Capturing memorable moments and sharing them with others is an integral part of the gaming experience. Steam, the leading platform for PC gaming, provides a convenient way to preserve those special moments through screenshots. Whether you want to document your victories, showcase your skills, or simply share your gaming journey with friends, taking screenshots in Steam is a breeze. With just a few simple steps, you can easily capture and save those precious in-game moments and preserve them for posterity.
First and foremost, you’ll need to configure your screenshot settings. Head over to Steam’s settings menu and locate the “In-Game” tab. Here, you can customize the screenshot hotkey and choose the desired file format for your screenshots. The default hotkey is F12, but you can change it to any key that suits you best. Once you’re satisfied with your settings, it’s time to start capturing those epic moments.
When you’re ready to take a screenshot, simply press the designated hotkey. Steam will automatically capture the current game screen and save it to your screenshots folder. By default, screenshots are saved as JPEG files, but you can change the file format to PNG or BMP in the aforementioned settings menu. Once your screenshot is saved, you can easily access it through Steam’s screenshot manager or your operating system’s file explorer. From there, you can share your screenshots with friends, upload them to social media, or simply keep them as a memento of your gaming adventures.
Capture a Specific Game Area
Steam’s built-in screenshot feature enables you to capture specific areas of your gameplay. This is particularly useful for showcasing specific details or moments without capturing the entire screen.
To capture a specific game area, follow these steps:
Using a Keyboard Shortcut
- Launch the game you wish to capture.
- Press the default screenshot shortcut keys: **F12** (for full-screen mode) or **Shift+F12** (for windowed mode).
- If your game has custom screenshot binding, use that keybinding instead.
- A small screenshot preview will appear in the lower right corner of the screen.
Using the Screenshot Menu
- In-game, click the Steam button in the top left corner.
- Select “View” from the dropdown menu.
- Click on “Screenshots” to open the screenshot menu.
- Choose “Capture a specific game area” from the options.
- A crosshair cursor will appear on-screen. Drag the cursor to select the area you want to capture.
- Release the mouse button to take the screenshot.
Tip: You can also customize the dimensions of your captured area by entering specific coordinates in the “Screenshot Area” section of the Steam settings.
Screenshot Shortcut | Method |
---|---|
F12 | Full-screen mode |
Shift+F12 | Windowed mode |
Custom keybinding (if applicable) | As defined in game settings |
Snap a Screenshot of the Fullscreen Game
Taking a screenshot of a fullscreen game in Steam involves a few steps that ensure a seamless and efficient process. To capture the entire game window, follow these detailed instructions.
1. Launch the Game:
Start the fullscreen game you wish to capture a screenshot of. Ensure it is running in fullscreen mode for an accurate representation of the gameplay.
2. Activate the Screenshot Hotkey:
By default, Steam assigns the F12 key as the screenshot hotkey. However, you can customize this setting in the Steam client under “In-game” options. Once the game is running, press the designated screenshot hotkey (e.g., F12) to capture the current screen.
3. Locate and Retrieve the Screenshot:
Steam automatically saves the screenshot as a PNG file in the following default directory:
Operating System | Default Screenshot Directory |
---|---|
Windows | \Steam\userdata\[User ID]\760\remote\[App ID]\screenshots |
MacOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/[User ID]/760/remote/[App ID]/screenshots |
Linux | ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata/[User ID]/760/remote/[App ID]/screenshots |
You can also access the screenshots directly through the Steam client by navigating to the “View” menu and selecting “Screenshots.”
Enable the In-Game Overlay
To enable the in-game overlay, follow these steps:
- Open the Steam client and click on the “Settings” tab.
- In the “Settings” window, select the “In-Game” tab.
- In the “In-Game Overlay” section, check the box next to “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game”.
- Click the “OK” button to save your changes.
Once you have enabled the in-game overlay, you can take screenshots by pressing the F12 key. The screenshot will be saved to your Steam Screenshots folder, which is located by default in the following directory:
Operating System | Default Screenshot Folder |
---|---|
Windows | C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[your user ID]\760\screenshots |
Mac | ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/[your user ID]/760/screenshots |
Linux | ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata/[your user ID]/760/screenshots |
You can also change the default screenshot folder by clicking on the “Change Screenshot Folder” button in the “In-Game Overlay” section of the “Settings” window.
Use the Steam Screenshot Key Shortcut
The most straightforward way to take a screenshot in Steam is to use the designated screenshot key shortcut. By default, this is set to F12, but you can customize it in the Steam settings.
Step 1: Enable Screenshots
Before using the key shortcut, ensure that screenshots are enabled in your Steam settings. Go to “Steam” > “Settings” > “In-Game” tab. Under the “Screenshot” section, make sure the “Enable in-game screenshots” option is ticked.
Step 2: Press the Shortcut Key
Once enabled, you can take a screenshot by pressing the F12 key during gameplay. The screenshot will be saved as a JPEG file in your Steam screenshot folder.
Step 3: Find the Screenshot
By default, Steam screenshots are saved in the following location:
Platform | Location |
---|---|
Windows | \Users\[username]\Pictures\Steam\Screenshots |
Mac | ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/[userid]/760/remote/screenshots |
Linux | ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata/[userid]/760/remote/screenshots |
You can also access your screenshots through the Steam client itself. Go to “View” > “Screenshots” to see all your taken screenshots.
