How to Use Snipping Tool: A Step-by-Step Guide

Do you ever need to quickly capture a screenshot of something on your computer screen? Maybe you want to save a picture of a funny meme, or maybe you need to send a screenshot of a problem you're having to a friend or coworker. Whatever the reason, the Snipping Tool is a great way to do it.

The Snipping Tool is a built-in Windows program that lets you take screenshots of your screen. It's easy to use and has a lot of features that make it a great choice for taking screenshots.

Now that you know a little bit about the Snipping Tool, let's take a closer look at how to use it.

How to Use Snipping Tool

Here are 8 important points about how to use the Snipping Tool:

• Open Snipping Tool
• Select Screenshot Mode
• Capture Screenshot
• Edit Screenshot (optional)
• Save or Share Screenshot
• Use Keyboard Shortcuts
• Customize Screenshot Settings
• Troubleshoot Snipping Tool Issues

These are just a few of the things you can do with the Snipping Tool. With a little practice, you'll be a pro at taking screenshots in no time.

Open Snipping Tool

To open the Snipping Tool, you can use one of the following methods:

• Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type "snippingtool" and press Enter.

Once you have opened the Snipping Tool, you will see a small window with a few buttons and options. The most important buttons are the four screenshot mode buttons:

• Rectangular Snip: This is the default mode and it allows you to capture a rectangular area of your screen.

To take a screenshot, simply click on the desired screenshot mode button and then click and drag the cursor across the area of the screen you want to capture. Once you have selected the area, the screenshot will be automatically copied to your clipboard.

You can also use the Snipping Tool to edit your screenshots. To do this, simply click on the "Edit" button in the Snipping Tool window. This will open the screenshot in the Paint program, where you can crop, resize, and annotate the screenshot.

Select Screenshot Mode

Once you have opened the Snipping Tool, you need to select the screenshot mode you want to use. There are four screenshot modes available:

• Rectangular Snip:
  

  This is the default mode and it allows you to capture a rectangular area of your screen. To use this mode, simply click and drag the cursor across the area of the screen you want to capture.

This mode allows you to capture a specific window on your screen. To use this mode, click on the Window Snip button and then click on the window you want to capture. The entire window will be captured, including the title bar and borders.

This mode allows you to capture a screenshot of your entire screen. To use this mode, click on the Full-screen Snip button. The entire screen will be captured, including any open windows, taskbar, and system tray.

This mode allows you to capture a free-form area of your screen. To use this mode, click on the Free-form Snip button and then draw the shape of the area you want to capture. You can draw a rectangle, a circle, or any other shape you want.

Once you have selected the screenshot mode you want to use, you can take a screenshot by clicking on the New button in the Snipping Tool window.

Capture Screenshot

Once you have selected the screenshot mode you want to use, you can capture the screenshot.

• Click on the New button:
  

  This will open a new screenshot window. The screenshot window will be slightly transparent, so you can see the area of the screen that you are capturing.

If you are using the Rectangular Snip mode, simply click and drag the cursor across the area of the screen you want to capture. If you are using the Window Snip mode, click on the window you want to capture. If you are using the Full-screen Snip mode, the entire screen will be captured automatically.

Once you have selected the area you want to capture, release the mouse button. The screenshot will be automatically copied to your clipboard.

To view the screenshot, simply press Ctrl+V to paste it into an image editor or other program. You can also save the screenshot to a file by clicking on the Save button in the Snipping Tool window.

That's all there is to it! You can now take screenshots of anything on your screen using the Snipping Tool.

Edit Screenshot (optional)

After you have captured a screenshot, you can edit it using the Snipping Tool. To do this, simply click on the "Edit" button in the Snipping Tool window. This will open the screenshot in the Paint program, where you can crop, resize, and annotate the screenshot.

Here are some of the things you can do to edit a screenshot in Paint:

• Crop the screenshot:
  

  To crop the screenshot, simply click on the "Crop" button in the Paint toolbar. Then, click and drag the crop handles to select the area of the screenshot you want to keep. Once you have selected the area you want to keep, click on the "Crop" button again.

To resize the screenshot, simply click on the "Resize" button in the Paint toolbar. Then, enter the new width and height for the screenshot in the "Resize" dialog box. Click on the "OK" button to resize the screenshot.

To annotate the screenshot, you can use the tools in the Paint toolbar. For example, you can use the "Line" tool to draw lines on the screenshot, the "Text" tool to add text to the screenshot, and the "Arrow" tool to add arrows to the screenshot.

