Snip & Sketch: How to Download and Use for Free

Snip & Sketch is a convenient screenshot tool built directly into Windows 10 and 11, meaning it’s completely free and requires no download. It offers a fast way to capture and annotate images of your screen.

How to Access Snip & Sketch

Since it's a built-in app, you don't need to download anything. The easiest way to open it is by pressing Windows Key + Shift + S on your keyboard. Your screen will dim, and a small toolbar will appear at the top of your screen, allowing you to choose your capture mode. Alternatively, you can find it by searching for "Snip & Sketch" in the Start Menu.

Using the Capture Modes

The toolbar gives you four options:

• Rectangular Snip: Drag your cursor to form a rectangle around the area you want to capture.
• Freeform Snip: Draw any freehand shape around an object.
• Window Snip: Select an entire open window, like a browser or application.
• Fullscreen Snip: Capture your entire monitor's display.

Annotating and Saving Your Snip

After you capture a snip, a notification will appear. Clicking on it opens the image in the Snip & Sketch app window.

The Annotation Tools

Here, you can use various tools to mark up your screenshot:

• Use the Pen or Pencil to draw or write freely.
• The Highlighter is perfect for emphasizing text.
• The Eraser lets you remove any mistakes.
• You can also Crop or Ruler for more precision.

Once finished, click the floppy disk icon to save your annotated screenshot in your preferred location and format (like PNG or JPEG).