Screenshots using Vista’s Snipping Tool – useful for illustrating blogs!

March 15, 2009 by Mike
Filed under: Computers 
Due to working this week I haven’t had much time for boating so here’s a windows Vista tip instead.

Try the Windows Snipping Tool to take a “picture” of anything on your screen and either paste it into an email or document, or save it as a graphic file which you can then include in a blog.  It can save you hours on the phone trying to describe what you can see when you could simply take a snapshot and mail it within 10 seconds.

This is also ideal for bloggers who want to show a small part of a photo without having to load up a photo editor.

To find it, Open Snipping Tool by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, and then clicking Snipping Tool. 

Use the snipping tool like this

Use the snipping tool like this

If the option is not there then you need to add “Tablet PC Optional Components” by going to Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features | Turn Windows features on or off at which time you will see a list of Windows components.  Tick the box beside Tablet PC Optional Components and press OK.

The Snipping Tool is extremely simple to use - you draw a box around what you want to snip and thats it – you can then draw or write onto the screenshot and then mail it, save it or paste it into a document.  The options are fairly self explanatory but there’s a much better tutorial than this at  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial135.html

To take a screenshot including a dropdown menu its a little more complicated but this will work.

1. Open Snipping Tool by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, and then clicking Snipping Tool. 
2. Press ESC, and then open the menu that you want to capture. 
3. Press CTRL+PRINT SCREEN. 
4. Select the type of snip you want, and then capture the menu.

Screenshot of windows menu

Screenshot of windows menu

Tags:

Comments

Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!