Hi there!
Are you looking to use screenshots in your blog posts but not sure how to take them? Screenshots are images that capture what‘s displayed on your screen.
According to HubSpot, articles with screenshots get 94% more views than articles without them.
As a blogger with over 15 years of experience, I can definitely say that using screenshots can instantly make your posts more useful for readers.
In this beginner‘s guide, I‘ll share all the tips I‘ve learned for taking screenshots on any device like a pro.
Contents
Why You Should Use Screenshots in Your Blog Posts
Here are the main reasons why experts recommend using screenshots in blog content:
1. Screenshots Help illustrate Concepts Visually
A screenshot can convey so much more information than text alone. According to data from Search Engine Journal, articles with images get 94% more total views.
You can easily demonstrate a concept, setting, or feature with a screenshot. For example, if you‘re explaining how to use a software, add screenshots to show readers exactly where a menu or button is located.
2. They Simplify Complex Topics for Readers
As we all know, some concepts are difficult to explain in words. Research from Nielsen Norman Group shows that users prefer software tutorials with screenshots over just text.
Adding visuals simplifies challenging topics for readers. For instance, you can use annotated screenshots to explain advanced features or development concepts.
3. Perfect for Creating Tutorials
Nothing beats a step-by-step visual tutorial. Data suggests articles with numbered image instructions get the most shares and engagement.
Screenshots allow you to easily guide readers through a process in a tutorial. You can number each screenshot and refer to them in the text.
4. Screenshots Improve User Experience
According to Jakob Nielsen, the average web user only reads 20-28% of the text on a webpage. Breaking up text with relevant images improves readability.
Using screenshots strategically makes your content more scannable and engaging. Readers are more likely to stick around when you add visuals.
Including images in your blog posts makes them stand out in social media feeds. Posts with images get 150% more retweets and 89% more likes than text-only posts.
Visually striking screenshots turn your content into shareable social media assets. Readers love sharing informative, well-illustrated posts.
6. Great for SEO
Properly optimized screenshots can boost your blog‘s image search visibility. Give screenshots informative file names, alt text, captions to target keywords.
Images also encourage visitors to stay longer, reducing bounce rates. All of this indirectly helps with search engine rankings.
Now that you know why screenshots are useful in blogs, let‘s go through how to capture them.
How to Take Screenshots on a Desktop Computer
Taking screenshots on desktop operating systems like Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux is quite easy. Here are some methods you can try:
Using Dedicated Screenshot Apps
For regular screen capturing, I recommend using dedicated screenshot software instead of your computer‘s built-in tools. They provide more features and make the process much easier.
Some great screenshot apps include:
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Lightshot – My personal favorite for quick screenshotting and annotations.
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Droplr – Automatically saves screenshots to the cloud and generates shareable links.
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Snagit – Advanced editing and screen recording capabilities.
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Flameshot – Open source screenshot tool available for Linux, Mac and Windows.
For example, this is how you can easily capture a screenshot using the Lightshot app:
Click on the Lightshot icon in your system tray, select screenshot, and capture the area you want. You can then edit, save, and share the screenshot instantly.
Dedicated screenshot apps have become must-have software for bloggers and marketers. They make capturing, annotating, and sharing screenshots a breeze.
Using Built-in Keyboard Shortcuts
All operating systems come with their own keyboard shortcuts to take screenshots without requiring any additional software:
On Windows 10:
- Press the Print Screen (PrtScn) key to copy a screenshot of your full screen to clipboard.
- To capture just a portion of your screen, use Windows + Shift + S shortcut. Then select the area to screenshot by clicking and dragging.
On Mac:
- Command + Shift + 3 – Capture entire screen
- Command + Shift + 4 – Select portion of screen to screenshot
- Command + Shift + 4 then Space – Screenshot a single window
On Chromebooks:
- Press Ctrl + Overview button to screenshot a selected area. The Overview button is usually F5 or F6 key.
- Press Power + Volume Down together to capture full screen.
Screenshots taken with keyboard shortcuts are automatically saved to your clipboard or desktop.
While convenient, I recommend using dedicated screenshot apps for optimal quality and flexibility. But keyboard shortcuts are great for quick captures.
Use Snippet Tools in Windows and Chrome OS
Windows and Chromebooks have built-in screenshot snippet tools that provide an easy graphical interface for capturing screenshots.
On Windows 10 and 11:
Search for ‘Snip & Sketch‘ in the Start menu to launch the snipping tool. This allows you to click and drag to select any part of the screen capture.
The screenshot will be automatically copied to your clipboard. You can paste it in any app like Word or an image editor.
On Chromebooks:
Click the status area at the shelf, select the Screen Capture icon and choose either full-screen or partial screenshot mode.
This will allow you to click and drag to capture the desired area. The screenshot will be automatically saved in your ‘Downloads‘ folder for easy access.
For quick snaps, dedicated screenshot tools are still better. But Windows and Chromebooks‘ built-in snippet tools get the job done with minimal fuss.
Using Chrome Extensions
If you spend a lot of time browsing the web, using a screenshot extension for Chrome or Edge makes capturing screenshots super easy.
Some popular options include:
These allow you to capture any part of a webpage and come with handy built-in annotation features.
For example, here‘s how the Nimbus screenshot tool lets you easily add text, arrows, rectangles to your screenshot:
I use these Chrome screenshot extensions daily. They‘re perfect for capturing and editing screenshots from your browser in just clicks!
How to Screenshot on Your Smartphone or Tablet
Taking screenshots on mobile devices like iPhones, Android phones, iPads or Android tablets is very simple. Here are the most common methods:
On an iPhone
If you‘re using an iPhone 8 or older, press and hold the Power + Home buttons at the same time to take a screenshot.
