Windows Snipping Tool Keyboard Shortcuts – A to Z Shortcuts

Are you tired of manually capturing screenshots on your Windows PC? The Snipping Tool is a best default tool that allows you to capture specific areas of your screen. But did you know that you can enhance your productivity even further by using shortcut keys of this tool? In this post, we’ll guide you through the essential keyboard shortcuts for the Windows Snipping Tool.

What is the Snipping Tool?

The Snipping Tool is a default application/ tool on Windows PCs that allows you to capture screenshots and save them in various formats, like PNG, JPEG, and GIF. It also allows you to highlight specific areas of your captured screenshot using a pen or highlighter tool.

How to Open the Snipping Tool in Windows?

You can open the Snipping Tool by following these simple steps:

• Press the Windows key on your keyboard
• Type “Snipping Tool” in the search bar
• Click on the Snipping Tool application

Now that we know what the Snipping Tool is and how to open it, let’s dive into the keyboard shortcuts.

List of Most Useful Keyboard shortcuts for the Windows Snipping Tool

#01: Shortcut for Launch the Snipping Tool

To launch the Snipping Tool quickly, press the Windows key + Shift + S. This will open the Snipping Tool in rectangular snip mode, allowing you to select a specific area of your screen to capture.

#02: Shortcut key for Capture an Entire Screen

To capture an entire screen, press the Windows key + Print Screen. The screenshot will be saved automatically to your default Pictures folder.

#03: Capture a Specific Window with Kwyboard Shortcut

To capture a specific window, press Alt + Print Screen. This will capture the active window and save it to your clipboard. You can then paste it into another program, such as Microsoft Word or Paint.

#04: Shortcut key for Capture a Rectangular Area

To capture a rectangular area, press Ctrl + Shift + S. This will open the Snipping Tool in rectangular snip mode, allowing you to select the area you want to capture.

#05: Shortcut key for Capture a Free-Form Area

To capture a free-form area, press Ctrl + Print Screen. This will open the Snipping Tool in free-form snip mode, allowing you to draw the area you want to capture.

#06: Copy a Snip to the Clipboard

To copy a snip to the clipboard, press Ctrl + C after you have captured it.

#07: Shortcut to Save a Snip

To save a snip, press Ctrl + S after you have captured it. You can then choose where you want to save it on your computer.

#08: Keyboard Shortcut for Cancel a Snip in Snipping Tool

To cancel a snip, press Esc. This will cancel the snip and return you to the Snipping Tool interface.

#09: Keyboard Shortcut key to Open the Options Menu in Snipping Tool

To open the Options menu in the Snipping Tool, press Alt + T. From here, you can change various settings, such as the default snip type or the output format of your snips.

List of Snipping Tool Keyboard Shortcut keys

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Snipping Tool

Keyboard Shortcut	Description
Windows key + Shift + S	Opens the snipping bar for taking a screenshot
Ctrl + C	Copies the snip to clipboard
Ctrl + N	Creates a new snip
Ctrl + S	Saves the snip
Esc	Cancels the snip

Advanced Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Snipping Tool

Keyboard Shortcut	Description
Alt + M	Chooses the snipping mode
Alt + D	Delays the snip
Alt + T	Chooses the snip type
Ctrl + Z	Undoes the last action
Ctrl + Y	Redoes the last action
Ctrl + Arrow keys	Moves the cursor to select a rectangular snip area

Saving and Sharing Options in Windows Snipping Tool

Keyboard Shortcut	Description
Ctrl + S	Saves the snip
Ctrl + C	Copies the snip to clipboard
Ctrl + E	Opens the snip in the default email program
Ctrl + P	Prints the snip
Ctrl + M	Opens the snip in Microsoft Office Document Imaging

Editing Options in Windows Snipping Tool

Keyboard Shortcut	Description
Ctrl + Z	Undoes the last action
Ctrl + Y	Redoes the last action
Ctrl + T	Opens the Snipping Tool markup window
Ctrl + F	Opens the search bar to find text within the snip
Ctrl + W	Closes the current snip

Some useful information about Windows Snipping Tool

Types of Snips in Windows Snipping Tool

Snip Type	Description
Free-form snip	Draws an irregular shape around an object
Rectangular snip	Selects a rectangular area
Window snip	Selects a window or dialog box
Full-screen snip	Captures the entire screen
Delayed snip	Delays the capture by 1-5 seconds

Delay Options in Windows Snipping Tool

Delay Option	Description
No delay	Captures the screen immediately
1-second delay	Delays the capture by 1 second
2-second delay	Delays the capture by 2 seconds
3-second delay	Delays the capture by 3 seconds
4-second delay	Delays the capture by 4 seconds
5-second delay	Delays the capture by 5 seconds

Snipping Mode Options in Windows Snipping Tool

Snipping Mode	Description
Rectangular snip	Selects a rectangular area
Free-form snip	Draws an irregular shape around an object
Window snip	Selects a window or dialog box
Full-screen snip	Captures the entire screen

Image Format Options in Windows Snipping Tool

Image Format	Description
JPEG	Saves the snip as a JPEG image
PNG	Saves the snip as a PNG image
GIF	Saves the snip as a GIF image
TIFF	Saves the snip as a TIFF image
BMP	Saves the snip as a BMP image

Shortcut Customization Options in Windows Snipping Tool

Shortcut	Description
Customize shortcuts	Allows customization of keyboard shortcuts
Restore default shortcuts	Resets keyboard shortcuts to their default values
Show shortcut keys	Displays keyboard shortcuts on screen

Snip Annotation Options in Windows Snipping Tool

Annotation Option	Description
Pen	Draws a line with a pen
Highlighter	Draws a highlighted line
Eraser	Erases lines or highlights
Text	Inserts text on the snip
Sticky note	Adds a sticky note to the snip
Crop	Crops the snip
Color options	Changes the color of the pen or highlighter
Line thickness options	Changes the thickness of the pen or highlighter
Font options	Changes the font of the text annotation

Conclusion

Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to save time and enhance your productivity when using the Snipping Tool on your Windows PC. By using these essential keyboard shortcuts, you can capture screenshots quickly and efficiently. We hope this guide has been helpful, and happy snipping!

FAQ’s