Since Vista, Microsoft has included a screen-capture utility with Windows: Snipping Tool. This move was hailed at Snipping Tool’s launch, as the app offered advantages over the good, ol’ PrtScr+Paint option. Still, people who frequently took screenshots found it lacking. Now Microsoft offers a Snipping Tool replacement. After first launching as a beta product called Snip, Windows Snip and Sketch is Microsoft’s new, dedicated utility that lets you quickly capture, annotate, and share screenshots. It certainly surpasses Snipping Tool (which is being phased out), and it may offer all the free functionality you need. However, people with greater screen capture needs (and a bigger budget) should look to Snagit, PCMag’s Editors’ Choice for screen-capture utilities.
Getting Started With Snip and Sketch
While Snipping Tool came built into Windows, currently you need to download Snip and Sketch through Microsoft’s online store. The free app works on Windows 10. Once it’s installed, you can launch Snip and Sketch at any time by pressing Window key+Shift+S. You can also assign it to the PrtScn hotkey.
Snip and Sketch sports Windows 10’s simple, flat design interface elements. The toolbar at the top of the screen gives you several different capture options. Capture the entire screen, capture the window, or a custom portion of the screen using either the rectangle tool or freeform tool. You can set a 3- or 10-second delay to give yourself enough time to adjust what appears on your screen. Unfortunately, Snip and Sketch can’t scroll windows, an extremely useful feature for capturing webpages and other deep screenshots, the way Snagit and Ashampoo Snap can.
Editing and Sharing
Once you’ve snipped something, the editor opens, giving you more helpful tools to modify the image. With the mouse or with the touch screen, you can draw over your shot with 25 different pen and pencil thicknesses and 30 different colors. The ruler and protractor tool keeps your changes nice and symmetrical. In addition, you can crop images and give them outlines. There was no highlighter or undo button during Snip and Sketch’s beta phase, but both features are here now.
However, Snip and Sketch lacks the voice annotation and video exporting features originally in the beta. Previously, you could record audio that synced with your markup and export a video. That was great for teachers who wanted a simple way to narrate a class diagram, or even for a coach sketching a play. Likewise, Snip and Sketch doesn’t have anything even remotely approaching video recording. For that, you’ll need the Game DVR in the Xbox PC app, or a different, non-Microsoft tool.
In fact, unless your screenshot needs are incredibly basic, you should probably opt for a different tool. Screencast-O-Matic’s free versions lets you capture and edit images, record video, and publish files online. If you’re willing to pay, Snagit offers a host of helpful features (GIF making, mobile app Wi-Fi syncing, OCR text recognition) for $50.
Snip and Sketch has an option that automatically adds snips to the clipboard for easy pasting. In addition, images edited in Snip and Sketch can be saved as a GIF, JPG, or PNG file. Naturally, the app lets you open and edit existing desktop picture files. You can even transition to Microsoft’s Fresh Paint for more robust editing. Once you’re finished, share your screenshot via email, OneNote, and Twitter.
Meets Basic Needs
Windows Snip and Sketch is a fine, free option for quickly taking, annotating, and sharing basic screenshots. That said, the free utility understandably falls short of paid commercial products, such as Ashampoo Snap, Snagit, and Screencast-O-Matic, in many ways that are important to hardcore screen capturers willing make a pricey upgrade. Losing the beta’s voice and video recording features disappoints, too. For a state-of-the-art, premium screen capture app, check out the Editors’ Choice award-winning Snagit.
