Have you copied an image or taken a screenshot that’s now in the clipboard? Make sure you get a permanent copy. Find out here how to save an image from the clipboard on Windows using MS Paint or Paint 3D.
First, Do Not Throw Away the Eggs’ Shells
Do not throw away the four fresh eggs’ shells. Throw their contents, though, into the depression you’ve made in the pile of flour (some 400 g or around 3 cups) carefully sifted onto the countertop.
Add a pinch of salt and a bit of water. How much of a bit, you wonder?
Why, it’s two half eggshells full of water, says the tradition, for Italian homemade pasta dough.
Now, while we throw away the measuring eggshells, let’s take care to throw images that are only in the Windows clipboard into a file instead:
How to Save an Image from the Clipboard on Windows
Time needed: 5 minutes
To save an image copied to the clipboard (a screenshot, for example) to a file on disk using Microsoft Paint on Windows:
- Open MS Paint.
Here’s how: Press Windows for the Start menu, for instance, start typing
paintand open the Paint app.
Already open: If Paint is already open, save the current image and press Ctrl N to start with a fresh canvas for pasting the image. - Select Edit | Paste from the menu to insert the image data from the clipboard.
Keyboard shortcut: You can also press Ctrl V, of course.
The background: You need not worry about the original background, but you can remove it, of course (press Ctrl A and then Del).
The size: Do not worry about the canvas size either; Paint will expand it to fit the clipboard image. - Click on the pasted image with the right mouse button.
The selection: Paint has automatically selected the image data from the clipboard; you need not change the selection.
- Select Crop from the context menu that has appeared.
Paint keyboard shortcut: You can also press Ctrl Shift X to crop the selection instead of bringing up and using the context menu.
- Select File | Save as | PNG picture from the menu.
Image formats: PNG will save the image unaltered, but you can pick a different format, of course.
- Choose a file name and location, then click Save to save the image from the clipboard to disk.
How to Save an Image from the Clipboard on Windows: FAQ
Can I save a clipboard image using Paint 3D as well?
Yes.
In Paint 3D, to paste and save an image from the clipboard:
- Press Ctrl N in Paint 3D to start a fresh canvas.
- Now press Ctrl V to paste the image from the clipboard.
- Select Menu | Save as from the menu.
- Pick Image.
- Choose a name, typically 2D – PNG (*.png) as the Save as type: as well as a location and save the pasted image.
(How to save an image from the clipboard on Windows tested with Paint 11.2310 and Paint 3D 6.2310; updated December 2023)