The snipping tool is a handy little program that can be used to capture screenshots on Windows and Mac. It’s useful for capturing images of your screen, either for documentation or for sharing with others.
In this article, I’ll answer some common questions about the snipping tool. I’ll also show you how to use the quick snipping shortcut on Windows and Mac. The tips and guides shared in this guide are for both beginners and advanced Snipping tool users on both Windows computers and Macbook computers.
Getting The Snipping Tool: Do You Need To Download The Snipping Tool?
As the demand for the snipping tool continues to grow, most beginner user often wonder if you need to download the Snipping tool to get it on to your computer.
The snipping tool is natively built into every Windows OS and Mac OSX, so you don’t need to download anything to get it on your computer. The snipping tool can be found within the accessories folder of all Windows OS’s and OS X.
To get to the Tools Folder, look in or search for “all programs” in the start menu for Windows or “universal access” in the Applications folder on a Mac.
Once you’re in that folder, open up the “accessibility” folder and then open up the “snipping tool” folder. The snipping tool will be in there!
Snipping Tool System Requirements On A Macbook Computer.
As a native built-in tool, the Snipping tool works on all PC’s and Macbook computers that meet the following requirements:
- A computer with a processor that supports SSE2
- Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or later
- Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard, OS X Lion, OS X Mountain Lion, or Mavericks
Snipping Tool Shortcuts: How To Find Snipping Tool in Windows 10 And Macbook Quick?
The snipping tool shortcuts on both Windows and Macbook computers provide an easy and quick way to find this handy tool when you need it the most. While most snipping tool shortcuts look similar in Windows and Mac, there are a few key differences to keep in mind.
The quick snipping shortcut on Windows and Mac both include the same four tools: Free-form Snip, Rectangular Snip, Window Snip and Full-screen snip!
Snipping Tool Shortcuts On A Windows Computer: How To Get The Quick Snipping Tool In Windows?
If you are a Windows computer user, the snipping tool can be found quick and easy using the Windows key shortcuts. The snipping tool is accessible from all Windows OS’s by pressing the following keys:
Windows Key + Shift + S
- To activate the Free-form Snip, press: Windows Key+Shift + S on your Keyboard
- To activate the Rectangular Snip, press: Windows Key+Shift + F
- To activate the Window Snip, press: Windows Key+Shift + W
- To activate the Full-screen Snip, press: Windows Key+Shift + F
Snipping Tool Shortcuts On A Macbook Computer.
If you are a Macbook computer user, the snipping tool can be found quickly and easily using the Mac keyboard shortcuts. The snipping tool is accessible from all Mac OS X’s by pressing the following keys:
Command + Shift + 4
- To activate the Free-form Snip, press: Command+Shift + 4
- To activate the Rectangular Snip, press: Command+Shift + 3
- To activate the Window Snip, press: Command+Shift + 4
- To activate the Full-screen Snip, press: Command+Shift + 3.
Snipping Tool Shortcuts On A Macbook Pro Computer.
On a Macbook Pro computer with Retina display and Windows 8, 10, or 11 installed, you can access the snipping tool by holding down an Fn key and then simultaneously pressing:
Press and hold the Fn key and the first F3 function key at the top left of the keyboard and follow instructions on the screen. For example, press Fn + F2 if you want to access the Rectangular Snip tool on Macbook Pro computers with Retina display running Windows 8 or 10 or later versions of Windows.
Troubleshooting The Snipping Tool: The Snipping Tool Not Working Windows 10.
As with all native computer tools, sometimes they can be temperamental and not always work the way they’re supposed to.
As a general guide, the Snipping tool not working is widely caused by incorrect or outdated drivers. When the snipping tool has not worked Windows 10 for you, try restarting the computer first to see if that clears up any issues.
If it doesn’t, uninstall and reinstall all current USB devices plugged into the computer. Finally, use an external mouse instead of plugging one directly into the laptop or desktop PC for additional troubleshooting
If you are still having issues with the snipping tool in Windows 10, here are a few extra things you can try:
- Restart your computer and try again
- Make sure that your computer meets the system requirements for the Snipping Tool
- Check for the Snipping tool updates and keep your computer up to date with all operating systems to make sure that all driver software running behind the snipping tool and keyboard shortcuts are functioning as they should.
If you have already tried all of these troubleshooting tips and the snipping tool is still not working, you can either contact Microsoft Windows via their technical support service or download a different snipping tool for your computer.
