Have you ever needed to quickly capture part of your screen to share an error message, highlight an important detail, or add a screenshot to a document or email? If you're using a Windows 10 computer, you're in luck—the Snipping Tool is a built-in feature that makes it easy to take custom screenshots and save or share them.
Whether you're troubleshooting an issue, creating documentation, or simply want to save something for later, the Snipping Tool is a powerful yet simple solution. Let’s walk through how to use it!
What Is the Snipping Tool?
The Snipping Tool allows you to capture screenshots of specific areas of your screen, annotate them, and save or copy them to use elsewhere.
Step 1: Open the Snipping Tool
The easiest way to find the Snipping Tool is to use the Search feature in Windows 10.
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Look at the bottom of your screen on the taskbar.
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If you see a search bar, click on it and type “snip” or “snipping tool.”
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If you don’t see the search bar, you might see a small circle icon. Click that to open the search window, then type “snip.”
Once the Snipping Tool appears in the search results, you can click to open it. For easier access in the future, right-click the Snipping Tool icon and choose “Pin to taskbar.” This will add it to your taskbar so you can open it anytime with just one click.
Step 2: Take a Screenshot
To take a screenshot, click the “New” button in the Snipping Tool. The screen will dim slightly, and your mouse pointer will change to a crosshair icon.
Here’s what to do next:
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Use your mouse to click and drag over the area you want to capture.
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Release the mouse button once you’ve selected everything.
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The image you captured will appear in the Snipping Tool window.
From here, you can either copy, save, or annotate the image.
Step 3: Copy and Paste Your Screenshot
If you want to paste the screenshot into a document or an email:
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Click the Copy icon in the toolbar (or press Ctrl + C).
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Open your Word document, email, or wherever you want to paste it.
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Right-click and choose Paste, or press Ctrl + V.
It’s that easy!
Step 4: Annotate Your Screenshot
The Snipping Tool also has simple markup tools to help highlight important parts of your screenshot:
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Use the Pen tool to draw or circle areas.
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Use the Highlighter to emphasize key information.
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Made a mistake? Just click the Eraser tool and select what you want to remove.
This is great for quick notes or pointing out specific areas when communicating with your IT team or clients.
Step 5: Save Your Snip as an Image File
Want to keep your screenshot for later or send it as an email attachment?
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Click File > Save As in the Snipping Tool.
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Choose your desired file location (by default, it will save to your Pictures folder).
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Give the file a name—like “Snipping Tool Demo.”
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Choose your file format: PNG, JPG, or TIFF. (JPG is a good all-around option.)
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Click Save.
Now your screenshot is saved and ready to use in reports, presentations, or emails.
That’s It!
The Snipping Tool in Windows 10 is an incredibly useful and often overlooked feature. Whether you’re capturing part of your screen, highlighting an error message, or creating documentation, it’s a simple tool that saves time and improves communication.
Looking for more tips or tech support? Our team at Computerease is here to help!
