How to Take High-Quality Screenshots on Windows and Mac (Complete Guide)

March 09, 2026Andrew Miller

If you want to capture a great frame of a video or save an interesting picture to share with your friends, taking a screenshot is the fastest and most convenient way to do it. Almost all current devices are equipped with a screenshot function. However, low-definition of screenshots is a very common problem. There are very many solutions to this problem. In what follows, we will present you with three workable tips for taking high-quality screenshots, including one of the best screenshot software. Read on and join us to find out how to do it.

Take High Quality Screenshots

Part 1. Essential Factors That Decide Screenshot's Resolution

To understand how to take high-quality screenshots and find a solution to the problem of blurry screenshots, we first need to recognize what factors determine the quality of a screenshot. In this way, we can treat the problem. Next, we will briefly list some of the essential factors.

Display Resolution

The display resolution of the screen of the device you're using to take the screenshot has a direct impact on the quality of the exported image. Images captured on such a screen are bound to be blurry if every detail cannot be shown in full.

Compression: Lossless (PNG) vs. Lossy (JPEG)

The file format dictates how data is stored. PNG is a lossless format, preserving every pixel exactly as it appears. JPEG uses lossy compression to reduce file size, which can introduce "blocking" artifacts around text and sharp edges, especially if the quality setting is low.

Display Scaling (DPI Settings)

Windows and macOS often use display scaling (e.g., 125% or 150%) to make text readable on high-res screens. If your screenshot tool isn't "DPI-aware," it may capture the scaled (stretched) pixels instead of the native ones, resulting in a blurry output.

Screenshot Tool

The choice of screenshot software also affects the final result. Some of the more basic software can only achieve a screen capture but cannot guarantee the quality of the finished product and provides fewer post-editing features. Therefore, when choosing a tool, it is best to choose one with more customized options and one that guarantees high-quality screen capture.

Resizing Issues

Another more common scenario is that we may not take a screenshot of the full frame but instead select a specific part. Or we may resize the image after taking the screenshot. This action also affects the clarity and sharpness of the image.

Quality Dropping During Sharing

Have you ever noticed that when we send an image to someone, the clarity of the image is compressed? This operation can speed up the transmission speed, but it will lead to the quality dropping of the pictures received by the other party. Therefore, we need to pay attention to the fact that when we share, we try to choose to send the original image quality.

Part 2. How to Take High-Quality Screenshots with Useful Tools

Use Aiseesoft Screen Recorder

In the above, we have already mentioned that the choice of screenshot tool affects the quality of the final image. In order to get high-quality screenshots, we'd better use a tool with a variety of options and one that supports you to edit the image before exporting. Combining all these conditions, you will find that Aiseesoft Screen Recorder is the optimal choice for you. It currently allows you to save images in JPG, GIF, and PNG formats. Whether you want to save your pictures in the most space-saving form or get the clearest screenshots, it can help you. Of course, it also has a complete set of image editing features to ensure that you can realize complete control over every detail of your pictures. And that's not all. In addition to taking high-quality screenshots on Windows 10 and recording movements on your screen, you can even use it to record what's on your phone on your computer.

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Aiseesoft Screen Recorder

  • Recording sound from a device system or microphone.
  • Record all operations and movements on your computer without delay.
  • Edit and enhance captured audio, video, and screenshots.
  • Record footage from your smartphone on your computer.
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Step 1.
Open Aiseesoft Screen Recorder and click the screenshot button or press “Alt + C” to enable “Screen Capture”. You can also press “Alt + L” to take a scrolling screenshot.
Screen Capture In Aiseesoft Sr
Step 2.
Drag the edge of the dashed selection box to adjust the recording area.
Step 3.
You can add text, lines, images, and shapes to your captured picture and click the “Save” button to download it.
Take Snapshot And Edit

Record with ShareX (Open Source)

ShareX is a free and open-source tool that allows you to screenshot on Windows, record screen, and automatically manage files without extra setup. It’s especially popular among developers, content creators, and technical users because it offers powerful automation and high-quality image output.

Unlike basic screenshot tools, ShareX gives you full control over capture regions, file naming, formats, and post-processing workflows - all while remaining lightweight and completely free.