Troubleshooting The Snipping Tool On iOS: How To Get The Snipping Tool Working In Macbook iOS?
If you are an Apple MacBook computer user, getting your snipping tool to actually work smoothly can also be met with a little difficulty. Most often than not, you will find that the snipping tool on the macOS is not working
The main cause for the Snipping tool not working is due to conflict with other native utilities but the good news is that there are ways around this.
First, try restarting your Apple device and then unplug any accessories such as mice. If you cannot complete these tasks because they’re built into the computer, just reboot the machine instead and see if that works
If it doesn’t, check for updates on your MacBook and install all available software updates. Try removing and reinstalling the snipping tool in your Mac OS X and see if that helps.
If you are still unable to get the snipping tool working on your Apple MacBook, there are some additional things that you can try:
Uninstall previous versions of the drivers that came with the snipping tool Update your machine’s firmware Use an external mouse instead of an Apple mouse
Finally, if you are still unable to get the snipping tool working on your MacBook, try downloading another snipping tool for macOS.
Snipping Tool Commonly Asked Questions For Users.
As with all native image capturing tools, there are plenty of questions to go around. Here are some of the more commonly asked questions about using the snipping tool on Windows and Mac.
How To Get The Snipping Tool Working On Macbook Pro?
The specific steps for getting the snipping tool working on your Mac varies based on which specific model you have.
As a general guide, you can get the snipping tool working by activating it via a shortcut keyboard key or by looking for the tool in your computer’s Applications folder and you can also search for it in the bottom search bar next to the start menu to launch.
Once you have located the snipping tool, open it and make sure that your computer is running on the latest macOS update. If it is not, upgrade to the latest software to ensure compatibility.
If you are still having trouble getting the snipping tool to work on your Mac, try downloading a different image capture utility or contact Apple’s support service.
How To Take A Screenshot With Snipping Tool On Windows?
There are three ways to take screenshots with the snipping tool on Windows:
- The default mode, which is a freeform snip that allows you to draw and annotate on your screenshot before saving it.
- The rectangular snip, which takes a screenshot of a specific rectangular area.
- The window snip, which captures a screenshot of an open window.
To capture a screenshot using the snipping tool on Windows, follow these steps:
Launch the snipping tool and select the mode you want to use.
- Click and drag your mouse to select the area you want to capture or type in the dimensions of the rectangular area you want to capture.
- Release your mouse button to save the screenshot.
You can also annotate and edit your screenshots before saving them.
How To Take A Screenshot On Macbook?
There are three ways to take screenshots on a MacBook:
- The default mode, which captures the entire screen.
- The selection mode, which allows you to select a specific area of the screen to capture.
- The window mode, which captures the contents of an open window.
To take a screenshot of the entire screen on a MacBook, follow these steps:
- Press Command-Shift-3.
- The screenshot is saved as a .png file on your desktop.
- To take a selection screenshot on a MacBook, follow these steps:
- Press Command-Shift-4.
- Select the area you want to capture with your mouse.
- Release the mouse button to save the screenshot.
To take a window screenshot on a MacBook, follow these steps:
- Press Command-Shift-4 and then press the Space bar.
- Click on the window you want to capture.
- Release the Space bar to save your screenshot. You can also edit
How do you snip a screenshot in Windows?
Capturing a snip of a menu in Windows is pretty much as easy as pressing Ctrl + PrtScn keys. The entire screen turns gray, and the open menu disappears. Choose Mode, or earlier versions of Windows will offer you the option to capture the screen width (PC) or height (Mac). Select the type of snip you want to make.
Rectangular Snip: Drag the cursor over an area to select a rectangular snip.
Window Snip: Select the window you want to capture by clicking on its title bar.
Free-Form Snip: Draw around the area you want to select.
Full-Screen Snip: Capture the entire screen.
Locating The Snipping Tool: Where is the Microsoft Snipping Tool located?
If you have never used the snipping tool before, it can be challenging to know where it is located and how to engage with it to start capturing screenshots for use.
Typically, the location of the snipping tool will be in the utility apps folder of your computer. To use it, there are shortcut keyboard keys or a manual search inside the search bar located next to the bottom corner of the Start Menu on Microsoft Windows 8.1, 10, 7.
This process will show you where the snipping tool is located on your PC.
For Mac, it can be located at the ‘Applications > Utilities’ folder. To use the Snipping Tool on Mac OS X 10.4, click Applications in Finder window’s sidebar, then open the Utility folder and find the Snipping Tool icon there.
