Did you know you can quickly and easily take screenshots and record short videos with the Snipping Tool? In this top tip blog, we highlight the unsung hero that is on everyone’s laptop, the Snipping Tool.
Taking screenshots is an essential skill that helps you capture information quickly and clearly, especially when you need to communicate or document something on your screen.
Accessing the Snipping Tool
You can access the Snipping Tool by searching for it on the taskbar or by using the following shortcuts:
- Press Windows logo key + Shift + S to open the snipping tool overlay to capture an image screenshot.
- Press Windows logo key + Shift + R to open the snipping tool overlay to capture a video clip.
- Press Print Screen (PrtSc) for a static image snapshot of your entire screen and place it in your clipboard.
Screenshots and recordings are perfect for:
- Reporting a technical issue.
- Capturing multi-step processes efficiently.
- Showing someone how to perform a task.
- Creating training materials.
- Saving time on writing long explanations.
Screen recording
Watch Microsoft’s video below to learn how to record your screen using the Snipping Tool.
With the Snipping Tool open, select the Record (video camera) button, then the +New button.
The video capture overlay will open, allowing you to drag and select an area around which you would like to record. This could be a window or a full screen. You can select a microphone or choose to mute, and toggle on or off system audio.
Select Start to begin the screen capture when you are ready. While recording, you can pause as needed and stop when you’re done.
Once you have recorded your video, you can “Save”, “Copy”, or “Share” it. You can also “Trim” it directly in the Snipping Tool or create a “GIF”. If you need to edit the video further or combine a number of recordings, you can do this in ClipChamp by selecting “Edit in ClipChamp”.
It’s worth noting that videos automatically save in a “Screen Recordings” folder within the “Videos” folder on your laptop.
Screenshots
To take a screenshot, with the Snipping Tool open, select the Snip (camera) button, then the +New button.
The snip screen capture overlay will open, allowing you to select a snipping area: Rectangle, Window, Full screen, or Freeform. The screenshot will automatically capture once the area is selected. There are also options for “Quick mark-up”, which screenshots the selection and instantly opens annotation tools. “Text extractor” that lets you copy text from the screenshot, and a “Colour picker” to get HEX, RGB or HSL colour codes.
Once you have taken your snippy, you can “Save”, “Copy”, or “Share” it. You can annotate it directly in the Snipping Tool with a “Pen” and “Highlighter”, add “Shapes” including: arrows and emojis, “Erase” or “Crop” parts of the image as needed. “Text actions” lets you extract and copy text from your screenshot.
Screenshots will automatically save in the “Screenshots” folder within the “Pictures” folder on your laptop.
Help and Support
As always, contact the Digital Learning Team for more information, guidance, and support. You can also book a coaching session here: Digital Learning Coaching.