Taking Screenshots for Use in Star Points

A. Summary:

Screenshots can make a Star Point more interesting and help the reader feel more comfortable following lengthy instructions. Use your keyboard and the Microsoft Paint program to save your screen image and resize it or crop it to the desired size.

B. Key Points:

· To copy your computer's entire screen, press [Print Screen]

· To copy only the active window on your computer, press [Alt] and [Print Screen]

· To save your screen image, open Paint and click Edit--Paste

· Save your image as either a .gif or .jpg file

· Screenshots can be cropped or made smaller to save space and focus attention

· For corrections, updates, or clarifications on this Star Point, please email ewallace@afsc.org

C. Details:

Use a screenshot when text alone does not adequately explain a concept. Also, screenshots can make a Star Point more interesting and help the reader feel more comfortable following lengthy instructions. If you don't have specialized software to capture screenshots, such as TechSmith's SnagIt, open your image in Microsoft's Paint program. (It is usually found under Start--Programs--Accessories.)

1. If you want everything on your monitor screen in your image, press Print Screen (the [Print Scrn/SysRq] key on the upper right of the keyboard. It might also be labeled [PrtScr]).

2. If you only want a smaller window that you have opened for your screenshot, not the whole screen, click inside the open window and press [Alt] and [Print Scrn]

3. Open Start--Programs--Accessories--Paint. Click on Edit--Paste.

4. If you want to crop the screenshot or decrease its size, follow the directions below. Otherwise, save the image as a .gif or .jpg file.

To Crop a Screenshot in Microsoft Paint:

1. When you first open an image in Paint, you will see three tiny black boxes: on the center right edge, on the bottom right corner, and on the center of the bottom edge.

2. If you want to crop off part of the image, move your mouse over one of the black boxes. When you see the double-arrow, you can click and drag it to crop your image.

3. You can only crop off from the right side and from the bottom up. So you will need to move your image towards the top left first to exclude anything you don't want from the top or on the left. See Step 3 below under "To Decrease the Size of a Screenshot" for instructions on how to move your picture around.

4. The small black box on the bottom right can also be used to resize your image -- if you have not already done so by using the checkered border and double-arrow handle described below under "To Decrease the Size of a Screenshot".

5. You can also crop what you don't want from the right by pulling the right handle in until the image is cropped as you want. Repeat using the handle on the bottom center until your image is cropped from the bottom as you want it.

6. Tip: You can only Edit--Undo back three versions, so if you cut off something you want and can't undo back far enough, close Paint without saving and try again.

7. Click anywhere outside the newly reduced image editing field to deselect your image.

8. Go to File--Save As and save your image as a .gif file for screenshots and simple graphics, or save the image as a .jpg file for photos or complex graphics.

To Decrease the Size of a Screenshot in Microsoft Paint:

1. To make your image smaller use the "image resize handles" at the far right and on the bottom of the image. If you don't see a checked border around your image, go to Edit--Select All. Move your mouse over the edge of the background canvas until you see the double-arrow located at the right center, bottom center or bottom right corner.

2. To decrease the size of the whole image, use the resize handle on the bottom right corner. Drag the double-arrow up and to the left to make the whole image smaller.

3. Once you have the checkered border around your picture, click anywhere inside the picture to get a small cross, which will allow you to move the picture around on the white canvas background. This can help you center your image for further cropping.

4. Click anywhere off the image to remove the checkered border.

5. Go to File--Save As and save your image as a .gif file for screenshots and simple graphics, or as a .jpg file for photos.