Screenshots are a handy way to make a record of something you've been looking at or sharing information with a friend or colleague.
Here's how to take them on different devices.
Mac computers
By far the most intuitive screenshot, there's a quick short cut on a Mac that lets you select the area you want to grab an image of.
Hold down the shift and command keys as well as the number four and the mouse arrow will become a crosshair. Click and hold with your mouse or trackpad to draw around the area you'd like to capture and it will take it on release.
The screenshot will then appear as a .png file on your desktop.
Windows computers
Without downloading any extra tools you can only take a screenshot of the entire screen on a Windows computer. If you have a regular keyboard for Windows all you need to do is press the print screen button. This often appears on the top right of the keyboard, but you will sometimes have to press the shift button to activate it. Tapping this button will take a picture of your whole screen and save it to the clipboard.
If you'd like to take more select screenshots, like you can on a Mac, you will need to use an extra program called the Snipping Tool. Search your computer for the tool and open the program. Hit new and a crosshair will appear that lets you select an area to capture. When you release the button you will then have to save the file.
For easy access, add the Snipping Tool to your Start bar.
iOS devices
To take a screenshot on an iOS device, such as an iPad or iPhone, all you need to do is hold down the home button and the power button, which is the top button on the right hand side on the iPhone 6 and up, and the one on the top of any devices made before. This will capture an image of the whole screen and save it to Photos.
If you want to take a screenshot of a smaller area you can zoom in on the first capture and take another one.
Android devicesMost Android screenshots work in a very similar way to those on iOS, but given the differences across handsets they're not all exactly the same.
Standard Android phones and tabletsYou can take a screenshot on most Android devices by holding down the volume down and power buttons at the same time. When the image has been taken a quick animation will appear. The picture will be saved in a screenshot section of the Photos app.
Samsung devices
Some manufacturers have their own ways of taking a screenshot. For example, on Samsung-made phones and tablets you have to hold the power and home buttons. An animation will also appear when it has taken and the image will save to the Photos app.
Sony phonesOn phones made by Sony you have to hold the power button down until a menu appears that includes the options to turn the phone off, switch on airplane mode or take a screenshot. Select the latter and it will capture the screen behind the menu and save it to your gallery.
Use an appThird party apps can also be a good idea as they offer some additional features as well as a traditional screengrab. For example, on Screenshot Easy you can take shots by shaking your device or adding a button to the notification bar. While Super Screenshot lets you resize, draw and write on, and add filters to your captures before saving them.
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