Snipping Tool is a super useful application that allows you to capture screenshots and save them as image files on your PC with Windows 11/10/8/7 OS. Keyboard shortcuts make screenshot capture quicker and easier.

Considering that, this post introduces the Snipping Tool shortcut and guides you on how to open and use it using keyboard shortcuts.

What is Snipping Tool

The Snipping Tool is a pre-installed tool in Windows that allows you to take screenshots, or "snips," of your screen or specific parts of your screen. It is compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11.

You can use the Snipping Tool to capture images of your desktop, windows, or any other portion of your screen, and then save or share the image as needed. The Snipping tool also lets you edit the snapshot with different coloured pens, an eraser, and a highlighter.

Key features of the Snipping Tool

Capture various types of snips: The Snipping Tool allows you to capture different types of snips, including a free-form snip, rectangular snip, window snip, and full-screen snip.
Annotate snips: After you capture a snip, you can use the Snipping Tool's built-in annotation tools to add text, highlight areas, draw lines and shapes, and more.
Save snips: You can save your snips as image files (such as PNG or JPG) or copy them to the clipboard to paste into another application.
Delay capture: The Snipping Tool has a delay feature that allows you to capture a snip after a specified amount of time, which can be helpful when you need to capture something that requires some setup or action before it appears on the screen.
Screen magnifier: The Snipping Tool includes a screen magnifier that allows you to zoom in on a specific area of the screen for more accurate snipping.
Share snips: It allows you to send screenshots to any email directly.

How to open Snipping Tool

It is easy to open the Snipping Tool on your Windows PC. To do that, you can use any of the following methods:

1. In the Start menu

Click the Start button and search for "Snipping Tool" in the search field. Click on the Snipping Tool icon to open it.

2. In the Accessories folder

Click the Start button and go to the Accessories folder. The Snipping Tool should be listed there.

3. Using the Run command

Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog, then type "snipping tool" and press Enter.

4. Using Cortana

If you have Cortana enabled on Windows 10 or 11, you can say "Hey Cortana, open the Snipping Tool", and it will open the application.

5. Using the Task Manager

Press the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys at the same time to open the Task Manager, then click the "File" menu and select "Run new task". In the Create new task dialog, type "snipping tool" and press Enter.

6. Via a desktop shortcut

You can create a shortcut to the Snipping Tool on your desktop for quicker access.

To do so, you can right-click on the desktop and select "New" and "Shortcut". In the "Type the location of the item" field, enter the path to the Snipping Tool executable file: "C:\Windows\system32\SnippingTool.exe". Then click "Next" and enter a name for the shortcut in the "Type a name for this shortcut" field. Finally, click "Finish" to create the shortcut.

Once done, you will see the shortcut on your desktop. To open the Snipping Tool, you just double-click on the shortcut.

7. Via a keyboard hotkey

Using a keyboard hotkey or hotkey combination is another quick way to launch the Snipping Tool. Check the below steps to learn how to open the Snipping Tool using a keyboard hotkey.

Step 1. Right-click on the shortcut to the Snipping Tool you created earlier and select "Properties".

Step 2. In the "Shortcut" tab, click in the "Shortcut key" field and then press the key combination you want to use as the shortcut. For example, to use the "S" key as the shortcut, you would press "Ctrl+Alt+S".

Step 3. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.

Now, you can use the keyboard shortcut you created to open the Snipping Tool quickly. Note that you may need to press the shortcut combination twice if the Snipping Tool is already open.

How to take screenshots using Snipping Tool

Just like opening the Snipping Tool using a shortcut, using it to take screenshots is very simple.

Step 1. Open the Snipping Tool via any of the above 7 ways.

Step 2. Click on the "New" button in the Snipping Tool window. Your screen will be dimmed, and your mouse cursor will change to a crosshair. Drag the crosshair over the area of the screen that you want to capture in the screenshot. Rectangular-snip mode is the default, but you can change the snip mode by choosing any of the 4 Mode options available in the toolbar: Rectangular Snip, Window Snip, Full-screen Snip, and Free-form Snip.

snipping tool interface

Step 3. After the screenshot is taken, a notification will appear. You can click on it to edit the screenshot by adding text, highlights, and more! To save the screenshot, click on the "File" menu and select "Save As", then choose a location to save the screenshot and click "Save".

Snipping Tool Shortcuts

Knowing the Snipping Tool shortcut will save you lots of time and effort if you need to take screenshots frequently. Here we introduce some helpful keyboard shortcuts that you can use while working with the Snipping Tool on Windows:

"New" – Create a new screenshot using the rectangular snip mode.

"Ctrl+N" – Create a new screenshot using the last used snip mode.

"Ctrl+S" – Save the current screenshot.

"Ctrl+C" – Copy the current screenshot to the clipboard.

"Ctrl+Z" – Undo the last edit made to the screenshot.

"Ctrl+Y" – Redo the last undo action.

"Ctrl+F" – Open the "Find" dialog to search for text within the screenshot.

"Ctrl+A" – Select the entire screenshot.

"Ctrl+P" – Open the "Print" dialog to print the screenshot.

You can also use the following snip mode shortcuts to change the type of screenshot you are taking:

"Ctrl+Shift+N" – Create a new screenshot using the free-form snip mode.

"Ctrl+Shift+M" – Create a new screenshot using the rectangular snip mode.

"Ctrl+Shift+W" – Create a new screenshot using the window snip mode.

"Ctrl+Shift+I" – Create a new screenshot using the full-screen snip mode.

Note that these shortcuts may not work if the Snipping Tool window is inactive. Before using the shortcuts, you will need to click on the Snipping Tool window or use the "Alt+Tab" shortcut to switch to the Snipping Tool.

Conclusion

By reading this comprehensive post, you know the Snipping Tool, how to open and use it, and the helpful keyboard shortcuts. I hope the Snipping Tool shortcuts are useful for you to make screenshots.

Useful Snipping Tool Shortcuts for Screenshots in Windows

Miley Shen

Miley Shen