- Release the mouse button. The snip is copied to the clipboard and appears in Snipping Tool, where you can annotate, save, or share it.
Snipping Tool also offers Window, Full-screen, and Freeform modes. Rectangle is the reliable choice when you need one physical monitor but not necessarily every pixel on it. Window is better when the application itself is the subject.
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- ENHANCED 75HZ REFRESH RATE - Enjoy unparalleled responsiveness and seamless visuals that will take your gaming experience to the next level.
Save a screenshot of both monitors
Copy the virtual desktop
Press Print Screen. Windows copies the complete virtual-screen image to the clipboard. Open Paint, an email, a document, or another image editor and press Ctrl + V to paste it. Save or export the pasted image from that application.
Save directly to a file
Press Windows + Print Screen. Windows captures the full virtual desktop and saves an image file automatically. On standard Windows installations, look in Pictures > Screenshots. If OneDrive is configured to back up your Pictures folder, the file may appear in the corresponding OneDrive location instead.
The saved image reflects the arrangement shown in Settings > System > Display. If the monitors are arranged incorrectly there, the screenshot will also have an unexpected layout. Drag the display rectangles in that settings page until they match the monitors on your desk, then apply the change before capturing again.
Capture the active window on either monitor
- Click the window you want so it is the active, focused window.
- Press Alt + Print Screen.
- Paste the clipboard image into Paint, an editor, a message, or another destination with Ctrl + V.
This method captures the window rather than the monitor behind it. It works whether that window is on the left, right, upper, or lower display. It is useful for documenting an application without exposing unrelated work on the second monitor.
Rank #2
- DUAL MONITOR SETUP - Curved monitors in a dual setup provide a seamless viewing experience with reduced peripheral distortion, ideal for immersive gaming or detailed work.
- ERGONOMIC DESIGN - The 1500R curved design provides a more comfortable viewing experience by reducing eye strain and neck fatigue, allowing for longer periods of use with less discomfort.
- FAST RESPONSE TIME - Fast response times reduce ghosting & blurring while transitioning pixels, always keeping the enemy & terrain precisely in focus during chaotic moments.
- TRUE TO LIFE COLORS - Experience vibrant and true-to-life colors with a 98% sRGB color gamut performance, ensuring accurate and stunning visuals for all your creative and multimedia tasks.
- ENHANCED 75HZ REFRESH RATE - Enjoy unparalleled responsiveness and seamless visuals that will take your gaming experience to the next level.
Make Print Screen open Snipping Tool
On current Windows versions, you can assign the Print Screen key to the capture interface instead of the legacy full-virtual-screen behavior.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Accessibility > Keyboard.
- Turn on Use the Print screen key to open screen capture (the wording can vary slightly by Windows release).
- Press Print Screen and choose Rectangle, Window, Full-screen, or another mode from the Snipping Tool bar.
If this option is enabled, pressing Print Screen does not silently place a two-monitor bitmap on the clipboard; it launches the capture controls. Use Rectangle to isolate one display.
Choosing the right method
| Method | Capture scope | Selection control | Destination | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Print Screen | Both monitors | Automatic | Clipboard | Paste the complete desktop into another app |
| Windows + Print Screen | Both monitors | Automatic | Saved file | Keep a full-desktop image without opening an editor |
| Alt + Print Screen | Active window | Automatic | Clipboard | Document one app on either display |
| Windows + Shift + S with Rectangle | Any rectangle, including one monitor | Manual | Snipping Tool and clipboard | Capture one display or a precise region |
| Snipping Tool with Window | One selected window | Window selection | Snipping Tool and clipboard | Avoid selecting desktop space around an app |
Where Windows puts your screenshot
- Print Screen: Clipboard only. Paste it into an application before copying something else.
- Alt + Print Screen: Clipboard only, containing the active window.
- Windows + Print Screen: An image file, normally under Pictures > Screenshots.
- Windows + Shift + S: The snip is copied to the clipboard and opened in Snipping Tool for editing and saving. Depending on your Windows configuration, a notification may provide a direct way to open the editor.
If a clipboard capture seems to disappear, paste it immediately into Paint or another editor. Clipboard contents can be replaced by a later copy operation, a restart, or clipboard-history settings.
Troubleshooting two-monitor captures
Print Screen includes both displays
This is the expected virtual-screen behavior. Use Rectangle snipping for one monitor, Window snipping for one app, or Alt + Print Screen for the active window.