Capture a Screenshot with the Steam Overlay Toolbar
1. Launch the game you want to capture a screenshot of and make sure the Steam overlay is enabled.
2. Press the F12 key to open the Steam overlay toolbar.
3. Click the “Screenshot” button (camera icon) on the toolbar.
4. The screenshot will be saved to your Steam screenshots folder by default.
5. Customize Screenshot Options:
Within the “Settings” section of the Steam overlay toolbar, you can customize various screenshot options:
Option | Description |
---|---|
Screenshot Folder | Change the default location where screenshots are saved. |
Screenshot Format | Select the image format for screenshots (PNG, JPG, BMP). |
Screenshot Quality | Adjust the quality of screenshots (affects file size). |
Hide Cursor | Remove the mouse cursor from screenshots. |
Save Replay with Screenshot | Capture a replay file along with the screenshot. |
Adjust Screenshot Settings
In the Steam client, navigate to “Settings” > “In-Game” to configure screenshot settings. Here are the available options:
Screenshot Folder
Choose the desired folder to store your screenshots. By default, screenshots are saved to the following location:
Windows | C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[your Steam ID]\760\remote\screenshots |
---|---|
macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/[your Steam ID]/760/remote/screenshots |
Linux | ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata/[your Steam ID]/760/remote/screenshots |
Screenshot Format
Select the preferred image format for screenshots. Options include JPG, PNG, and BMP.
Quality
Adjust the image quality of screenshots. Higher quality settings result in larger file sizes.
Capture Mode
Choose between the following capture modes:
Full Screen Capture
Captures a screenshot of the entire game window.
Active Window Capture
Captures a screenshot only of the currently active game window.
Free Camera Capture
Allows you to manually move and zoom the camera before taking a screenshot. This mode is available in certain games and requires the use of specific camera commands (e.g., pressing F5 in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive).
Additional Settings
Enable or disable the following additional settings:
- Take a screenshot when the F12 key is pressed
- Show the screenshot overlay when a screenshot is taken
- Save an uncompressed copy of screenshots
Customize Screenshot File Format
Steam allows you to modify the format of your screenshots to suit your preferences. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do it:
Step 1: Open Steam Settings
Launch the Steam client and click on “Steam” in the top-left corner. Then, select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: Navigate to the In-Game Tab
In the Settings window, select the “In-Game” tab on the left-hand side.
Step 3: Locate the Screenshot Settings
Scroll down to the “Screenshot” section and you will find several options related to screenshot format.
Step 4: Select the File Format
Under “Screenshot File Format,” you can choose between PNG, JPEG, or BMP format. PNG offers lossless compression, JPEG offers adjustable compression levels, and BMP is uncompressed.
Step 5: Set the Quality Level (JPEG Only)
If you select JPEG as the file format, you can adjust the quality level using the slider. A higher quality level results in larger file sizes but better image quality.
Step 6: Enable Lossless Screenshot Capture
Tick the checkbox next to “Enable Lossless Screenshot Capture” to capture screenshots without any compression. This option is available only for PNG format.
Step 7: Advanced Settings
Click on the “View Advanced Screenshot Options” button to access additional settings:
Option | Description |
---|---|
Limit Screenshot Size | Limits the resolution of screenshots to reduce file size. |
Disable Screenshot Thumbnails | Disables the generation of thumbnail images for screenshots. |
Create Screenshot Save Dialog | Prompts you to select the save location and name for each screenshot. |
After making your desired changes, click “OK” to save the settings.
Save Screenshots to a Custom Location
By default, Steam screenshots are saved to your Steam screenshots folder, which is located in your Steam directory. However, you can change this location to any folder on your computer.
To change the screenshot save location, follow these steps:
1. Open Steam.
2. Click on the “Steam” menu in the top-left corner of the window.
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Click on the “In-Game” tab.
5. Under the “Screenshot” section, click on the “Screenshot Folder” button.
6. Select the folder where you want to save your screenshots.
7. Click on the “Apply” button.
8. Your screenshots will now be saved to the custom location that you specified. To view these screenshots in File Explorer, navigate to the following folder (replace “CustomLocation” with the name of your custom location):
Windows | Mac | Linux |
---|---|---|
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[YOUR ACCOUNT ID]\760\screenshots\CustomLocation | ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/[YOUR ACCOUNT ID]/760/screenshots/CustomLocation | ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata/[YOUR ACCOUNT ID]/760/screenshots/CustomLocation |
Platform | Guide |
---|---|
Windows | Windows Key + PrtScn |
Mac | Command + Shift + 3 |
Linux | PrtScn or Shift + PrtScn |
Disable Screenshots
To disable screenshots in Steam, follow these steps:
- Open the Steam client.
- Click on the “Steam” menu in the top-left corner.
- Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the “In-Game” tab.
- Uncheck the box next to “Enable Steam Overlay while in-game”.
- Click on the “OK” button to save your changes.
- Restart Steam.
- Screenshots will now be disabled in Steam.
- To re-enable screenshots, simply follow the steps above and check the box next to “Enable Steam Overlay while in-game”.
How To Take Screenshots In Steam
Taking a screenshot lets you preserve in-game moments to share with friends or keep for posterity, but the method of taking screenshots varies from platform to platform. If you’re a PC gamer, there are two ways to take a screenshot using Steam: one is via the Steam overlay, the other is by using third-party software.
Since taking screenshots using third-party software varies depending on the software you’re using, we will only cover how to take screenshots using the Steam overlay here.
People Also Ask About How To Take Screenshots In Steam
How To Take A Screenshot Using Steam Overlay
To take a screenshot using the Steam overlay, simply press the F12 key. By default, the screenshot will be saved as a .jpg file in your Steam screenshots folder, which can be found in your Steam directory. You can change the screenshot format by going to Steam > Settings > In-Game, and then selecting a different format from the “Screenshot Format” drop-down menu.
Where To Find Your Screenshots
Once you’ve taken some screenshots, you can find them in your Steam screenshots folder. To access this folder, open Steam and click on the “View” menu. Then, select “Screenshots” from the drop-down menu. This will open your Steam screenshots folder in your file explorer.