Step 1.
Download ShareX from its official website and install it on your Windows computer.
Step 2.
Launch ShareX and open the Capture menu from the left panel.
Step 3.
Choose one of the following options:
Fullscreen capture
Window capture
Region capture (recommended)
Capture In Sharex
Step 4.
Drag your mouse to define the capture region. Release to take the screenshot.
Step 5.
ShareX will automatically save your screenshot as a PNG file by default, without needing any manual export step.

Record with Snagit (Professional Screen Capture Tool)

Snagit is a professional screen capture and recording tool developed by TechSmith. It is widely used for creating tutorials, documentation, UI guides, and business workflows because it combines screenshot capture, screen recording, editing, and sharing in one tool. Snagit is designed for precise capture, fast editing, and professional output, making it a popular choice for educators, developers, and corporate teams. You can also find more options in Snagit alternatives.

Step 1.
Download and install Snagit for Windows or macOS (same license supports both platforms).
Step 2.
Launch Snagit and open the Capture window, where you can choose image or video capture modes.
Step 3.
Choose one of the following:
Fullscreen capture
Window capture
Scrolling capture (for long pages)
Region capture (recommended)
Step 4.
Click and drag your mouse to define the capture region. Release to take the screenshot.
Step 5.
The screenshot opens in Snagit Editor, where you can add arrows, text, blur, highlights, crop or resize image, and organize steps for tutorials.
Capture In Snagit

Part 3. Useful Tips to Take High Quality Screenshots

Enhance Screenshot Quality with AI Upscaling

Above, we recommended a screen recording tool that you can choose from before you start taking screenshots. So, if you have finished taking screenshots, how do you solve the problem of blurred pictures? AI photo enhancer is undoubtedly the best choice at this time. Advanced Artificial Intelligence will analyze your pictures and help you reconstruct every detail in them. Media.io Image Enhancer is one of the more outstanding choices among the many products available. Being an online tool, you can use it directly in your browser, and it is free. Any time you want to enhance screenshot quality, you can mobilize it to help you.

Now, let us learn how to use it.

Step 1.
Open Media.io Image Enhancer with your browser.
Step 2.
Click Upload Images to upload the screenshot you want to enhance.
Upload Screenshot
Step 3.
Choose Enhancer under the Canvas Setting tab. Then, click Process.
Ai Proess
Step 4.
After checking the enhanced result, click Download to get your screenshot.
Ai Download

Change Display Settings to Take High-Quality Screenshots on Windows 10/11

Another option for Windows computer users is to adjust their display settings. This will allow them to see clearer images on their screens and capture high-quality screenshots. Next, we'll show you how to apply this on your Windows computer.

Step 1.
Click Start, and choose Settings > System > Display.
Step 2.
To change the resolution, drop down the menu next to Display resolution. You are better off choosing the recommended resolution option.
Step 3.
You can also adjust the brightness to ensure that the images on your screen are more vibrant and the screenshots look better.
Windows Resolution
Step 4.
Finally, click Apply to keep the change.

Part 4. FAQs for Taking High-Quality Screenshots

How do I get high-quality stills from a video?

You should start with a high-resolution video source to ensure that the stills extracted from it will be of good quality. Higher-resolution videos provide more detail for still images. You can also open the video using video editing software that allows you to extract still frames. Pause the video at the frame you want to capture.

Does screenshots reduce image quality?

Taking a screenshot itself does not reduce the quality of the image. However, if you save or share the screenshot in a compressed format or resize it to a smaller size, there may be a loss of image quality.

Does screen size affect screenshot resolution?

Screen size itself does not affect a screenshot's resolution. However, factors like pixel density, scaling, and aspect ratio can impact how the screenshot is viewed and perceived on different devices.

Conclusion

In this article, we have answered how to take high-quality screenshots from three directions. The core solution is to use professional screenshot software, such as Aiseesoft Screen Recorder. If you've already taken a screenshot, you can also try to fix your image by using our recommended AI image enhancer. In addition, you can also try to adjust your device's display settings to make the screenshot source clearer.

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Aiseesoft Screen Recorder is the best screen recording software to capture any activity like online videos, webcam calls, game on Windows/Mac.

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