I recently wrote an article about how you could increase your productivity by using the Quick Access Toolbar in Snagit Editor more effectively.

That tip showed how you could increase speed when editing your Snagit screen shots. In today’s tip I’m going to cover another great productivity enhancer that takes place before you capture your screen – the Snagit Profiles.

Snagit boasts over 40 ways to capture the screen and the possibilies of altering your outputs and adding effects ends up with virtually an infinite number of ways to take and save your captures.

The purpose of the Snagit Profiles is to create pre-made capture modes so you can handle your captures the exact same way over and over. Thus increasing your productivity.

A real world example of using Snagit Profiles as time saver

Let me describe a real world example where using the Snagit Profiles can have a huge impact on productivity. My wife often scans document to keep a digital copy instead of wasting paper by doing real paper copies.

This process involves a lot of steps from placing the paper on the scanner bed, starting the scanner software, start the scan, choose format, open folders to save it, choose name, save the file and finally close all the folders down again.

To save all this time I set up a Snagit Profile for her. I dedicated a button [F2] on her computer that does almost all of these steps. She still needs to put the paper on the scanner but we hope Snagit will fix this in a future release

How to set up a Snagit time saver Profile

Let’s say that you want to set up a profile with a Region capture, that automatically is resized to 50% saved in PNG format with a preformatted name on the file. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1 Input) Go down to Profile Settings Input field and choose Region.

Step 2 Effects) Choose Effects / Image Scaling 50%.

Step 3 Output – File Format) Choose Output / Properties.

To set the file format, choose Always use this file format to PNG.

Step 4 Output – File name) To set an automatic file name and choose Options. Here you can add from a lot of different file components and you’ll see an example of how the actual filename will look. For this example I wanted my wifes initials BD so I set that as prefix text, I wanted the number of the file, automatic number, date and time (by using system date and system time).

You also may want to choose the folder where it should be saved unless you have done this before.

When you are done creating the profile you need to save it.  Click the green plus symbol and choose Save As New Profile.

Voila, you have your own personal custom Snagit Profile. But don’t stop there… Be sure to set up Profiles for all your usual Snagit tasks.

Please comment below what you think of this tip or if you have other Snagit productivity boosters. I’d love to hear about.

Until next time

Peter – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. Increase Productivity with Snagit
2. Snagit 9 Wishlist

When working with the Text or Callout tools in Snagit a little menu pops up. This little Menu is called the Mini Toolbar.

In the Mini Toolbar you have a quick access to some of the most common tools, you can for example change font, colors, size of font, bold, shadow and have access to a lot of other helpful tools.

These are useful functions, the only problem is that the Mini Toolbar often places itself on top of what you are writing or if you want to grab a corner and drag something the Toolbar pops up and places itself on top of what you want to reach and you have to fiddle to get to what you want to do.

Well, there is an easy way to solve this problem and only see the Toolbar when you want to see it.

Go to the Snagit Button in the upper left corner of the Editor (1) and choose Editor Options (2).

And simply choose to unclick Mini Toolbar (3).

But, what if I need it sometimes you ask. Well, just right-click your mouse when working and the Mini Toolbar will appear on your command. Now you only see it when you need it.

Thanks goes out to Magus for this excellent tip.

Until next time

Peter – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. The Eyedropper Tool
2. Increase Productivity with Snagit

“Snagit 10.0 – Oh, yea…”

Your favorite screen capture software Snagit just came in a brand new fully upgraded version, Snagit 10. The new version is loaded with a lot of amazing stuff.

A new feature that will mean a big difference in how you work with Snagit is the All-in-one Capture. This means you  no longer need to choose what you want to capture beforehand (area, window, screen and so on), but instead you do this at the same time that you are capturing the screen. This is an fantastic improvement, but really only one of many…

Read more about all the new features of Snagit 10.0 here!

Free Upgrade Bonus!

In an earlier SnagitGuide blog post I mentioned that you had a chance to get SuperStamps v2 free. Here is how:

To celebrate Snagit version 10.0 launch SoftwareCasa is giving away the amazing bonus SuperStamps v2 FREE with your upgrade purchase. PLEASE NOTE: This offer is only available on SoftwareCasa.com and expires at Midnight May 18^th 2010. The offer is also valid for Multi-License owners. Each user gets a bonus copy of SuperStamps.

