Free Screen Capture Utility in Windows Vista – Snipping Tool
Windows Vista comes with a free screen capture or screenshot utility, namely Snipping Tool. Thus if you own and use Windows Vista, there is no longer a need to search for and download third-party freeware or paid screencap utility. And you can also forget about the tedious process to capture a screenshot by using Print Screen (Prt Scr) key and then paste the whole desktop or selected window into Paint or other photo editing software before cropping the image for the part you want.
Windows Vista Snipping Tools is simply and very easy to use to capture screenshoots. It basically has only 3 command buttons:
- New and with options of capture areas of Free-form Snip, Rectangular Snip, Windows Snip and Full-screen Snip)
- Cancel which enabled automatically once you start a capturing process.
- Options.
One of the most important improvement over basic Print Screen capture prior in Windows XP and older OS is that users can choose any portion or area of the screen to capture, including any open windows. Previously, it’s restricted to either entire screen or active window.
How to Open Snipping Tool in Vista
To run snipping tool, simply click on Start button, then go to All Programs -> Accessories, and click on Snipping Tool shortcut.
Tip: To easily access and run Snipping Tool, you can make the shortcut to launch Snipping Tool appear in Quick Launch toolbar (usually beside Start button). To do so, click on Options in Snipping Tool, and select (tick) Display icon in the Quick Launch toolbar setting.
How to Use Snipping Tool in Vista
- To start a new screen print capture, simply run Snipping Tool, it will automatically start in snipping mode. To capture again, click on New button on Snipping Tool toolbar or select File -> New Snip.
- While in capturing mode, drag the cursor, draw a line or select a window that you want to capture. Full screen capture will be automatically done.
- Once capturing is done, the Snipping Tool edit window will open and display the screen capture image. If you’re not satisfy with the result, simply click on New Snip button. You can also choose other options, such as Save Snip in JPEG, PNG, GIF or Single File HTML (MHT) format, Copy Snip to clipboard, Send Snip to email recipient, uses Pen which can be customized its thickness, color, chisal or round tip type to draw and mark on the snip, uses yellow Highlighter to highlight certain text or area, or uses Eraser to delete and remove away the Pen or Highlighter marking.
All the command buttons on the toolbar in Snipping Tool edit window can be accessed from the drop-down menu bar too.
Note: If you can’t find the Snipping Tool, install it here.
Tip: The snipped image will be saved with a colored border. You can easily set up the screen capture to be borderless.
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Entries (RSS)
July 1st, 2009 13:17
[...] as you want. Although not the new version, it’s as good and as user friendly then built-in Snipping Tool in Vista. If you want the latest version of SnagIt, upgrade pricing applicable. However, there is [...]
April 15th, 2009 19:57
[...] i use snipping tool from windows. its too good. Free Screen Capture Utility in Windows Vista – Snipping Tool
February 26th, 2009 14:20
using Snipping Tool in Vista to capture a screen shot, the snipped image or picture of the selected area or window will.
May 3rd, 2008 06:20
Is there any way to print straight from snip-it like you could with screen print 32.
April 19th, 2008 00:11
[...] in Windows Vista include integrated pen support, touch-screen support, digital-ink input, snipping tool, handwriting recognition technologies, and innovative hardware. Windows Vista Home Premium, [...]
November 12th, 2007 10:59
[...] on the process. Normally you will have to run third party screen capturing tool such as SnagIt or Snipping Tool to capture and save the images, and then only paste or insert the iimage into WLW editor. Snipping [...]
August 17th, 2007 01:57
[...] Vista comes built-in with a free screen capture or screenshot utility named Snipping Tool. Snipping Tool is available as a standard feature in Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, [...]
August 15th, 2007 03:26
The snipping tool is not installed by default with some Ultimate installations (maybe others?). To enable it, go to Control Panel, select Uninstall Program then ‘Turn Windows Features on or off’. Once there enable the Tablet-PC Optional Components and click OK.
I actually had to do this twice, with a reboot in between, but it is working now.
August 5th, 2007 23:43
I have Ultimate Vista, and there isn’t any program in this name(and I tried to search).
August 3rd, 2007 08:42
I have Ultimate and don’t see it either
August 3rd, 2007 08:03
Try to search for Snipping Tool in Start Search.
August 3rd, 2007 06:24
I have US Ultimate and this program is not in my Accessories???
August 3rd, 2007 02:50
[...] using Snipping Tool in Vista to capture a screen shot, the snipped image or picture of the selected area or window will [...]