Snagit Version 10 and the Use of its Various Features - Research Paper Example

Snagit Version 10 and the Use of its Various Features “Snagit is the most useful tool you will find to combine pictures, words, and other objects into a meaningful illustration…” says Carole McCormick, Product Specialist, Nuance Communications (TechSmith | Snagit, screen Capture Software). Snagit is an application program distributed by TechSmith. It is a computer screenshot application which can be used with the Windows operating system. This application extends the native “print screen” feature of Windows and allows the user to capture screenshots of what is being displayed on their screen and to customize them in various ways. These customizations are done using the powerful Snagit Editor which is included in the Snagit installation package. The editor helps its users in effectively expressing or presenting what they intend to, using its various features. Moreover, Snagit also makes image sharing for its users. The built-in tool can be used to post images onto Screencast.com right away. It is a brilliant screen capturing and editing tool (Santos). This paper will be addressing the following questions for the users of Snagit v10: 1. Where to get it and how to get it? 2. How to capture a region? 3. How to name a capture? 4. How to use the delay capture feature? 5. How to use the items on the enhancement menu including arrows, cut out, edge effects, callout, stamp, pen and hot spots. Where to Get It and How to Get It? Snagit can be downloaded easily from its TechSmith’s webpage: http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.asp. By clicking on the ‘Downloads’ tab, the ‘Free Trials’ section can be selected or clicked which will take the user to the download page for TechSmith products. A 30-day free trial of the Snagit application can then be downloaded by clicking on the ‘Download Now’ hyperlink. This hyperlink will open a new web page which will initialize the download of Snagit on the user’s computer. TechSmith website is not the only source for downloading Snagit 10. There are many Internet download websites available which host its download. These include http://snagit.en.softonic.com, www.filehippo.com, www.download.com and many others.All these websites only offer free trials for the Snagit application. If the user intends to buy a complete version of the product, they can do so by going to the following ‘Purchase Snagit’ webpage: https://store.techsmith.com/buy/snagit. How to Capture a Region? Source: Snagit Learning Centre Snagit 10 comes with the new All-in-One capture tool which can be used to capture regions on the screen. The user is able to specify what they want to capture (Full Screen, Scroll Window or Region) in the Input menu shown below in the Profile Settings. Here is a step by step guide to this process: 1. Open Snagit, select the All-in-One capture tool by clicking on it. 2. For the Input shown below, select Region from the drop-down menu. 3. Snagit now shows the message “Click the Capture button to take your screenshot” on the right of your display. 4. By clicking on this red capture button shown on the right or the capture hotkey, Snagit hides itself and displays yellow crosshairs (grid line) which can be used by the user to click and select a particular region on the screen using their mouse (TechSmith). 5. Once the region is selected by the user, Snagit now opens the selected region in the Snagit Editor and the region has now been captured. How to Name a Capture? Once a screen capture has been made by the user, and it is opened by Snagit in its editor, there are two ways of naming a particular capture: 1. Click on the round Snagit Button on the top-left corner of the Snagit application. When the drop-down menu appears, goto Save As, Standard Format. The Save As window now appears allowing the user to enter a name for the Capture they have taken. 2. A shorter way of doing this is by clicking on the Save icon on the quick access toolbar or by pressing Ctrl+S. How to Use the Delay Capture Feature? To use the delay capture feature, the Timed Capture option can be used from the options palette. The following steps should be followed: 1. Find the Options palette shown under Profile Settings pane. Click on the Timed Capture option shown with the red arrow pointer in the image below: 2. A window will appear. Use the Delayed/Scheduled Capture option to set up a delayed capture (after a number of seconds, which can be specified in the same window) or a scheduled capture (at a certain time or date which is also specified in the same window). 3. Click on the red capture button shown on the bottom right of the program. A countdown is now started which is shown in a small blue box on the bottom-right of your screen display. When the countdown ends, the screenshot is taken and opened in the Editor. Using the Enhancement Items in Snagit Editor Arrows The Arrow tool can be used to create vector-based arrows. To use this: 1. Select Draw tab in the Snagit Editor. Click on the Arrow tool icon being shown in the Drawing Tools group. 2. Select a style from the Styles group hown just beside the Drawing Tools group. 3. Drag the mouse on the canvas to apply arrow. Some arrows are shown below: Callouts Callouts are ready-made shapes that can be added to visually communicate information. The Callout tool can be used to create a variety of shapes such as arrows, balloons, and other shapes including text as well. These shapes can be chosen from the Styles group. 1. To add callout, select Draw tab and click on Callout tool. 2. Select a shape from the Styles group and drag the mouse on the canvas to apply callout. 3. Enter text in the callout. Hotspots Hotspots are creative captures that take the user to a web page or display a pop-up text box or graphic. To add a hotspot, follow the steps on the next page: 1. Go to Hotspots tab, select the shape of the Selection tool in the Shapes group. 2. Drag to create a hotspot on the canvas. 3. Add hotspot properties including Tooltip and Link to information in the input fields. 4. Click Flash Popup to select No Popup, Text Popup, or Graphic Popup. 5. For text option, add and format text and click OK. 6. For graphic option, browse and find graphic and click OK. Note that Tooltip is the text that appears when you hover over the hotspot with the mouse and Link to is the web address you may want to link the hotspot to. To use the hotspots with Flash Popup properties, it must be saved as a Macromedia Flash file (SWF) which displays interactive images such as hotspots. Stamps Snagit Stamps are used to annotate graphics, to add emphasis or importance. To use this tool: 1. Select Draw tab. Go to Drawing Tools group and click on the Stamp tool. 2. Select a category and then a stamp from the Styles group. 3. Click the mouse on the canvas to apply stamp. Pen The Pen tool can be used to create freehand lines. A variety of pen lines can be chosen from the Quick Style Gallery. To use pen, follow the steps on next page: 1. Select Draw tab. Go to Drawing Tools group and click on Pen tool. 2. Select a style from the Styles group. 3. Drag the mouse on the canvas to apply pen line. Edges Edge effect can be used to add a professional, finished look to a selection or the entire canvas. The Edge effects include drop shadow, torn, faded, wave, saw, shark tooth and beveled edge. There are two ways of adding edge effects: 1. To add an edge effect to a portion of the canvas, go to Draw tab, click on a Selection tool in the Drawing Tools group and drag a selection on the canvas. 2. To add an edge effect to the entire canvas, do not make a selection. Just select an edge effect from the Styles group. Bibliography Santos, E. (n.d.). Snagit - Download. Retrieved 06 13, 2010, from Softonic: http://snagit.en.softonic.com/ TechSmith | Snagit, screen Capture Software. (n.d.). Retrieved 06 13, 2010, from techsmith.com: http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.asp TechSmith. (n.d.). All-in-One capture in Snagit 10, by TechSmith. Retrieved 06 14, 2010, from TechSmith: http://www.techsmith.com/learn/snagit/10/written/all-in-one/ Read More