Snagit- A Great Screen Recording and Screenshot Capture Tool

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Snagit is a screen recording and screenshot capture tool. You can use it to capture the entire desktop, a specific section, a window, or a scrolling screen. Using Snagit markup tool, you can annotate your screenshots, trim videos, and use ready-made templates to create visual instructions and guides. Your final product can be shared as an image, MP4 or GIF.

As a teacher, you can use Snagit to create a wide variety of media materials including educational graphics, instructional guides, step-by-step tutorials, explanatory videos, and more. The purpose of this post is to introduce to Snagit and share with you some of the interesting features it offers. 


Snagit screen capture

Snagit screen capture

Snagit enables you to take various types of screenshots: you can capture the full-page, scrolling screenshot, a window, or a specific region in a page. You can also grab 'vertical and horizontal scrolls, infinitely scrolling webpages, long chat messages, and everything in between.'

When you take a screenshot, it automatically opens in Snagit editor where you can annotate the image the way you want. For instance, you can add arrows, text, shapes, stamps from a variety of categorie, add callouts, blur, and even remove image background.

How to capture a scrolling area?

Snagit allows you to capture the content of the entire web page, an application window, wide images, long documents, or any content that extends beyond the visible area in your screen and requires scrolling. 

There are two ways to capture a scrolling area on your screen: automatic using scrolling arrows or manual using panoramic capture. I personally prefer the panoramic capture as it provides you with more control over what you want to capture. Watch this video to learn more about how to capture a scrolling area 

Watch this video to learn how to capture a scrolling screenshot

How to extract text from screenshots and images using Snagit?

Snagit employs OCR (optical character recognition) technology to detect and extract text from images and convert it to editable text. There are two ways to copy text within images:

  1. Use Grab text tool which enables you to copy all text in an image. Simply right click an image with text in Snagit editor and select Grab text. If you use Mac make sure to check the box next to Make Plain Text to remove the formatting before copying the text.
  2. Use Selection tool: The selection tool is particularly useful when copying smaller areas of text in an image. Here is how it works: 
  • Click on Selection tool from the toolbar in Snagit editor. 
  • Click and drag to select the text
  • Right-click the selection and choose Grab Text
  • Click on Copy All in the Grab Text Results dialog

Watch this video to learn how to extract text from images and PDFs.



Here is how to replace or edit text in an image:
  • Click on the Selection tool in Snagit editor
  • Right click on the selection and choose Edit text
  • Click on the text to make your edits

How to record a video using Snagit?

Snagit video recording feature allows you to record  a video of your screen and share it as MP4 file. You have the option to record your webcam, system audio, and microphone audio. You can also choose to record only a section of your screen or the entire screen. 

As a teacher, you can use Snagit to record screencasts to use for various educational purposes including: sharing step-by-step tutorials for solving a problem, create how-to-videos, create presentations that contain slides and your webcam, create and share audio and visual feedback in the form of a video, and 'record and narrate a set of images with the Create Video from Images' option'.

Here is how to record a video of your screen using Snagit:
  • Select Video tab in the Capture window
  • Next to Selection choose Region (to record only a specific part of the screen) or Fullscreen (to record the entire screen).
  • Choose whether you want to record your webcam, system audio ('sounds from applications and websites'), and microphone
  • Customize the settings of your video capture to your preferences
  • Click on Record button to start recording
  • When done, click on Stop button to stop the recording. 
  • The video opens in the Snagit editor where you can preview your recording and trim parts you don't want.
  • You can save your video to your computer of share your it directly to a number applications integrated with Snagit such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack, Microsoft Word, Pages, PowerPoint, Keynotes, and more. You can also share it via mail, Airdrop, or through a generated link.



How long can you record with Snagit?

While there is no limit on the duration of a recording, Snagit recommends that users keep their recording to under 1 hour. Anything above one hour can risk having problems with video quality or failed video capture. 

How to create GIFs from videos using Snagit?

Snagit allows you to easily create GIFs from videos. You can choose any part of the video and with one click turn it into an animated GIF.  The process to create GIFs is simple and easy:

  • Open a video in Snagit editor or record a new video of your screen. 
  • Place the playhead where you want the GIF to start and drag the red hand to where you want it to end.
  • Click on GIF button
  • Customize the settings of your GIF then click Create.

Watch this video to learn how to create a GIF from a video in Snagit.

How much does Snagit cost?

Snagit offers different pricing plans. Snagit for Individuals cost $62.99 per user, for Education it costs $37.99, for Business it costs $62.99 per user. This is a one-time fee that enables you to own the version of Snagit you bought and while updates are included in this purchased license, you will need to pay to access major Snagit updates.

More resources
Snagit it tutorials (By Snagit)