How to Take High Resolution Screenshots on Windows 10/11

Jane Zhou updated on Dec 23, 2025 to Screen Recording Utility

If you want to take high resolution screenshots on Windows 10, you are in the right place. This post covers some effective ways to help you take screenshots on Windows 10 without losing quality.

If you are tired of blurry images and want to know how to take high-quality screenshots on Windows 10 or 11, you've come to the right place. Many users struggle to get a crisp screenshot of PC output due to improper display scaling or file compression. Still, this guide provides the ultimate solutions to take high-quality screenshots on Windows using optimized system settings and professional tools for crystal-clear, 4K results.

Why Your Screenshots Look Blurry on Windows PC (Common Causes)

Understanding why your screenshots lose clarity is the first step before learning how to take high-quality screenshots on Windows. Generally, three main factors degrade the image quality:

  • Display Scaling (DPI): When Windows scaling is set above 100%, many capture tools "stretch" pixels to fit the view, resulting in a soft, blurry look rather than sharp edges.
  • File Compression: Defaulting to the JPEG format results in "lossy" compression. This discards visual data to save space, whereas a high-quality screenshot requires lossless formats like PNG to stay crisp.
  • Capture Source & Resolution: If your source content (like a video or game) isn't running at the monitor's native resolution, the screenshot will inherit that lack of detail, regardless of your settings.

Once you know these causes, you can follow the steps below to adjust your system settings for HD screenshots:

  • Step 1. Click Settings > System > Display.
  • Step 2. Next, choose the Advanced scaling settings under the Scale and layout section.
  • Step 3. Then, toggle the button next to Let Windows try to fix apps, so they're not blurry. Enabling this feature will make apps on your main display look better.
  • Step 4. (Optional) You can also enter a custom scaling size between 100 and 500. Once done, click Apply to allow the changes to take effect.

Now, let's see the ways to take high-definition screenshots on a PC.

Best Built-in Ways to Take HD Screenshots on Windows

Windows 10 comes with several built-in screenshot tools that can capture high-quality, full-resolution images without installing any third-party software. As long as your screen resolution and DPI settings are configured correctly, these methods can produce HD or even 4K screenshots with no quality loss.

Use Print Screen (Full HD & 4K Full-Screen Screenshots)

The Print Screen shortcut is the fastest way to take a high-resolution screenshot of your entire screen. It captures your display at its native resolution, making it ideal for full-screen captures on 1080p, 1440p, or 4K monitors.

How to use it:

  • Press PrtScn to copy the full screen to clipboard
  • Or press Win + PrtScn to save the screenshot automatically as a PNG file

✅Pros:

  • Captures full screen at native resolution
  • No compression, saved as PNG

❌Cons:

  • No region or window selection
  • Captures everything on screen, including the taskbar and multiple monitors

Snipping Tool / Snip & Sketch

If you want more control over what you capture, Snipping Tool for Windows or Snip & Sketch are the best built-in options for taking high-quality screenshots of a selected area or window.

These tools support rectangular, window, and full-screen capture modes, while preserving image clarity when saved in PNG format.

Here's how to take high resolution screenshots on Windows:

Step 1. Enter the Snipping Tool in the search box to open it.

Step 2. Choose the mode in which you want to take screenshots, including rectangular, whole window, or full screen.

  • Window Snip: Captures a single window at full clarity
  • Fullscreen Snip: Ideal for 4K or ultra-wide monitors

Step 3. Your selection is copied to the clipboard and shows a notification preview.

Step 4. Click the preview to edit, annotate, or save.

✅ Tips:

Want the clearest screenshot possible? Save your snip in PNG format to avoid compression artifacts and retain maximum visual fidelity.

Xbox Game Bar

Xbox Game Bar is optimized for capturing full-screen applications and games at high resolution. It works particularly well on systems with dedicated GPUs and 4K displays, producing crisp, uncompressed screenshots.

Here's how to take HD screenshots on PC:

Step 1. Press the Windows key + G to open it.

Step 2. Click Capture (a camera icon) to take screenshots.

Step 3. A confirmation appears "Screenshot saved", and the image is stored automatically.

✅ Recommended settings for HD screenshots:

  • Go to Settings > Gaming > Captures
  • Under "Screenshots", confirm that: Screenshot format is set to PNG. The default save location and resolution reflect your screen settings.

This ensures that screenshots reflect your native screen resolution (e.g., 1080p, 1440p, or 4K) without compression or loss of detail.

How to Take High-Resolution Screenshots with Professional Tools

If Windows' native tools don't meet your needs, third-party screenshot software applications offer much deeper control over image fidelity and metadata. Here are the two best options depending on your requirements:

EaseUS RecExperts

While built-in tools are convenient, they often fail to bypass Windows scaling issues. For users who need to take high-quality screenshots on Windows without any pixel loss, EaseUS RecExperts is the most reliable solution. It is a DPI-aware capture engine designed to output HD and 4K images that look exactly like your original screen.

Why It's the Best for HD Captures:

  • Lossless Output: Automatically saves captures in PNG format to ensure zero quality degradation.
  • 4K/8K Support: Perfectly handles ultra-high-resolution displays, capturing the native pixel density.
  • Flexible Region Selection: Capture full screen, a specific window, or a custom area with precision.
  • Built-in GIF & Video Tools: Beyond screenshots, you can capture high-bitrate video clips or high-quality GIFs.