Once you are finished editing the screenshot, you can save it to a file by clicking on the "Save" button in the Paint toolbar. You can also copy the screenshot to the clipboard by pressing Ctrl+C.

The Snipping Tool is a powerful tool that can be used to take and edit screenshots. With a little practice, you'll be able to use the Snipping Tool to capture and edit screenshots like a pro!

Save or Share Screenshot

Once you have captured and edited a screenshot, you can save it to a file or share it with others.

• Save the screenshot to a file:
  

  To save the screenshot to a file, simply click on the "Save" button in the Snipping Tool window. Then, select the location where you want to save the screenshot and click on the "Save" button again. You can also save the screenshot to a specific file format by clicking on the "Save As" button and selecting the desired file format from the "Save As Type" drop-down list.

To share the screenshot with others, you can use the "Share" button in the Snipping Tool window. Then, select the method you want to use to share the screenshot, such as email, social media, or a cloud storage service. You can also copy the screenshot to the clipboard and paste it into an email or other program.

You can also use the Windows clipboard to save or share a screenshot. To do this, simply press Ctrl+C to copy the screenshot to the clipboard. Then, you can paste the screenshot into an image editor, a document, or an email by pressing Ctrl+V.

The Snipping Tool also has some built-in sharing features that you can use. For example, you can click on the "Email" button to send the screenshot as an email attachment. You can also click on the "OneNote" button to save the screenshot to your OneNote notebook.

These are just a few of the ways you can save or share a screenshot using the Snipping Tool. With a little practice, you'll be able to quickly and easily save and share screenshots with others.

Use Keyboard Shortcuts

The Snipping Tool has a number of keyboard shortcuts that you can use to quickly and easily take and edit screenshots.

• Open the Snipping Tool:
  

  Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type "snippingtool" and press Enter.

Press the Print Screen key. The screenshot will be automatically copied to the clipboard.

Press Ctrl+V to paste the screenshot into the Snipping Tool window.

Press Ctrl+S to save the screenshot to a file.

Press Ctrl+C to copy the screenshot to the clipboard.

Press Ctrl+Z to undo the last action.

Press Ctrl+Y to redo the last action.

Press the + key to zoom in on the screenshot.

Press the - key to zoom out on the screenshot.

Press Ctrl+0 to fit the screenshot to the window.

These are just a few of the keyboard shortcuts that you can use with the Snipping Tool. With a little practice, you'll be able to use these shortcuts to quickly and easily take and edit screenshots.

Customize Screenshot Settings

You can customize the Snipping Tool settings to change the way it works. To do this, click on the "Options" button in the Snipping Tool window.

• Change the default screenshot mode:
  

  To change the default screenshot mode, click on the "Default Mode" drop-down list and select the desired screenshot mode.

To change the screenshot format, click on the "Format" drop-down list and select the desired screenshot format. You can choose from PNG, JPEG, GIF, or HTML.

To change the save location, click on the "Save Location" button and select the desired save location.

To enable or disable the screenshot sound, check or uncheck the "Play Sound When Taking Screenshot" checkbox.

To enable or disable the screenshot shadow, check or uncheck the "Show Shadow Around Screenshot" checkbox.

To change the delay before taking a screenshot, use the "Delay Before Taking Screenshot" slider.

To enable or disable the Magnifier, check or uncheck the "Enable Magnifier" checkbox.

To change the Magnifier zoom level, use the "Magnifier Zoom Level" slider.

Once you have made the desired changes, click on the "OK" button to save the changes.

Troubleshoot Snipping Tool Issues

If you are having problems using the Snipping Tool, there are a few things you can try to troubleshoot the issue:

• Make sure the Snipping Tool is installed:
  

  The Snipping Tool is included with Windows 10 and Windows 8. If you are using an earlier version of Windows, you can download the Snipping Tool from the Microsoft website.

To enable the Snipping Tool, press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type "gpedit.msc" and press Enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Tablet PC > Accessories. Double-click on the "Allow use of Snipping Tool" policy and make sure it is set to "Enabled".

To use the Snipping Tool, you must have administrator permissions on the computer.

If the Snipping Tool is not working properly, try restarting it. To do this, right-click on the Snipping Tool icon in the taskbar and select "Close". Then, open the Snipping Tool again.

