Also, Read| 5 Ways to Fix Windows 11 Snipping Tool Not Working.

Capture & Edit Screenshots for Free With Snipping Tool on Windows 11/10

Starting Windows 11, both the classic Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch apps have been replaced by a new Snipping Tool app. It brings the best experiences of both apps for screen capture on Windows. Besides just taking screenshots, Snipping Tool lets you use hotkey shortcuts, capture screenshots with a delay, draw or highlight over screenshots, and even copy the snip to your clipboard. Let’s look at all the features and how to use them in detail.

Use Hotkeys to Launch the Snipping Tool Instantly

To launch the Snipping tool and use its feature instantly, you can use the following hotkeys.

Windows Key + Shift + S: Instantly launch Snip Tool.Alt + N: Take a New SnapAlt + Z: Magnify ImageAlt + C: Copy the captured screenshot to the clipboard.Alt + M: Show Options in Snipping ToolAlt + B: Use Ball Point Pen on the screenshotAlt + H: Highlight a part in the screenshotAlt + E: Erase the drawingAlt + R: Crop the currently captured screenshotCtrl + S: Save the screenshot or snip

Configure your Desired Snipping Mode

Using the Snipping Tool, you can choose from four different modes to capture the current screen as per your preference, shown below.

Rectangle Mode: Take a snip by dragging a rectangle or square on the screen.Window Mode: Take a snip of the window present on the current screen.Full-Screen Mode: Capture the entire screen.Free-Form Mode: Custom draw around the object you require.

Snip your Screen with a Delay

While taking screenshots, some popups or menus disappear and cannot be captured. In such a situation, you can use the Delay timer on the Snipping tool to freeze the screen after a certain amount of time and capture the required snip. Follow these steps to achieve the same.

  1. Open the Snipping tool and click on the Delay button to set a delay timer.

  2. You can choose from four options, namely, 3, 5, 10 seconds, and no delay.

  3. After setting your desired timer, click on the +New button and open the menu or popup that you wish to capture.

  4. The screen will freeze after the timer ends, and you can now easily capture your desired region in the image.

Use Pen and Highlighter to Annotate Screenshots

Once the screenshot has been captured, you can annotate it using Ballpoint-pen, Highlighter, and Touch Writing tools.

  1. After capturing the desired screenshot, click on the Ball-Point pen button to annotate your image with it. Alternatively, you can press the Alt+B hotkey to use it instantly.
  2. You can pick from various colors and adjust the pen size.

3. Drag the cursor over the image to annotate it.

  1. Similarly, you can use the Highlighter and Touch Writing tool to write over your snipped image.

Erase Unnecessary Annotations

If you wish to remove some unnecessary annotations that you’ve added to your snipped image, you can use the Eraser tool. In addition to this, you can erase the entire annotations on your image using this tool. All you need to do is tap the Erase icon > Erase all ink to delete drawings from the screenshot.

Use a Ruler or Protractor to Draw & Measure Angles

The Snipping tool also offers a virtual ruler and a protractor through which you can draw straight lines and measure or draw angles, respectively. Follow these steps to achieve the same.

  1. Capture your desired snip and click on the Ruler button at the bottom to place the virtual ruler. You can drag along this ruler to draw a straight line.

  2. To launch the protractor, right-click the ruler icon and choose the Protractor option to place it virtually on the image.

You can now measure or draw angles on the screenshot.

Undo or Redo Changes

While editing your snip, you can quickly undo or redo any changes by clicking on the Undo or Redo buttons. The Undo button rolls back the action while the Redo button repeats the action. Alternatively, you can press the Ctrl+Z key to undo and the Ctrl+Y key to redo an action on the captured image.

Magnify your Snipped Image for Precise Editing

If you face issues while editing or annotating your image, you can magnify it to edit it precisely.

  1. Open your image or take a snip using the Snipping Tool.
  2. Next, click on the Magnifying glass icon to zoom in on your image and edit it.
  3. Drag the zoom slider to get the desired magnification.

Copy the Snipped Image to your Clipboard

You can also copy the snipped image directly to your clipboard using the Snip tool to paste it inside different applications such as Microsoft Paint, Word, etc.

  1. Click on the Copy icon to copy it to the Windows clipboard.

  2. Next, open your desired app, such as Microsoft Paint or Word, and paste the image directly by pressing the Ctrl+V option.

This feature saves time by directly copying the target image at your desired location instead of exporting it separately. You can also use it to copy directly and send screenshots to others via messaging apps.

Enable Dark Mode in Windows Snipping Tool

If you often work at night, then dark mode can help you to reduce your eye strain. Fortunately, dark mode is natively supported on the Snipping Tool as well. Here’s how you can turn it on:

  1. Open the Snipping tool and click on the three-dot icon in the top right corner of the app.

  2. Next, click on Settings to configure the Snip tool.

  3. Scroll down to locate the App theme and select the dark option to enable it. You will see the dark mode appearance when you start the app next time.

Bonus- Add Outlines to Each Snip Automatically

The Snipping tool also allows you to add outlines or borders to the captured images automatically. Follow these easy steps to configure the same.

  1. Open the Snipping tool and click on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner to open Settings.

  2. Scroll down and locate the Snip outline feature.

  3. Click on the associated toggle to turn it on. Related | 7 Best Fixes for Can’t Take Screenshot Error on Android Phone.

Wrapping Up- Windows Snipping Tool Guide

I hope you’ve picked up some helpful features from this comprehensive guide on the Snipping Tool to capture and edit screenshots on Windows 11 or 10. If you find this read helpful, then hit the Like button and share this among your colleagues to make them aware of these features. Let us know your favorite feature from this read in the comments below.