Here's how to take high-quality screenshots on Windows 10/11 with EaseUS RecExperts:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS RecExperts and get the screen ready that you want to capture. Click Custom.

Step 2. Then drag your mouse to select the area you want to capture. After that, click the Screenshot button (camera icon) on the main toolbar.

Step 3. The screenshot will be captured instantly and saved to the default folder. You can view or manage it later in My Library.

Share this post with others if you find it worth reading!

Greenshot

For technical users who want granular control, Greenshot is a powerful, lightweight tool. To ensure a high-quality screenshot on Greenshot, you should:

  • Adjust Quality Settings: Right-click the Greenshot icon, go to Settings > Output, and set the JPEG quality to 100 (or preferably use PNG).
  • Maintain Aspect Ratio: It allows for precise pixel-level cropping, which is essential for professional documentation.

Here's how to use Greenshot to take better quality screenshots on Windows:

Step 1. Download and install Greenshot on your PC, open it, and it will run in the system tray by default.

Step 2. Use customizable hotkeys to take your own screenshots.

  • PrtScn for region capture
  • Alt + PrtScn for active window
  • Ctrl + PrtScn for full screen

Step 3. After capturing, you can choose to save, edit, or copy it to the clipboard freely.

What Makes a Screenshot High-Resolution

A high-resolution screenshot is more than just a simple image capture; it preserves the original sharpness, clarity, and detail of what’s displayed on your screen. Understanding what determines screenshot quality helps you choose the right tools and settings to capture crisp, professional-grade images on Windows.

1. Screen Resolution and Display Settings

The primary factor influencing screenshot resolution is your screen's native resolution, the total number of pixels displayed horizontally and vertically. Common examples include:

  • Full HD (1920×1080)
  • Quad HD (2560×1440)
  • 4K UHD (3840×2160)

A screenshot captures exactly what is shown on your display. Therefore, higher screen resolution means a higher number of pixels, which directly translates into a more detailed and sharper screenshot.

2. Scaling and DPI Settings

Windows uses scaling settings (measured in DPI—dots per inch) to adjust the size of text, apps, and UI elements for better readability on high-resolution displays. However, improper scaling can affect screenshot clarity:

  • If scaling is set above 100%, screenshots may appear larger but less sharp unless the capture tool compensates correctly.
  • Some screenshot tools capture the scaled output rather than the native pixel data, resulting in slight blurriness or pixelation.

To get truly high-resolution screenshots, ensure your tool captures at native DPI or supports DPI-aware captures.

3. Image File Format and Compression

The file format you save your screenshot in also impacts quality:

  • PNG (Portable Network Graphics): Lossless compression, preserves exact pixel data, ideal for screenshots with text, sharp edges, and UI elements.
  • JPEG/JPG: Uses lossy compression that reduces file size but may introduce artifacts and blur, especially around edges and text.
  • BMP or TIFF: Also lossless, but results in very large file sizes, less commonly used.

For the highest clarity and professional use, always save screenshots in PNG format.

4. Capture Method and Tool

Different screenshot methods impact resolution and quality:

  • Built-in shortcuts (like Win + PrtScn) capture the full native screen but lack editing flexibility.
  • Advanced tools (Snipping Tool, Greenshot, ShareX) often allow you to capture regions, windows, or full screen at native resolution and offer format options to avoid quality loss.
  • Some gaming or graphics-focused tools (like Xbox Game Bar) leverage GPU and hardware acceleration to capture ultra-high-resolution screenshots without scaling artifacts.

Choosing the right tool that supports high DPI awareness and lossless output is crucial.

5. Post-Capture Editing

Editing a screenshot in an image editor or converter can affect its quality:

  • Resizing or compressing without proper settings can degrade clarity.
  • Editing software that preserves the original pixel data and exports in lossless formats will maintain high resolution.

Always use professional-grade editors and avoid repeated lossy compression.

Final Words

This page provides some workable ways to help you take high-quality screenshots on a Windows 10 computer. Among those solutions, we highly recommend EaseUS RecExperts. This professional tool lets you take screenshots in one simple click without losing quality! Download it and have a try now.

Take High-Resolution Screenshots on Windows FAQs

1. How do I take a high-resolution screenshot in Chrome?

You can check out the following steps to take high-resolution screenshots in Chrome:

  • Open Chrome dev tools and device mode.
  • Choose preset Resonsive and set DPR to 3.0
  • Then press Ctrl + Shift + P and type Capture Fullsize Screenshot

2. Why are Windows screenshots blurry?

Blurry screenshots are usually caused by DPI scaling, low screen resolution, or using tools that apply compression. To fix this, ensure you're capturing at native display resolution, save in PNG format, and use DPI-aware tools like Greenshot or Snipping Tool.

3. What's the best format for high-quality screenshots?

PNG is the best format. It uses lossless compression, meaning no detail is lost, ideal for text, UI elements, and sharp visuals. Avoid JPG if you want maximum clarity.

4. How to screenshot without compression?

Use tools that allow you to save in PNG (like Snip & Sketch, Greenshot, or ShareX), and avoid formats like JPG. Also, avoid resizing or editing in apps that automatically compress images.