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Print Screen opens an overlay instead
The setting that assigns Print Screen to screen capture is enabled. Select Rectangle, Window, or Full-screen from the overlay. If you prefer the old clipboard behavior, return to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn off Use the Print screen key to open screen capture.
The screenshot has an unexpected gap or order
Open Settings > System > Display and rearrange the display boxes to match the physical monitors. Windows captures the virtual-screen geometry, including space created when displays are offset vertically or have different resolutions.
The wrong window was captured
Click the target window first, wait for its title bar to become active, and then press Alt + Print Screen. For a region, use Windows + Shift + S instead of relying on focus.
Nothing happens when you press the key
- On a laptop or compact keyboard, try the documented Fn combination for Print Screen.
- Check that the key is labeled PrtSc, PrtScn, or Print Screen; some keyboards place it on a shared function key.
- Try an external keyboard with a clearly labeled Print Screen key.
- Confirm that the keyboard layout and Windows installation recognize the key, then test Windows + Shift + S to separate a keyboard issue from a Snipping Tool issue.
The saved file cannot be found
Check Pictures > Screenshots, then check whether OneDrive redirects the Pictures folder. If you used plain Print Screen or Alt + Print Screen, there is no file until you paste and save the clipboard image.
Rank #4
- Compatible with Wide Screens - To ensure compatibility with the dual monitor mount, your each monitor must meet three conditions at the same time: First, computer screens size range: 13 to 32 inches. Second, screen weight range: 4.4 to 19.8 lbs. Third, the back of the monitor screen must have VESA mounting holes with a pitch of 75x75mm or 100x100mm.
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A protected video appears black
Some applications use protected playback surfaces that do not expose their video frames to ordinary screen-capture methods. The shortcut can still capture surrounding windows or controls, but Windows may intentionally omit protected content. Follow the application’s recording and sharing rules.
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If what you really need is a repeatable screenshot of a web page—not a picture of your two-monitor desktop—an API is easier to automate. ScreenshotNeo returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF from one GET request. Before capture, it accepts cookie and consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks, CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and whether it was billed.
See the parameter reference and options in the ScreenshotNeo documentation. A minimal cURL request is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpThe same request in Python:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)And in 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}`);For AI workflows, ScreenshotNeo also provides an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools that work with Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. Other automation options include full-page capture with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element capture, dark mode, device presets and custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper and margin controls, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks before capture, selector hiding, waits for selectors, delays or network idle, request and resource blocking, custom headers, cookies, user agents, authorization, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, chosen cache TTLs, signed public-image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API, and an OpenAPI specification. Common screenshot-API parameter names are accepted to ease migration.
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Best Value
- DUAL MONITOR SETUP - Flat monitors in a dual setup provide a seamless viewing experience with reduced peripheral distortion, ideal for immersive gaming or detailed work.
- FAST RESPONSE TIME - Fast response times reduce ghosting & blurring while transitioning pixels, always keeping the enemy & terrain precisely in focus during chaotic moments.
- TRUE TO LIFE COLORS - Experience vibrant and true-to-life colors with a 99% sRGB color gamut performance, ensuring accurate and stunning visuals for all your creative and multimedia tasks.
- ENHANCED 75HZ REFRESH RATE - Enjoy unparalleled responsiveness and seamless visuals that will take your gaming experience to the next level.
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Practical capture checklist
- Need both monitors? Use Print Screen for the clipboard or Windows + Print Screen for an automatic file.
- Need one monitor? Use Rectangle snipping and keep the drag entirely within that display.
- Need one app? Focus it and press Alt + Print Screen, or choose Window in Snipping Tool.
- Need a predictable layout? Correct the monitor arrangement in Settings > System > Display first.
- Need to keep the image? Paste clipboard captures immediately; check Pictures > Screenshots for automatic saves.
- Need a webpage captured repeatedly? Use an API such as ScreenshotNeo rather than configuring a browser by hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Print Screen capture monitor 2 by itself?
Not with the legacy full-screen Print Screen command. Use Windows + Shift + S and draw a rectangle on monitor 2, or capture a window located there.
Does Windows + Print Screen capture both monitors at their native resolutions?
It captures the virtual desktop as Windows has arranged it. The resulting image reflects each display’s position and scaling in Settings > System > Display.
Can I edit a screenshot before saving it?
Yes. Snipping Tool opens selected snips for annotation, editing, saving, and sharing. Clipboard-only captures can be pasted into Paint or another editor first.
The Tool Desk
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Click the application window and press Alt + Print Screen. The active-window image is placed on the clipboard.
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