Snipping Tool
for Windows
Snipping Tool is a free screen capture program for Windows. Press Win + Shift + S to capture any part of your screen, annotate it, and save or share in seconds.
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Free & Portable
BlazingTools Software
Windows 7 – 11
All versions supported
No Installation
Portable · runs on any PC
About the tool
What is Snipping Tool?
Snipping Tool is a free screen capture program built into Windows. It lets you take a screenshot of any part of your screen in seconds. You can capture a rectangle, a free-form shape, a single window, or the full screen.
After capturing, you can annotate your screenshot with a pen, highlighter, text, or arrows. Then save it as a PNG or JPEG file, or copy it to your clipboard and paste it into any app.
On Windows 11, Snipping Tool also includes a screen recording feature that saves video as an MP4 file.
Capture modes
4
File formats
PNG, JPEG, GIF
Screen recording
Windows 11
Price
Free
File size
1.7 MB
Platforms
Win 7 to 11
Four capture modes
Choose How You Capture
Each mode is built for a different type of capture. You select the mode from the toolbar that appears when you press the shortcut.
Rectangular Snip
Click and drag to capture any rectangle on your screen. This is the most used mode for capturing sections of a page, an error message, or a specific area.
Free-Form Snip
Draw any shape you want around the area to capture. Useful when the content you need is not in a rectangular shape.
Window Snip
Click any open window to capture it cleanly. The edges are sharp and the background is not included.
Full-Screen Snip
Captures your entire screen in one click. Good for sharing your whole desktop or capturing content that fills the screen.
Step by step
How to Use Snipping Tool
- 1
Press the shortcut
Press Win + Shift + S. Your screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top with four capture mode icons.
- 2
Pick your mode
Click the mode you need: rectangle, free-form shape, window, or full screen. Each icon shows the shape it captures.
- 3
Select the area
Click and drag to select what you want to capture. For Window mode, just click the window. Full-screen captures instantly.
- 4
Save or share
Your capture goes to the clipboard right away. Click the notification to open the editor, annotate, and save as PNG.
Keyboard shortcuts
Every Snipping Tool Shortcut
After you capture
Annotate and Save Your Screenshot
After every capture, a notification appears in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click it to open the Snipping Tool editor where you can mark up your screenshot before saving.
- Pen tool for freehand drawing
- Highlighter to mark important areas
- Text tool to add labels and notes
- Ruler for straight lines
- Eraser to remove mistakes
- Crop to trim the edges
Save options
Best quality, lossless. Default choice for most screenshots.
Smaller file size. Good for photos or when sharing by email.
Supports transparency. Works with older apps and documents.
No save needed. Paste directly into Word, Slack, or email.
Screen Recording Is Now Built In
Windows 11 added screen recording to Snipping Tool. You can record any part of your screen and save it as an MP4 video file. No third-party software needed.
- 1 Open Snipping Tool and click the video camera icon
- 2 Click and drag to select the screen area to record
- 3 Press Start to begin recording
- 4 Click Stop when finished. The MP4 file is saved automatically.
System Requirements
- Operating system
- Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- File size
- 1.7 MB (zip download)
- Disk space needed
- About 4 MB extracted (no installation)
- RAM
- 512 MB minimum
- License
- Freeware (BlazingTools Software)
- Languages
- English
FAQ
Common Questions
Is Snipping Tool completely free?
What is the keyboard shortcut to open Snipping Tool?
How do I take a screenshot on Windows 11?
Can Snipping Tool record my screen?
Why is my Snipping Tool not working?
What file formats can I save screenshots in?
Does Snipping Tool work on Mac?
How do I delay a screenshot in Snipping Tool?
Guides
Everything You Need to Know
How to Screenshot on Windows 11 and 10
Every screenshot method: Win+Shift+S, Print Screen, Win+PrtScn, and Snipping Tool. Exact steps and where your files are saved.
All Snipping Tool Keyboard Shortcuts
Every shortcut for opening, capturing, annotating, and saving: Win+Shift+S, capture mode keys, and how to remap Print Screen.
Snipping Tool Not Working: 11 Fixes
Step-by-step fixes for the most common problems: app not opening, Win+Shift+S not working, black screenshots, and save failures.
Snipping Tool vs Snip & Sketch
Snip & Sketch was renamed Snipping Tool in Windows 11. Same shortcut, new name. Here is what changed, what stayed, and which you are actually using.
Best Free Snipping Tool Alternatives
Honest reviews of Greenshot, ShareX, and Lightshot: what each one does well, who it is for, and which to install.
Snipping Tool for Mac: All Screenshot Methods
Command+Shift+4, Screenshot app, and third-party alternatives. Everything you need to capture your Mac screen.
How to Install
- 1
Extract the zip
Right-click the downloaded
snipping-tool.zipand select Extract All. Choose any folder on your computer. - 2
Open the extracted folder
Inside you will find two folders: Rectangular screenshots and Free shape screenshots. Open the one you want to use.
- 3
Run Snipping Tool
Double-click
SnippingTool.exeto launch. No installation needed. It runs directly.
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Download Snipping Tool Free
1.7 MB. Windows 7 to 11. No registration. No ads.
Download for WindowsFree and open-source. No bundled software.