How to Use the Snipping Tool to Email Screenshots
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One of the common tasks that people do throughout the week is to take and send screenshots. They may need to point out a problem on a website or within a cloud platform, or they may need a quick way to get input on a graphic without sending a huge file.
Within Windows 10 there is a pretty handy business solution for screenshots called the Snipping Tool (aka: Snip & Sketch Tool).
How this differs from other screenshots tools you may have, like a screenshot button on a keyboard or a snipping tool in Chrome, is that it can be used from within Outlook in addition to anywhere you may be on your computer.
You also have multiple options in how you take a screenshot, which allows you to get the exact part of a screen you need into your image.
Using The Snipping Tool in Outlook
First, we’ll go through how to use the Snipping Tool from within Outlook to quickly email a screenshot. Then, we’ll get into the more robust Snip & Sketch Tool.
Open your message, make sure your cursor is clicked into the message body, and then choose the Insert menu.
Click on the Screenshot icon.
You’ll see options to screenshot any open windows you have. You can also choose Screen Clipping at the bottom.
If you click one of your Available Windows, a screenshot of that entire window will be taken and automatically appear in your email message. Note: You may want to resize the image.
Using the screen clipping option will pull up the first window that you have open and allow you to drag your cursor to take a screenshot of just a portion of that window, rather than the entire thing.
Once you let go of your cursor, that part of the screenshot will automatically appear inserted into your email message.
This is a quick an easy way to take and email screenshots from within Outlook.
Using the Snipping Tool Outside Outlook
If you’re not in Outlook and want to use the Snip & Sketch tool to take a screenshot, the easiest way to access it is by keyboard command:
Press: Windows Key + Shift + S
You have four different options for taking your screenshot:
· Rectangle
· Freeform
· Full Window
· Full Screen
Once you take the screenshot, you’ll see a thumbnail show up in the lower right corner of your screen.
Click the image to open the full Snip & Sketch Tool.
From here you can mark up the screenshot with a set of basic tools (that’s how we got that red arrow in the photo above). You can also crop the screenshot.
This is really helpful if you’re trying to drag across a particular region with a black outline and can’t seen to get it just right. Take more of the outline than you may want in the screenshot and use the Snip & Sketch Tool to crop it. (Much easier!)
What Can You Do Inside the Snip & Sketch Tool?
Beyond the editing features we already mentioned, you can do a lot more once you have your screenshot open inside the Snip & Sketch Tool.
Here is a rundown of the menu options.
Click New to chose between taking a screenshot:
· Now
· In 3 seconds
· In 10 seconds
The editing group of icons across the top allow you to use:
· Touch writing
· Ballpoint pen
· Pencil
· Highlighter
· Eraser
· Ruler
· Crop
The next group of icons, on the right, allow you to zoom, save, copy, and send your screenshot.
The send option allows you to send by email, through OneNote, in Microsoft’s Feedback Hub, or through another app you install.
The “three dots” menu gives you the following options:
· Open file
· Open file with
· Send feedback
· Settings
· Tips & Tricks
Snipping Tool Settings
You get a few more settings you can use to customize your screenshot tool. This includes:
· Auto copy your screenshots to clipboard
· Ask to save snips before closing
· Open snips in more than one window
· Automatically put an outline on all your screenshots
How to Get Saved Screenshots into Outlook
If you already have a screenshot saved on your computer that you want to use in an email, you have two ways you can do this:
· Attach as an email attachment: Do this by either using the Attach File option on Outlook’s Home menu or drag and drop your image from a folder over your email message.
· Insert the screenshot in the email: Use this when you want the screenshot to be seen in the email message without needing to open the attachment. The easiest way to do this is to use the very top Search box and type “insert” and then chose the Insert Picture option.
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