Start Menu > All Apps > Microsoft Snipping Tool
From here you will be able to launch the snipping tool and begin using it seamlessly.
If you are using mac OS v10.7+ or Windows 8+, open Launchpad and search for “snipping tool”. Click the snipping tool icon to open it.
Overall, the location of the snipping tool is dependent on the operating system you are using. Most of the time it will be located in either your All Apps folder or Utilities folder.
Snipping Tool Screenshot Storage: Where can I find the old snip and sketch?
If you are a regular snipping tool user, you probably are aware that all snipped media files are stored away in a folder on your computer.
The snipping tool has a historical feature where you can view and use the old screenshots or Clipboard History. To access the old snipe and sketches just press the Windows key + V key and scroll the contents.
The newest entries will be at the top. Alternately, you can navigate into the pictures folder> screenshots folder where you can view all stored snips and sketches from your snipping tool.
Where are Snipping Tool pictures saved?
Typically, the screenshots captured by a snipping tool are automatically saved on the computer’s hard drive. They can be accessed by navigating to the documents folder> Pictures folder> Screenshots Folder.
The Windows keyboard key on the laptop provides quick access to old saved clipboard folder where you can access snips. Snipping Tool is a free native computer program that lets you capture and saves screenshots of your computer’s screen. It offers features such as being able to trim, crop, or add annotations to a screenshot (for example, highlight text).
You may paste them right into an email or Word document, or you can convert them to JPGs once the screenshots have been captured.
Where did my snip and sketch go?
Windows Snip is a tool that enables you to capture and save a screenshot without opening the program. When users use the app (by default Win +Shift +S) to take a snip, it is copied to the clipboard, and desktop notifications notify them when this happens. They may then simply paste the snip into another picture editing software and save it from there.
If you are a user of Windows 10, the snipping tool has been enhanced to offer more options and easier ways to take screenshots. You have the option to save in different file formats (.png, .jpg, .bmp), or even save as an animated GIF. If you’re not happy with the results of your screenshot, you also have the ability to edit it before saving.
How do I take a scrolling screenshot?
In order to take a scrolling screenshot with the snipping tool on Windows, you will need to first open the program. Once it is open, select the type of snip you would like to make (rectangular, free-form, or Window).
Once you have selected the type of snip, click and drag the cursor over the area of the screen you would like to capture. Once you have released the mouse button, the scrolling screenshot will be taken.
The scrolling screenshot can be captured on a Mac by clicking Command + Shift + 4 and then selecting the region you’d like to capture. You can also hold the Control key and click over the region you want to capture and it will be captured.
How do I take a screenshot of an active window?
On Windows, if you would like to take a screenshot of an active window, press Alt + PrtScn . This will open up the screenshot of the active window and save it to the clipboard.
You can then paste the screenshot into an email or Word document, or you can convert it to a JPG and save it that way.
To take a screenshot of an active window on a Mac, press Command + Shift + 4 and then hit Spacebar. This will capture the screenshot of the active window and save it to your desktop.
How do I take a screenshot of my entire screen?
Generally, the snipping tool is designed to take an entire screenshot of an active window by default when the PrtScn is pressed. So if you want to take a screenshot of your entire screen on Windows, press PrtScn. This will save the screenshot of your entire screen to the clipboard.
You can then paste the screenshot into an email or Word document, or you can convert it to a JPG and save it that way.
In order to take a screenshot of your entire screen on a Mac, press Command + Shift + 3. This will save the screenshot of your entire screen as a .png file on your desktop.
Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
If the snipping tool did not meet your expectations, there are other snipping tool alternatives that you might want to try. Free apps like Lightshot, Snagit, Greenshot, mathpix snipping tool, and many more are perfect examples of snipping tools alternative that probably offers even many more features than your default built-in snipping tool.
Mathpix snipping tool: The Best Snipping Tool Alternatives For Windows And Mac.
The Mathpix snipping tool is not your average snipping tool alternatives. It is a program that can turn images into data and vice versa. Pictures, graphs, charts, etc., will be transformed to numbers so you can analyze them using spreadsheet programs like Excel. It works quite well for analyzing topics like market research, product design, code analysis, medical documents and more.
Designed for people without any specific knowledge of image editing or programming, the Mathpix snipping tool is easy to use and very efficient. All you have to do is drag and drop an image onto the app, or alternatively, use the + button to import an image from your camera roll, Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. You can then annotate your image with text boxes
Here are some of the top features that it offers:
It lets you capture images of the entire screen (entire screen), multiple windows (multi-window capture), an active window (region capture), or a specific region (region). You can also set the app to automatically capture images every 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 12 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds or 25 seconds.