Check Out This One Minute Video About Your Bonus

Until next time

Peter – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. Snagit Stamps GiveAway
2. Free Snagit

Last week we held a vote on which Snagit Stamp Style we should include in SuperStamps v2 (due to be released on May 11th).

In just  a few hours we had 250 votes and when we closed the voting more than 300 people had picked their favorites.

In this video I’m presenting the Stamps that got the most votes.

I am also showing some very neat tricks on how you can utilize Snagit Stamps effectively.

For example:

• Learn how to do shadow effects with Stamps a la Macintosh
• Learn how to quickly create a number series
• Learn how to preset the size of Stamps
• How to set transparency

And hopefully many more tricks. Click here to check out the video now!

If you have any ideas about future stamps or suggestions or thoughts, please don’t hesitate to comment below.

Until Tuesday
Peter – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. Vote on Your Favorite Snagit Stamp Style
2. Free Snagit Stamps and Icons
3. Snagit Stamps GiveAway

This article is about my first learning experience in finding some quick and easy steps to edit colors using the eyedropper tool in Snagit.

One of the handiest and most useful tool in Snagit is the Eyedropper. This has similar functions found in other applications and it is also called colorpicker, color picker, eye dropper or sometimes iDropper.

This tool makes it easy to match, duplicate and change colors in your capture. It’s an excellent tool to copy colors from one image to another.

To start using the Eyedropper, click on the “Draw Tab” then choose from the “Drawing Tools”. Each tool comes with many Styles to select from before you pick a color in the “Outline” or “Fill” toolbar.

As a beginner, it’s not easy to find which other toolbars the eyedropper is connected to. Sometimes, you’ll find them grayed-out and unclickable.

For example when working in the Snagit Stamps Menu you cannot access the Outline or Fill effects (both of which have the Color Picker).

To easily see where the Outline and Fill effects are available, you can start clicking on the available tools in your ribbon toolbar to see which toolbars that aren’t grayed out as you click.

For example when working with the Callout Tool you find that both the Outline and Fill are available (and thus the colorpicker for both of these).

Other options using the eyedropper are also available; open the Snagit Editor, select the image you want to retouch in your “Captures Tray” or the “Library”. Click on the “Image” tab and choose “Canvas Color”. Go to the Eyedropper tool, click and the cursor will turn to a color picker. You can start picking colors from your selected image and as you move the Eyedropper clicking on the colors, you will see the “Canvas Color” toolbar also changes to the colors that you click.

Following the basic steps mentioned above should give a new user of Snagit a better understanding about the locations and functions of the eyedropper tool.

Until next time

Mizra – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. Snagit Mini Toolbar Annoying You?
2. Snagit as Collaboration Tool

Hello Friends!

Snagit is the Best Screen Capture software – I can confidently say no doubt about it. There’s a cliche that goes, “Nobody’s Perfect.” Well nobody doesn’t necessarily have to be a person, it can also be applied to things and animals. ‘Nothing is Perfect’  well with one exception SNAGIT IS PERFECT

Today I am sharing one  common issue that some Snagit Fans may have experienced and thought there was no solution.   You get a nice long article that you want to capture and print but oh no! Snagit Scroll Feature won’t work! Relax am here to help you sort this one out.

First of all if you are still using Snagit version 7 or 8 you should think about upgrading. Lots of the little nagging issues in previous versions of Snagit  have been resolved in Snagit 9. I think Snagit 9 upgrade is well worth it

To use the Auto-Scroll Capture feature correctly you need to adjust  some settings. Follow the instructions below: 

For Snagit Version 8 or 9

IMAGE

1. Select Input

2. Go to Properties

3. Click on Scrolling tab

4. Set the Scroll delay to “0″ miliseconds.

5. Set the Scroll direction to “Both”

6. Click Apply, then OK

7. Select Input > Scrolling > Auto Scroll Window

8. Open the program you want to scroll.

9. Click on the Capture hotkey or open SnagIt and click the Red Capture button to start.

10. Once you see the hand-cursor, click on the middle of the window that you want to scroll and wait for a few moments for it to scroll and make the capture.

I recommend you use the Custom Scroll Window function because the settings of Auto-Scroll Window will not work properly due to the non-standard scrollbars that redraws during scrolling.

