5 Things You Can’t Do with Print Screen That You Need

We’ve all been there. You press the Print Screen—or PrtScn—button, planning to save some content to your desktop for later or to share right away. Yet when you look at the image you captured, you see a snapshot filled with unnecessary components that make your image cluttered. If the content is larger than the size of the screen, you’re left piecing together multiple images. Unfortunately, with only the Print Screen button, your editing capabilities are limited or non-existent. And when you try to resize your image capture, the quality can be lost.

Here are 5 things that Print Screen doesn’t have, but could really use:

1. Scrolling Capture

Have you ever wanted to take a screenshot of something that doesn’t quite fit on your computer screen? Let’s say you’ve found a valuable infographic that you need to share with a co-worker or that you’d like to incorporate into a presentation. You end up scrolling and taking multiple images and piecing them together, and even then the page just looks…messy. Print screen doesn’t offer the option to do a scrolling capture that allows you to take a screenshot of the entire page, making it seamless and clean.

2. Panoramic Capture

Imagine you now have an image that’s too wide for the screen. Similar to scrolling capture, Print Screen doesn’t have a panoramic capture option, either. So you’re back to square one, stitching together multiple screen shots. Panoramas can be useful for capturing an entire image without cutting any corners. They are typically eye-catching and attention-grabbing, therefore having to crop it could take away from the value of your image.

3. Image Editing

Once you have an image to work with, the possibilities of editing are often restricted. Suppose you want to draw special attention to something you feel is important. Many people will turn to Paint for editing, but the features can be quite limited. Since 60% of people are visual learners, being able to add and highlight text or create a call-out can bring special attention to key points on the image, engaging your audience.

4. Resizing and Trimming

So you’ve taken a screenshot using Print Screen, but it’s not the right size and could use some adjusting. With the appropriate tools, images can be trimmed in order to fit into a particular foreground, ensuring that your image compliments your formatting. In addition to trimming, being able to take a screenshot of a particular region or object on the screen can reduce clutter and give your image more focus.

5. Video

One very unique feature that Print Screen doesn’t offer is video capture. Research has shown that people actually learn better from videos that provide some form of visual aid. When creating a demonstration, it often can be difficult to clearly put your instructions into written words. Therefore, it would be useful to have a tool that allows you to record your desktop to show others the exact message you are trying to get across, and that they can actively engage and follow along with.

Print screen can be helpful if you are looking for a snapshot of your entire desktop. However, when it comes to more detailed work or creating visual aids, you’re going to need something with more capability and precision.

Luckily, Snagit is here to help. Snagit allows you to edit, resize, and create awesome-looking images and videos. Download your free trial here.

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

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