It lets you choose between four pre-defined styles: annotation boxes, callout lines and shapes; highlight rectangles; underline and strike through line styles; and arrows and text.
You can easily export your annotations and data in a variety of formats, including PDF, Excel, JSON, CSV, and MathML.
It comes with a built-in recorder that you can use to record your screen (movies) and annotate them while you are recording. The videos can be exported in MOV or MP4 formats.
Overall, the Mathpix snipping tool is a powerful and efficient app that is perfect for people who want to capture images and turn them into data. If you are looking for an efficient snipping tool alternative, then the Mathpix snipping tool is definitely something you should try out.
The Lightshot Snipping Tool: The Best Windows Snipping Tool Alternative.
The Lightshot snipping tool is a free app for Windows and Mac that is designed to provide users with a quick way of taking screenshots. Although it has most of the features you would expect from a snipping tool, including a delay capture feature, shortcut key feature, and pixel-perfect window capture, what sets the Lightshot snipping tool apart from most applications of its kind is its intuitive and user-friendly interface.
The app is extremely easy to use. All you have to do is select the region you want to capture, or simply drag the cursor over the area you want to capture. You can then annotate your screenshot with text, arrows, and shapes, and save it in one of several image formats.
There are five capture modes you can choose from. They include rectangular area (select and crop), circular area, full screen, moving object and freehand screenshot.
The Greenshot Snipping Tool: The Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
The Greenshot snipping tool is yet another best snipping tool alternatives for Windows and Mac devices. It is a free, open-source, and lightweight screenshot tool that lets you capture images of your desktop, active window, or selected region with just a few clicks.
Just like the Lightshot snipping tool, the Greenshot snipping tool is easy to use and comes with a user-friendly interface. The app also offers a wide range of annotation tools, including text, arrows, and shapes. It also lets you blur sensitive information in your screenshots before you save them.
Greenshot also offers a built-in image editor that you can use to make basic edits to your screenshots, such as cropping, resizing, and rotating. You can also add watermarks and text to your screenshots.
The Screenpresso Snipping Tool: The Best Windows Native Snipping Tool Alternative.
Screenpresso is a snipping tool, screen recording, and image editing tool for Windows. Although it is more of a screencasting app than a standard snipping tool, its screenshot feature is quite powerful and deserves to be on this list.
Unlike the Lightshot and Greenshot snipping tools that work best with specific image formats (GIMP and JPEG), Screenpresso offers support for a wide range of formats (including PNG and TIFF). It also lets you add annotations and watermarks to your images before you save them.
Overall, Screenpresso is an extremely powerful app that provides users with the tools they need to snap the perfect screenshot. If you are looking for a Windows alternative to the Snipping tool, then Screenpresso is definitely something you should try out.
The Skitch Snipping Tool: The Best Mac Native Snipping Tool Alternative.
Skitch is a screenshot and annotation tool for Mac that is designed to help users capture, edit, and share screenshots quickly and easily. The app comes with a wide range of annotation tools, including arrows, shapes, and text notes. It also lets you add reminders to your screenshots, as well as change their formats from JPG to PNG or EPS.
Overall, Skitch is a powerful tool that can help you make the best of your screenshots on Mac devices. If you are looking for a Snipping tool alternative for Mac OS X El Capitan, then Skitch is a great option for you to consider.
The Apowersoft Screenshot Snipping Tool: The Best Alternative For Windows & Mac
Apowersoft Screenshot is a screen capture, image annotation and editing tool that works on all major platforms – Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Windows Phone. While it isn’t as powerful as the Snipping Tool that comes pre-installed on Windows devices, it is still a great option for those who want an alternative.
To take a screenshot with Apowersoft Screenshot, simply click the record button and select either one of its four capturing modes – Window mode, full screen mode, specific region selection, and scrolling window capture mode.
When it comes to annotation, the app allows you to add four different types of annotations – arrow, rectangle, circle and text. You can also use the drawing tool to highlight important sections within your screenshot before saving it on your device.
In conclusion, the Snipping tool is a free native computer program that lets you capture and saves screenshots of your computer’s screen. It offers features such as being able to trim, crop, or add annotations to a screenshot (for example, highlight text).
Screenshots captured with the snipping tool can be directly pasted right into an email or Word document, or you can convert them to JPGs once the screenshots have been captured.