To use Custom Scroll, do the following:

1. Select Input

2. Go to Scrolling

3. Choose Custom Scroll

4. Open the program that you want to capture

5. Click the Capture hotkey

5. Once you see the crosshair scroll that allows you to drag your desired region then click on the down arrow control with the left mouse button to begin the capture.

For windows that is scrolled horizontally, I recommend you use the Extended Window input, most especially if you are using XP. To set Extended Window, do the following:

1. Select Input

2. Go to Advanced

3. Choose Extended Window

If you are unable to scroll, you can also change the Scroll delay value, to do so, follow this:

1. Select Input

2. Go to Properties

3. Click on Scrolling Tab

4. Set the Scroll delay to 300, then 500, then 1000 to see whichever allows you to create a successful capture.

If you continue to have problems performing your auto scroll captures contact our support team for assistance.

That’s all there is to it. I hope this has been helpful to you.

Credits to TechSmith Support Center.

Until Next Time

Peter – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. Recording Video with Audio in Snagit
2. Snagit as Collaboration Tool

Hello There!

If you are internet marketer or if your job heavily involves effective communication with others  then you can benefit substantially from SnagIt.

Consumers don’t usually go for products with words alone. Most people have limited time and by use of just images “A Picture Says a Thousand Words”, which also applies to effective internet marketing.

With the help of the screen capturing functions of Snagit, marketers have been able to deliver only what their clients and customers need. Thus, making both parties expectations met.

Internet’s growth has been unstoppable since the start and its still rocketing upward. In relation to this growth, it has brought huge benefits to internet marketing. As a result, there are many Internet marketers who have succeeded into venturing their businesses successfully  online and still counting.

Internet Marketers can use Snagit to capture images that they want to include in Blogs, Websites, Newsletters, Email Campaigns and much more.

With Snagit 9 you can catch your staff/ co-workers  off guard by how quickly you can respond to their questions with a professionally marked up image. Snagit speeds up communication tremendously!

With Snagit you can get a whole range of Stamps  to enhance your documents which include Education Stamps, Map Stamps, Time Stamps, Keyboard Stamps and the top ranking one for Internet Marketers is SuperStamps .

Snagit is a very effective tool in marketing. It helps the marketers to sustain a close connection between customers and clients, which in turn fuels satisfaction and word of mouth marketing for businesses.

Give your business a face lift and start Snagging today!

Until Next Time

Peter – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. SuperStamps for Blogs
2. New Snagit Stamps, Which Style Won?

Hello Friend,

A typical computer user, normally uses a number of different applications a day. You will find that most users are happy with the applications that provide a friendly user interface.

Snagit 9.0 arrived with a  bang and most users were quite pleased with all the new features. But the developers quickly realised that there was something missing with the user experience.   Within no time Snagit 9.1 was released and Snagit funs were left speechless in awe of the full user experience of Snagit 9.1.

If you already own Snagit 9.0 you can upgrade to Snagit 9.1 for free, see instructions at end of this article.

Many Snagit users complemented the software’s changes and that includes the fluent UI, it’s so proud of most specifically the Ribbon.

A ribbon is a strip of buttons and functions usually found across the top of the main window, where you’ll find commands and functions you need and want accessible and convenient in performing tasks.

Ribbons also play a vital role in the making or breaking of the whole graphic user experience.

Below are the things that make the Snagit ribbon a good one:

Task-based

The pre-defined and user-created capture profiles makes it convenient and easier in performing tasks especially when it’s the normal day to day tasks.

Cursor Tools

As fast and easy as a right-click, you’ll get the tool-box with all the necessary tools for your context.

Live Preview

Getting the change preview is easy, and the change will not be automatically applied. In every option you select, you’ll see a live preview making it easier and faster to make decisions.

Constrained

Ribbons are normally found at the top and will always be there, worry not of toolbar scramble.

Snagit now joins the list of Fluent UI’s and using Snagit’s Ribbon makes our day-to-day tasks as easy as A-B-C.

How to Upgrade to Snagit 9.1 for Free – (Only for Snagit 9.0 Users)

Snagit 9.1 upgrade is completely free if you already own Snagit 9.0. Just open your Snagit go to help menu and click on “Check for Updates” follow the instructions to download the latest version completely free.

Snagit Upgrade to 9.1 for Older Versions of Snagit

If you own an older version of Snagit you are still eligible to upgrade at a special price just request your Snagit 9.1 upgrade here.

Until Next Time

Peter – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. Snagit 10.0 Out Now!

