Free Snipping Tool

The Free Snipping Tool, also known as the Snipping Tool, is a built-in utility in Microsoft Windows operating systems that allows users to capture screenshots or snippets of their computer screen. It’s a basic tool designed for quickly capturing specific portions of the screen, which can then be saved as image files or copied to the clipboard for further use.

Here’s how the Snipping Tool typically works:

1. **Accessing the Tool:** In most versions of Windows, you can find the Snipping Tool by searching for it in the Start menu or Start screen.

2. **Capture Options:** The Snipping Tool provides several capture options:
– **Free-form Snip:** Allows you to draw a free-form shape around the area you want to capture.
– **Rectangular Snip:** Lets you capture a rectangular portion of the screen.
– **Window Snip:** Captures an entire window, including its title bar and borders.
– **Full-screen Snip:** Captures the entire screen.

3. **Capture Process:** After selecting a capture option, you’ll be able to drag your mouse cursor to select the area you want to capture. Once you release the mouse button, the captured snippet will appear in the Snipping Tool window.

4. **Annotate and Save:** You can annotate the captured snippet using pen, highlighter, and eraser tools. After annotating, you can save the captured snippet as an image file (e.g., PNG, JPEG, GIF) or copy it to the clipboard for pasting into other applications.

While the Snipping Tool is a handy utility for basic screenshot capturing and annotation, Windows 10 introduced a more advanced tool called “Snip & Sketch,” which offers additional features and a modern interface. Snip & Sketch allows for capturing screenshots, annotating them, and sharing them more seamlessly. To use Snip & Sketch, you can press the “Windows + Shift + S” keyboard shortcut.

If you’re looking for even more advanced screenshot capabilities, there are many third-party tools available that offer more features, such as capturing scrolling web pages, recording video tutorials, and capturing specific elements like menus and tooltips. Some popular third-party alternatives include Snagit, Greenshot, Lightshot, and ShareX.