Take a snapshot to copy words or images from all or part of your PC screen. Use Snipping Tool to make changes or notes, then save, and share.

Capture any of the following types of snips:

Free-form snip

Draw a free-form shape around an object.

Rectangular snip

Drag the cursor around an object to form a rectangle.

Window snip

Select a window, such as a dialog box, that you want to capture.

Full-screen snip

Capture the entire screen.

When you capture a snip, it's automatically copied to the Snipping Tool window where you make changes, save, and share.

Open Snipping Tool

For Windows 10

  • Select the Start, entersnipping tool, then select Snipping Tool from the results.

  • PressWindows logo key+Shift+S.

For Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, select Search, entersnipping tool in the search box, and then select Snipping Tool from the list of results.

For Windows 7

Select Start, then entersnipping tool in the search box, and then select Snipping Tool from the list of results.

Work with your screenshots

With your Snipping Tool open, select one of the following to create and work with your screenshots.

In Snipping Tool, selectMode. In earlier versions of Windows, select the arrow next to the New button. Next, when you choose the kind of snip you want, you'll see the whole screen change slightly to gray. Then, choosing from anything currently displayed on the screen, select the area of your screen that you want to capture.

Snipping Tool mode options

  1. After you open Snipping Tool, open the menu that you want to capture. For Windows 7, press theEsckey before opening the menu.

  2. PressCtrl + PrtScn keys. The entire screen changes to gray including the open menu.

  3. SelectMode, or in earlier versions of Windows, select the arrow next to theNewbutton. Select the kind of snip you want, and then select the area of the screen capture that you want to capture.

After you capture a snip, you can write or draw on or around it by selecting thePenorHighlighterbuttons. SelectEraser to remove the lines you've drawn.

  1. After you capture a snip, select theSave Snipbutton.

  2. In the Save As box, type a file name, location, and type, and then selectSave.

When you capture a snip from a browser window and save it as an HTML file, the URL appears below the snip. To prevent the URL from appearing:

  1. In the Snipping Tool, select theOptionsbutton.

  2. In theSnipping Tools Options box, clear theInclude URL below snips (HTML only) check box, then selectOK.

After you capture a snip, select the arrow next to the Send Snip button, and then select an option from the list.

Press these keys

To do this

Alt + M

Choose a snipping mode.

Alt + N

Create a new snip in the same mode as the last one.

Shift + arrow keys

Move the cursor to select from different types of snips.

Alt + D

Delay capture by 1-5 seconds

Ctrl + C

Copy the snip to clipboard

Ctrl +

Save the snip

With your capture open in Snipping Tool, selectEdit >Edit with Paint 3D to use features for sizing, color, text, and many other enhancements.

In the folder where you've saved your snip, right click on the snip. SelectPrint from the options and make choices for how you want to print your image.

In the search box on the taskbar, typesnipping tool. You'll see the Snipping Tool app and a list of actions you can take. SelectPin to taskbar.

First, identify the menu or other components you want to capture. In Snipping Tool, select Delay and then select, for example, 5 seconds. Select Mode to start the 5-second countdown. Within 5 seconds, open a menu or otherwise compose your image. At 5 seconds, when you see the screen turn gray, use the mouse to draw around the area you want.

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