Have you ever been annoyed with the archaic way of taking a screenshot? You have to press the print screen button, paste the picture in Paint, and draw the red circles with your mouse. It looks terrible and takes ages. Plus, it shows that you are emailing from 1998. But wait, there are professional-level solutions available already installed on your computer.
They are Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch on Windows and the screenshot utility of macOS. In addition to being powerful tools for screenshots, they allow editing and cost you nothing since they are already built in your OS.
First, let us consider Windows versions. In case you have Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can use two programs: the regular Snipping Tool and its improved version – Snip & Sketch. While the first one is far from the best, the second one can be launched easily via keyboard shortcut: Windows key + Shift + S.
As soon as you press the combo, the screen will darken and the tiny bar will appear at the top. There, you can decide whether you want to capture the rectangle, doodle, or the selected window. The main benefit, however, is that you can proceed with the image further by switching to "Snip & Sketch" tab.
In the Snipping & Sketch editor, you will see the ruler and the protractor. There is also a highlighter that looks like ink, not the translucent circle. Even the pencil is available so you can quickly write some notes. All the mentioned features work surprisingly well even in the regular Windows application.
Another good feature of this tool is the possibility of delayed capture. Sometimes, you may want to make a screenshot of the right-click menu or something similar which pops up and vanishes immediately after clicking. That is why there are delay options that can be set at three and ten seconds.
Now, let us move to Mac devices. The users of Apple computers have the most powerful screenshot utility built right in their OS. It is called "Screenshot" and is located in Utilities folder. However, you need only one keyboard shortcut for it: Command + Shift + 5.
Once you use the shortcut, the little control strip will appear at the bottom of the screen. It looks like the video player and contains several buttons that allow capturing either the whole screen, the specific window or the certain area. The best thing about it is the intuition because of the icons.
The best thing about Mac tool is its ability to edit the screenshots right after capturing. Once you capture the image, the little thumbnail will appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Click on it and enter the "Instant Markup" mode where you can add text boxes, various shapes and even your signature.
It is useful when you create the permission slip online or fill any other form. Moreover, you can use the magnifier to zoom in the certain areas of the picture. In this way, you can transform the simple screenshot into the visual guide for your audience.
Why it is useful for you as a student? Let us imagine that you are working on the group project and you need to explain to your classmates some weird error on Google Docs. Instead of explaining it in texts, just make a screenshot. Draw the red circle around it and send to the group chat.
Moreover, this will be very useful in your researching process. When you search for the sources for the history paper, you can clip some paragraphs of text. Then you can highlight the necessary quote and crop out all the ads. It will help you keep your digital desk clean and organized.
There is another issue – privacy. It is irritating to use some shady applications just to blur out your personal information. Both tools provide the option to blur or to cover the data which you do not want others to see. For Mac, you just need to use the shape tool and fill it with some solid color.
For Windows, the ruler tool may be useful for drawing the straight lines over sensitive data. It is too easy but it keeps your information safe. You do not want to accidentally post the screenshot of your desktop where the homework folder is visible. We all saw it many times online.
Let us talk about your workflow. If you are making a tutorial for your friend, these tools will be very useful. You can make a screenshot, number the steps and draw the arrows to the needed buttons. In this way, you will look like a technology guru even if you explain it for the first time.
For example, once I was trying to explain some Minecraft redstone circuit to my cousin. However, text messages were not enough. I made a screenshot with the snipping tool, drew a blue line to show him the circuit and sent. The problem was solved in ten seconds!
The text box tool is another great feature which can be underestimated. Sometimes you need to add the caption or explanation to your picture. You do not need Photoshop for this, just drop the text box and change the font size. That is all!
Mac users can also use the Touch Bar on their older MacBook Pro to increase the effectiveness of the capturing process. You can assign specific capture modes to the buttons on the Touch Bar. It will make the process faster. However, to be honest, keyboard shortcut is hard to beat.
Windows users can also check the "Print Screen" key settings. You can remap this key and set it to open the Snipping Tool window. In this way, you will stop using the old-fashioned way of pasting the pictures into Paint. You need to go to Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard.
However, there is one important aspect that you need to consider – managing the files. These tools usually save the images to the "Screenshots" folder in Pictures. Since you can make fifty pictures a day, it will become messy very quickly. Try to delete unnecessary files right after you use them.
Another thing which you should remember is clipboard. Both systems copy the image to your clipboard right after you make it. In this way, you can paste the picture directly to Slack, Discord or an email. You will not need to save the file in order to share it. It is perfect for the quick communication with your teacher or classmates.
If you are working on the tablet, like iPad, the process of making a screenshot is slightly different. You usually need to press the power button and volume up. However, once you get it, you can use the Apple Pencil to highlight it. It works like writing something on the paper.
Chromebook users also do not miss anything because you can make a screenshot through the Quick Settings menu. There, you will be able not only to capture the picture but also to record a video. You can click on the "Edit" button and crop and resize your screenshot and add text to it.
To sum it up, you do not need to buy any software and install some shady extensions which monitor your data. Everything you need is already built right in your machine. It is fast, reliable and surprisingly fun.
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