If the Snipping Tool is still not working properly, try reinstalling it. To do this, go to the Control Panel and select "Programs and Features". Find the Snipping Tool in the list of installed programs and click on the "Uninstall" button. Then, download the Snipping Tool from the Microsoft website and install it.

If you are still having problems using the Snipping Tool, you can contact Microsoft customer support for help.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about how to use the Snipping Tool:

Question 1: How do I open the Snipping Tool?
Answer 1: You can open the Snipping Tool by pressing the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type "snippingtool" and press Enter.

Question 2: How do I take a screenshot?
Answer 2: To take a screenshot, simply click on the desired screenshot mode button and then click and drag the cursor across the area of the screen you want to capture.

Question 3: How do I edit a screenshot?
Answer 3: To edit a screenshot, simply click on the "Edit" button in the Snipping Tool window. This will open the screenshot in the Paint program, where you can crop, resize, and annotate the screenshot.

Question 4: How do I save or share a screenshot?
Answer 4: To save a screenshot, simply click on the "Save" button in the Snipping Tool window. To share a screenshot, you can use the "Share" button to send the screenshot as an email attachment or share it on social media.

Question 5: How do I use keyboard shortcuts with the Snipping Tool?
Answer 5: There are a number of keyboard shortcuts that you can use with the Snipping Tool. For example, you can press the Print Screen key to take a screenshot, or you can press Ctrl+V to paste a screenshot into the Snipping Tool window.

Question 6: How do I customize the Snipping Tool settings?
Answer 6: You can customize the Snipping Tool settings by clicking on the "Options" button in the Snipping Tool window. This will allow you to change the default screenshot mode, the screenshot format, the save location, and other settings.

Question 7: What do I do if I'm having problems using the Snipping Tool?
Answer 7: If you are having problems using the Snipping Tool, you can try restarting the Snipping Tool, reinstalling the Snipping Tool, or contacting Microsoft customer support for help.

These are just a few of the most frequently asked questions about how to use the Snipping Tool. If you have any other questions, you can consult the Snipping Tool help documentation or search for more information online.

Now that you know how to use the Snipping Tool, here are a few tips for getting the most out of it:

Tips

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of the Snipping Tool:

Tip 1: Use keyboard shortcuts:
There are a number of keyboard shortcuts that you can use with the Snipping Tool. For example, you can press the Print Screen key to take a screenshot, or you can press Ctrl+V to paste a screenshot into the Snipping Tool window. Using keyboard shortcuts can help you save time and be more efficient.

Tip 2: Customize the screenshot settings:
You can customize the Snipping Tool settings to change the way it works. For example, you can change the default screenshot mode, the screenshot format, the save location, and other settings. Customizing the screenshot settings can help you get the most out of the Snipping Tool and make it work the way you want it to.

Tip 3: Use the Magnifier:
The Snipping Tool has a built-in Magnifier that can be useful for taking screenshots of small or detailed areas of the screen. To use the Magnifier, simply click on the "Magnifier" button in the Snipping Tool window. Then, use the mouse cursor to zoom in on the area of the screen you want to capture.

Tip 4: Save screenshots in different formats:
The Snipping Tool allows you to save screenshots in a variety of formats, including PNG, JPEG, GIF, and HTML. Choosing the right format depends on how you plan to use the screenshot. For example, if you plan to share the screenshot online, you might want to save it in PNG or JPEG format. If you plan to print the screenshot, you might want to save it in PDF format.

These are just a few tips for getting the most out of the Snipping Tool. With a little practice, you'll be able to use the Snipping Tool to quickly and easily capture and edit screenshots.

Now that you know how to use the Snipping Tool and have some tips for getting the most out of it, you can start using it to capture and edit screenshots of anything on your screen.

Conclusion

The Snipping Tool is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that allows you to capture and edit screenshots of anything on your screen. In this article, we have learned how to open the Snipping Tool, select the screenshot mode, capture the screenshot, edit the screenshot (optional), save or share the screenshot, use keyboard shortcuts, customize the screenshot settings, and troubleshoot Snipping Tool issues.

We have also provided some tips for getting the most out of the Snipping Tool, such as using keyboard shortcuts, customizing the screenshot settings, using the Magnifier, and saving screenshots in different formats.

With a little practice, you'll be able to use the Snipping Tool to quickly and easily capture and edit screenshots of anything on your screen. So, the next time you need to capture a screenshot, don't forget to use the Snipping Tool.

Happy screenshotting!