You’re in a crunch and your boss needs crucial information from you. Cool. I’ll just screenshot. Wait… How do you do that again?
We’ve all been there. Luckily, you are in the right spot. In this article, you will learn how to efficiently and effectively open and use the Snipping Tool shortcut to take a screenshot. We will also cover a better way to to take and edit screenshots.
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Why are shortcut keys magical?
The most common keyboard shortcuts are copy and paste. Let’s assume these keyboard shortcuts are part of your everyday workflow.
Now imagine you have to revert back to the days when you didn’t know shortcuts. Ah yes… the old right click and scroll method. How many extra seconds did that add? Multiply that by the amount of times you copy and paste a day, multiply by 365 and you’ll see the numbers add up year over year.
Our time is priceless, and those seconds add up.
The primary benefit of keyboard shortcuts is saving time, so why not invest the time to learn them? Since you are reading this article, you are on the right track.
Fun Fact: The first screenshot ever taken was back in 1960, over 60 years ago! Us humans have always sought ways to share visual information.
Open the Snipping Tool with Shortcut
To open the Windows Snipping Tool, you will need to use one of the many keyboard shortcuts. Press the Windows + Shift + S keys to open. The full screen will dim. From there, you have 4 different snipping opinions that can be located at the top of your screen:
Rectangular Snip
With this option, you can screen snip rectangular shapes. This is generally used for most captures.
Freeform Snip
This option gives you the ability to capture screenshots in any shape your free hand can make. This tool is used out of preference over the rectangular snip.
Window Snip
If you want to capture the full screen of your browser, use this option. This can be helpful for when you need to provide a POV of your screen for a coworker.
Full Screen Snip
This option will capture all of your monitors simultaneously. If the information is across multiple screens, this is an effective way to capture all of it.
The Windows Snip & Sketch window will pop up. Click on this to retrieve your screenshot. You can also find this on the bottom of the screen next to the start menu.
Capture your screen faster with Snagit
The Snipping Tool has a bit of a clunky shortcut key. What if you want an easy-to-remember shortcut key that makes sense to you? Snagit, the leading screen capture tool, gives you the opportunity to create shortcut keys that are unique to you! If you haven’t already, give Snagit a try here. Open up Snagit Capture. Under the big red “Capture” button click the phrase below. Here you can change your shortcut to whatever you like!
You might find that the Snipping Tool is limited in the editor department. Instead of dragging a screenshot from platform to platform to edit, you can do everything in Snagit. Once you capture your screenshot, it will go straight to Snagit’s Editor where you can add arrows, call outs, annotations and more! You can share your finished product by clicking “Screencast” in the upper right corner. You will receive a unique link to your video that you can share with anyone. If you are interested in enhancing your screenshot editing abilities, give this blog a read.
Snagit vs Snipping Tool
The Snipping Tool is a great built in tool for quick screen grabs, but you may want a tool that goes beyond just a simple screenshot. Snagit, for example, has a variety of features that can spruce up a simple screenshot into a concise informational piece.
What tool is right for me?
If you take an occasional screenshot, the Snipping Tool is fine, but if you rely on screen capture every day, it’s worth the investment to get Snagit.
Snipping Tool benefits:
- Free with the Windows computer
- Easy to use
- Basic editor
Snagit benefits:
- Scrolling capture
- Grab text
- Screen-recording
- Multi-faceted editor
- Cloud storage
- Easy to use
- Time savor
Want to learn more about what tool is right for you? Please check out this article where we compare these tools: https://www.techsmith.com/blog/snagit-vs-snipping-tool/
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FAQ
You can change the key to the print screen shortcut.
Go into settings (W + I)
Click on “Ease of Access”
On the left hand side of the screen, scroll down to “Keyboard” and click
Scroll down and you will see “Print Screen Shortcut” slide this on
Yes, the Snipping Tool has some editing options. You can use the highlighter, pencil, or pen tool.
If you are looking for more advanced capturing and editing options then it is worth giving Snagit a try.
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