If you’re like me and have gotten frustrated trying to explain what’s on your computer screen to someone not in the same room, have I got the solution for you: TechSmith Snagit. Snagit is a screen grabber program which takes snapshots of what’s displayed on your monitor. It’s a troubleshooting dream! No more trying to talk someone through complicated steps or trying to show them where to click over the phone. Just use Snagit to record your computer screen, edit the image with arrows and highlights and email the final product. It’s that easy!
How to Use Snagit
Screen capture software comes in all shapes and sizes. What makes Snagit a trusted choice is its user-friendly interface and powerful editing tools built right in. I’ve created a mock-image using Snagit 10 which I edited to explain changes I need our web designers to perform on our homepage. One of the first things I noticed about Snagit was it explains all of its tools. So, even having never used the program before, I became very familiar with the procedure in mere minutes.
Using Snagit software couldn’t be easier. As you can see in the image above, the main capture menu is simple, yet provides a wide-array of options to customize what you need to do. My favorite screen recording style is the All-in-One. This tool recognizes different windows and sections and will automatically zoom in on and select what you mouse over. When you get the section you want in frame, simply click and Snagit will take a snapshot of only the selected area and open up the image in the Snagit Editor.
Within the editor you are able to add your own text, stamps, highlights, and shapes to point out and draw attention to the areas you want. All of Snagit’s tools are well labeled and organized for quick access. An interesting tool is something they call Hotspots. This turns selected areas interactive and can provide additional text or graphics when the user mouses over them. This is possible when you export the image as a flash file. The image above is an example of this and you can see it action.
The Verdict
Computer users of all skill levels will enjoy Snagit 10. It’s easy to use, yet provides powerful tools to edit images you capture on your computer monitor. It’s great for troubleshooting assistance or for presentations. Don’t leave others in the dark when a helpful visual is a few clicks away.
Recent Comments