SNIPPING TOOL SHORTCUT
We’ve all been there—scrolling through a webpage or social media on your laptop, and suddenly, you find something incredibly useful. You want to capture and share it quickly. Sure, you could copy and paste it, but let’s be honest, no one enjoys reading long blocks of text anymore. In fact, studies show that 40% of people prefer visual content over plain text, and visuals can outperform text by up to 650%! That’s where the Snipping Tool comes in handy.
For Windows 10 & 11
Windows key (+Shift+S) will enable the Snipping tool on Windows 7/8/10/11
For MAC
In MAC you can enable snipping tool with Command (⌘) + Shift + 3
For ChromeBook
You can enable Snipping Tool on ChromeBook with Shift + Ctrl + Show Windows
Why You Need It
Imagine this: you’re on a Zoom call with your colleague, and they accidentally share something hilarious or crucial information you need to save. Instead of scrambling to describe it to your boss or recipient, you can quickly take a screenshot using the Snipping Tool. No need to worry about wasting ink, paper, or your printer—this tool saves everything digitally.
Quick Overview of the Snipping Tool
- Hold the Windows + Shift + S buttons together.
- On the particular part of your screen drag the mouse cursor.
- Once you dragged the mouse, the highlighted part will be copied automatically.
- Now you hold CTRL + V to paste it in your paint or anywhere in the text area such as your chat box.
Key features of the Snipping Tool
The snipping tool offers a convenient way of capturing screenshots on both Windows and Mac. Here, you can find a quick overview of the open snipping tool keyboard shortcuts on different operating systems.
Snipping Tool Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows (7,8,10, and 11)
There is no shortcut for snipping tools in Windows 7 and 8. You can open it by searching “Snipping Tool” in the Start Menu.
On the other hand, it is easy to use the snipping tool in Windows 10 and 11. Simply press the Windows + Shift + S to open the snipping tool in Snip Mode. Select the area you want to capture, and it will copy the clipboard for pasting anywhere you want.
Keyboard Shortcut for Snipping Tool in MacBook
However, Mac does not have a shortcut key snipping tool, but it offers built-in screenshot shortcuts, which are more powerful and convenient. Press the Command (⌘) + Shift + 3 if you want to capture the entire screen of a Mac. For a specific area, use the Command (⌘) + Shift + 4.
You can also capture a particular window by pressing Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then Spacebar. Another recording option is to open the screenshot tool menu by pressing Command (⌘) + Shift + 5. If you have a MacBook with a touch bar, press Command (⌘) + Shift + 6.
By using these shortcuts, both Mac and Windows users can efficiently capture and manage their screenshots without any third-party software.
Different Types Of Snipping Tools
The Snipping Tool is often underestimated, but it goes beyond just taking simple screenshots. With its flexibility, you can capture different types of snips, such as free-form, rectangular, window, or full-screen snips.
This allows you to grab exactly what you need from your screen, whether it’s a detailed section or the entirety of it. One of my favorite features is the ability to annotate snips using a pen or highlighter to draw attention to specific areas. You can even add hand-written notes directly to the image, making it perfect for tutorials, presentations, or feedback processes.
Another game-changer is the delay feature, which lets you time your capture perfectly. This is especially useful for grabbing elements like dropdown menus or tooltips that disappear when not interacted with. Once you’ve captured your snip, you can save it in multiple formats, such as PNG, JPEG, GIF, or even a single file HTML (MHTML).
If you’re in a hurry, simply copy your captures to the clipboard and paste them wherever needed without having to save the file first.
Key Features of the Snipping Tool
1. Multiple Snipping Modes
It provides several snipping modes, such as free-from-snip, which helps users draw any shape while capturing a specific area. You can capture screenshots in a rectangular portion of the screen as well as capture an open window. It also offers a full-screen screenshot option, which is very useful.
2. Delay Snip
The snipping tool also offers a delay snip feature, which helps users set a timer before taking a screenshot. This feature is helpful when snips disappear so quickly.
3. Built-in Editing Tools
It offers multiple built-in editing features, such as highlighting and annotating with a pen.
4. Copy to Clipboard
After capturing, it copies directly to the clipboard and users can paste it into emails and documents.
5. Save and Share Screenshots
It offers easy saving and sharing options. You can save snippets in various formats, such as PNG, GIF, JPG, or JPEG, and share them with others.
How to Capture Screenshots with the Snipping Tool Shortcut
How To Delay Snip
How To Delay Snip
Your screenshots are automatically copied to your clipboard, and you can paste them using Ctrl + V. If you want to cancel a snip, press Esc before it captures. You can also save your snippet by pressing Ctrl + S.
How To Print Captured Snip
Follow these simple steps to print your captured snip.
How to Use a Snipping Tool for Work
The Snipping Tool is not only handy for individuals. It is also a powerful tool for workspaces. From creating reports to enhancing communication, it is popular for productivity. This simple yet effective tool is a time-saver, and organizations benefit from it in many ways. Some of them are below:
Creating Documentation and Tutorials
The Snipping Tool is most beneficial for creating user guides and training materials. It helps you to create step-by-step tutorials. You can use pen and highlighters to mark important notes, as well as save screenshots in high-quality formats.
Enhancing Email Communication
In email communication, the Snipping Tool can be used to capture screenshots instead of typing long explanations. You can capture your main points and highlight the important sections and issues with the snipping tool. It reduces misunderstanding and saves a lot of time and effort by visually demonstrating the problems.
Troubleshooting IT Issues
The snipping tool is also helpful for IT support teams. It is a great way to share systems issues and errors by capturing them instead of a back-end explanation. You can capture the bugs and send snips to the IT department for faster resolution.
Making Presentations More Effective
The Snipping Tool is also functional for PowerPoint presentations and reports. You can easily capture and emphasize key points by highlighting them and inserting images into the presentations and reports. You can also create before and after comparisons of projects and documents.
Collaborating on Projects
Another use of the Snipping Tool in the workplace is collaborating on projects. Snipping tool screenshots helps in many ways, either working on a project or designing websites. You can capture project elements and highlight sections for team discussion. You can also create a folder to save snaps for collaboration on different platforms.
Tracking Changes and Revisions
You can also use snipping tools to track progress while working with documents and designing files. Screenshots help users keep track of updates for reference, whether it is comparisons or changes.
Capturing Online Receipts and Transaction Details
E-commerce websites and those who deal in online payment methods also get benefits from the Snipping Tool. They can take screenshots of online transactions and save receipts in PDF and image format. It can reduce the printing effort and maintain a digital log of transactions.