The Snipping Tool as available on a Windows 11/10 computer can be used to Take Screenshots and it can even be used to Edit and Annotate the screenshots.
The Snipping Tool was first introduced by Microsoft in Windows 7, since then it has been a part of every Windows OS in all versions, including Windows 11/10.
The built-in Snipping Tool provides the option to take screenshots by selecting a rectangular area, a free-form area, or the entire screen.
As mentioned above, it also allows you to edit and annotate the screenshots using colored pens and the highlighter.
Use Snipping Tool in Windows 11/10
Before going ahead with the steps to Take Screenshots using the Snipping Tool, let us first take a look at the User Interface of the Snipping Tool App.
As you can see in the image above, the Snipping Tool User Interface basically consists of five buttons designed to perform the following functions.
- New: Click on this button to take a screenshot.
- Mode: Allows you to choose different types of screenshots – Free-Form, Rectangular, Window Snip and Full Screen Snip.
- Delay: Delays screenshot capture by 1,2,3,4 or 5 seconds.
- Cancel: Cancels current action.
- Options: Allows you to customize Snipping Tool
1. How to Start or Access the Snipping Tool
Now that you understand the Snipping Tool User Interface, let us take a look at some of the ways to access or start Snipping Tool App on your computer.
Use the Search Bar: Type Snipping Tool in the Search Bar and click on Snipping Tool Desktop App in the search results.
Use Run Command: Press Windows Logo + R keys on the keyboard of your computer > type snippingtool in the Open box and click on OK to lauch the Snipping tool on your computer.
Use Start Menu: Click on Start button > go to Windows Accessories > click on Snipping Tool shortcut.
2. Take Screenshots Using the Snipping Tool
Finally, lets us take a look at the steps to Take Screenshots using the Snipping Tool on your Windows 10/11 computer.
1. Open the Snipping Tool on your computer using any of the methods as described above.
2. On the Snipping Tool window, click on Mode and select the type of screenshot that you want to take from the drop-down menu (See image below)
Note: You can also click on New and start taking screenshots on your computer.
3. Clicking on New or selecting a Screenshot Mode will make the screen faded and turn the Mouse Pointer into a cross-hair pattern.
This allows you to select the area that you want to capture in a screenshot by holding the Mouse key and dragging the cursor around the area.
4. Once your desired area is selected, release the Mouse Key and the screen shot will be copied to the Clipboard.
5. Next, you can either click on the Save Icon or click on File > Save As option to save the screen shot to any location on your computer.
3. Annotate/Edit Screenshots Using Snipping Tool
As mentioned above, the Snipping Tool provides some basic tools like Pen, Highlighter and Eraser that you can make use of to Annotate and Edit your Screenshots.
For other methods of taking screenshots on a Windows computer, you can refer to this guide: How to Take Screenshot in Windows 10/11.
4. Customize Snipping Tool
Clicking on the Options tab allows you to customize the way the Snipping Tool behaves and appears on your computer.
- Hide instruction Text: Hides text below the buttons in the Snipping Tool window.
- Always copy snips to the Clipboard: Copies screenshots to the Clipboard, allowing you to paste them into Paint, Word and other applications.
- Include URL below snips (HTML only): Saves screenshots as HTML documents and includes the URL of the website from which you took the screenshot.
- Prompt to save snips before exiting: Prompts you to save the screenshot, in case you happen to close the Snipping Tool, without saving your screenshot.
- Show screen overlay when Snipping Tool is active: Allows you to Turn OFF the white overlay which is displayed by default whenever you try to take a screenshot on your computer.
- Ink Color: Allows you to change the color of the selection border that displays when you are trying to take a screenshot.
- Show selection ink after snips are captured: When you check this option, the selection border will appear around the screenshot after it is taken.