Name: Snagit
Owner: Techsmith
Price: Free trial and then $49 (one time fee)
Website: www.snagit.com
Overall Rating: 89/100
In today’s super-technological world, the daily use of screen shots and screen captures is not uncommon. In this review, I want to show you what this product is all about, as well as why I have invested the $49, just to take screenshots.
Does your work life have such a need? If so, then you should consider Snagit (version 12 for Windows and Version 3 for Mac), by Techsmith, a shot.
What is Snagit?
Snagit is a full-featured image and video screen capture application that provides all the basic and advanced needs of any screen capture – all without overcomplicating the use of the tool or pulling desired features.
Once you’ve installed Snagit, you will the unique capture palette (looks like a tiny blue tab) hiding at the right side of your screen. Clicking the tab slides the palette out to display two capture mode buttons (image or video) and the many capture options.
If you don’t like the capture palette, Snagit also has an extra, installable, menubar that has access to the same features.
Here is an incredible video that all beginning snaggers should see:
“Snagging it”
Now, the primary capture mode – and most commonly used capture mode – is the All in One capture.
This single capture type allows you to capture:
– The whole screen
– A selected region
– A window, or
– The entire contents of a scrolling window, including a web page!
After you click to capture, little crosshairs appear on the screen.
Once you see that, move the cursor around the screen and a border will appear around different regions on your desktop.
If you move the cursor over a window, the selected area automatically resizes to the window’s dimensions (it’s actually kind of cool).
Moving the cursor over a Web browser’s content area resizes the selection to the content, as well. What’s even more awesome – if the window is scrollable, just click the yellow arrow at the bottom and the selection area automatically scrolls and captures the window contents.
Plus… this scrolling window feature doesn’t just work with web browsers…
There is a small magnification window near the crosshairs of your selection window which allows you to select with more precision.
Captions
This alone makes everything worth it. Although there is a small learning curve to get all these functions down, it makes your work 10x better.
And that’s not the end of Snagit’s incredible capture modes:
– Window zooms out the screen so all windows are visible for capture (at full size, of course). Then restores the screen to normal.
– Menu captures any open menu and submenus, automatically isolating them against a transparent background.
– Webcam activates your device’s camera (like FaceTime cameras), allowing you to shoot a picture of yourself or anything you hold up.
Edits, large and small
Once your image or video capture is complete, it is sent to the Snagit Editor.
There, you will find a large selection of vector drawing tools to change, annotate, and dress up your images or videos. Note that captures are automatically saved in a proprietary .snagproj file format, which allows for nondestructive changes.
In addition to the typical basic tools, the Editor also provides useful effects, such as torn edges, drop shadows, and color filters.
You can save a commonly used set of effects as a custom style, making it easy to apply to future captures. Once you’re satisfied with your edits and ready to share, you can do so from a toolbar in the Editor.
You can share to a variety of destinations with a single click, including:
– Email
– Twitter
– Facebook
– Evernote
– YouTube
– TechSmith’s screencast.com sharing service, or
– To an FTP site.
Screenshots that move
Snagit allows you to grab video clips with audio. One incredible feature that I love is using Snagit’s smart region selection tool to choose where on the screen I want to record.
If you are using a dual monitor setup, you can only record from a single screen. Just a minor limitation but it’s nice to know. Oh, and video output is an .mp4 file.
Workflow and value
There are a couple of issues I’d like to see improved with Snagit, both related to workflow.
First, there is no way to have the program automatically name images with a prefix and a sequence number. Instead, each image is named with a timestamp, which is fine but I wish there was an option to change it.
Second, to finalize a capture to disk in your chosen standard output format, you must:
– Pick an image in the Editor
– Choose File -> Save As
– Then choose your final location and file format.
I’d like the ability to skip the Editor (if you choose) and have the “Save As” dialog immediately pop up after capture.
Licensing
One of the best things about Snagit actually has nothing to do with it’s features, but rather its licensing. I’m also not a fan of monthly fees, so this one is awesome in that department.
On many occasions, I am required to take both Mac and Windows screenshots. For most competing software, you’d have to purchase a Mac License and a Windows License… Not with Snagit!
Purchasing Snagit allows you to download and use the program on both platforms by using the same serial number. That’s a significant cost savings!
The Bottom line:
For the price of $50, you’ll receive a mac and windows license that packed full of incredible capture features – feature that take your capturing needs to the next level – thus making Snagit an incredible value!
Especially when compared to its main competition:
– Has more features than the $69 Snapz Pro X, from Ambrosia Software, and
– Is more reliable than the $30 Voilà, from Global Delight.
If screenshots or screen captures are a large part of your business or weekly routine, then Snagit is definitely worth the try. I use it for my affiliate marketing business, and I absolutely love it.
Snagit at a Glance
Name: Snagit
Website: www.snagit.com
Price: $49
Overall Rating: 89/100
Great product with great value. Definitely worth the money.
Final Verdict
I really have no complaints with Snagit. I like the jagged edge screenshots that it allows you to take and I think the price is well worth the investment.
If you are satisfied with the regular screenshots that come with your computer, then that’s fine too. If you don’t have the budget for this, I say put it off for another time, if you really want it that bad.
Well that’s enough from me. I hope this review has give you a better understanding of what Snagit is all about and now you see why I invested the $50 just to take Screenshots.
If you’ve had any experience with Snagit, please do share below. Know of a better product? I would like to hear about it too. Cheers!
Click Here to Try Snagit!
– John
Origami Owl Business Opportunity: Scam or Legit?
In my opinion, “SNAGIT” sucks. It does not do what they advertise it for. Scrolling Window does not work, Infact anything that is bigger than one window pane, it does not capture. Why pay for a software that can only do one window. Print screen does that, and it comes with windows for free.
The options are plenty under “Input” button, but it has failed in everything I have tried except capturing a single window. It is a total waste of money and effort. Microsoft Paint does a better job.
Sorry to hear that Mike. I still use Snagit and it actually works pretty well for me. You need to update it to use the scrolling option, but it definitely could be better. I did pay under $50 one time, so I think it’s still worth it. Do you know of any other capture tools that will work with Mac?