Hi There,

Did you know that Snagit not only captures images but that you can also record Video with Audio?

Yes Snagit keeps getting better and better always one step ahead of all the Screen Capture Software out there.

However please note that this feature is only a small subset of the powerful screen recording and editing capability of Camtasia Studio.  Camtasia Studio will allow you to record, edit, annotate and produce videos in all of the standard multi-media formats. It uses an optimized screen capture codec so the resulting files are small and highly compressed.

Back to Snagit, most of the time I notice that first time Snagit users usually ask whenever they record a video from player, website or application, why the audio is missing once playing the videos on the editor.

I  encountered the same problem but I soon discovered how  easy it is to fix the problem and make it work. I will share with you the steps below. Although it may look long winded don’t give up,  if you follow the instructions step by step its very easy and you only need to do it once.

How to record a video with  audio in Snagit:

Click on the Light Blue Round button with an arrow beside the Capture button and choose Video Capture. See image above.

Make sure that under the Options area, the Microphone is highlighted or on.

Now click on the tab Output with an image written “None Selected” , then go to Properties, on Audio options, make sure that the Audio capture device is set to your sound card, click Apply then OK.

Once done with setting up the necessary functions on Snagit, proceed to configuring the recording input in your Window Record Control.

Go to Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio tab. In Sound recording area, make sure that your sound card is set as the Default Device, click Apply then OK.

Now, under the Sound recording area, click on the Volume button, this will open the Record Control box. Once there, choose Options > then Properties.

Put a check on the box beside the following options: Stereo Mix, Mono Mix, What you hear, Mixer, Wave out mix and Wave in, then click OK.

Back to Record Control box, put a check on the Select button corresponding to each property that you checked earlier, then close the box.

If you follow these steps and it  fails, you may want to update your sound card or if your sound card does not support recording audio-generated applications, you may use a jumper wire. Just place the jumper wire between Line Out and Mic In on the Sound Card, making the Line In as the recording source.

Alternatively you may own an older version of Snagit that needs upgrading to the latest version Snagit 9.0. You may request upgrade for  Snagit here.

If  you find this article helpful please feel free to share with all the Snaggers and give us your comments!

Until Next Time

Peter – Your Snagit Guide

Related posts:

1. Audio in Video Clip – Problem
2. Record Better Videos with Snagit
3. Snagit And The Curse Of The Black Screen

Hi There

Most people I speak with agree that Snagit is the best screen capture software around.But I would also have to add that Snagit is more, it’s a great tool for collaboration work as well. It saves so much time and makes everything much clearer!

Please share any comments, ideas or stories you have about using Snagit in collaboration work in the comment section below. I would love to hear these stories.

Are the following scenarios perhaps familiar to you?

Have you ever experienced chatting with your teammate about an error you see on a web page that he can’t see when in fact both of you are on the same page?

Have you ever tried teaching a teammate how to do certain steps on a software or a website but they don’t seem to get the same end-result you do?

Yes, that can be annoying. Good thing, Snagit can solve these problems between you and your teammates. You can do this with Snagit, by simply taking a shot of those things you have on your screen and a little edit, you can instantly send it to your teammate via instant messaging, email, etc.

To me, as a user working with a team, SnagIt has been very helpful in sending and sharing my ideas, thoughts and instructions to my teammates. Misunderstanding almost never happens and it serves as another layer of added clear and concise communication between the team.

The team primary use email and skype internet messenger to collaborate and Snagit enhances both these tools. I paste in instructions in emails as in the example (see image). Then I enhance the images with arrows, comments using the drawing  tool. Please note, for this to work you need to have your email set to html, not txt format.

To easily share when chatting with Skype I also use the Snagit Skype Add-on. This makes it possible to immediately send captures to anyone on my skype chat list. You find the Snagit Skype Add-on here. (Require that Skype is installed on both parties computers.)

I’d love to hear your stories about Snagit as a collaboration tool below.

That’s  all for now until next time

Peter – Your Snagit Guide

PS. If you aren’t using Snagit yet, please read more about Snagit here.

If you are already using Snagit but haven’t upgraded to version 9.0 yet go here to: Upgrade Snagit

Related posts:

1. Interview with a Snagit Fanatic – Part 2
2. Interview with a Snagit Fanatic – Part 1
3. Snagit Scrolling Window NOT Working