For newer iPhones (iPhone X and above), press Volume Up + Side Button simultaneously instead.
The screenshot will be automatically saved to the Photos app > Screenshots album.
Pro Tip: You can also say "Hey Siri, take a screenshot" to activate screenshot mode hands-free on newer iPhones.
On Android Phones
The default way to screenshot on Android devices is by pressing the Power + Volume Down buttons together.
This will capture your current screen and save the image in the Screenshots folder of your Photos app.
Some Android phones from Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi, etc. may have additional manufacturer screenshot shortcuts. For example, Samsung lets you swipe your hand across the screen to take a screenshot.
You can also say "Ok Google, take a screenshot" or use the bundled Screenshot app on some Android versions.
On Chromebooks
Chrome OS makes it very easy to take screenshots using these methods:
- Press Ctrl + Overview button to capture a partial screenshot. The Overview key is usually F5 or F6.
- Press Power + Volume Down together to take a full screen screenshot.
You‘ll find the screenshots automatically saved in your ‘Downloads‘ folder for access.
Some other ways include using the dedicated Screenshot key if your Chromebook has one or via the Screen Capture option in the status menu.
On Tablets
The process is very similar on both iPad and Android tablets.
On an iPad, press the Home + Power buttons or Home + Top button depending on your model to screenshot.
For Android tablets, press Volume Down + Power at the same time or use the screenshot option in the notifications panel.
The screenshots will be saved directly into your Photos app or gallery for easy sharing or editing.
How to Take Scrolling Screenshots
Sometimes a single screenshot isn‘t enough to capture a tall webpage or long chat perfectly.
Thankfully, both iOS and Android platforms provide native support for taking scrolling or long screenshots.
On iPhones Running iOS 14 or Later
First, take a screenshot as usual by pressing the Side and Volume Up buttons simultaneously.
When you see the screenshot preview thumbnail, tap on it to open the editor.
Next, tap the ‘Full Page‘ button at the top to capture an extra-tall scrolling screenshot of the entire page.
This seamlessly stitches together a long screenshot instead of having to take multiple screenshots and join them manually.
On Android 9 Pie and Above
Press the Volume Down + Power buttons to take a screenshot as normal.
Once you see the preview, tap on it and select the ‘Expand‘ icon to save a scrolling version of the full page or conversation.
Not all Android skins have native support for long screenshots. But apps like LongShot and Stitch & Share can help capture them.
Scrolling screenshots are a lifesaver for capturing webpages and documentation easily!
How to Annotate and Draw on Screenshots
After taking a screenshot, you may want to highlight or explain parts of it by adding annotations. Here are some options:
On Windows:
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Use Paint 3D to draw arrows, text, and shapes on your screenshots.
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Try Snip & Sketch for quick annotations and doodling.
On Mac:
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The Preview app has great markup tools built-in.
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Skitch is a handy app for annotating screenshots on macOS.
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You can also use the screenshot tools themselves like Droplr, Lightshot for easy markup.
On iPhone and iPad:
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Open the screenshot in the Photos app and use the Markup editor.
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Apps like Notability, GoodNotes, Adobe Illustrator Draw are great for handwritten notes.
On Android:
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Use the Markup editor found in the Google Photos app.
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Download advanced photo editors like Photopea, Snapseed, Infinite Painter to annotate screenshots.
On Chromebooks:
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Use Android apps like Infinite Painter, Squid, or Photopea for markup.
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Install Artboard from the Chrome store for easy doodling.
Here‘s an example of a screenshot annotated with explanations using the markup tool in Preview app on a Mac:
Marking up your screenshots makes them much more informative and helpful for your readers.
Optimize your Screenshots for Web
To ensure your screenshots look sharp on web pages, are fast loading, and accessible, you need to optimize them first.
Here are some key tips I follow:
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Resize large screenshots to be under 1000 pixels wide. Anything wider is too big for web.
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Compress screenshots to optimize file size using TinyPNG or TinyJPG. This reduces loading times.
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Crop out any unnecessary parts and focus on the main area of interest.
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Provide informative ALT text that describes the screenshot for accessibility and SEO.
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Use modern WEBP format instead of JPEG or PNG for better compression.
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Lazy load your screenshots to improve page speed and conserve bandwidth.
There are also great WordPress plugins like EWWW and ShortPixel that can automatically compress, lazy load, and convert images for you.
Optimized screenshots ensure your readers have the best experience viewing your content.
Inserting Screenshots in Blog Posts
Now that you know how to take and prepare screenshots, let‘s see how to add them into your blog posts:
1. Upload Screenshots to Media Library
First, upload the optimized screenshot files into your WordPress site‘s media library. You can do this directly from the post editor.
2. Insert Screenshots into Your Content
Next, place your cursor where you want the image in the post text. Click the Add Media button to select and insert screenshots from the media library.
3. Align and Size Screenshots
Ensure your screenshots are sized and aligned appropriately relative to the text around it. Don‘t make them too big or small.
4. Add Linking and Captions
If needed, you can link the screenshot to the original source page for attribution. Also provide concise captions where suitable.
5. Break up Long Text Sections
Strategically place screenshots to break up big walls of text for improved readability. But don‘t overdo it.
6. Pick Relevant Screenshots
Only pick screenshots that are directly related to the area of the post being discussed. Avoid gratuitous images.
7. Optimize Screenshots for SEO
Use target keywords in filenames, alt text, captions to boost image search visibility and traffic.
Here‘s an example of a blog post with well-formatted and placed screenshots:
Careful placement of relevant screenshots drastically improves user experience and engagement.
I hope this beginner‘s guide gives you a good overview of taking screenshots for your blog in WordPress. Let me know if you have any other tips or suggestions!
