What if you could extract text from images and turn it into editable, digital text in seconds? You already have the tool. Today, let’s learn how to use it.
Most people are unaware of the Windows Snipping Tool. Those who do use it for basic screenshots. This free, built-in tool can extract text from images, pick exact colors from your screen, and record videos with audio. I use it multiple times every day. Now, you will too.
What Is the Windows Snipping Tool?
The Windows Snipping Tool is Microsoft’s built-in screen capture utility. You can capture your entire screen, a portion of it, or mark up images before saving them. You can also record your screen with audio, making it perfect for quick video demonstrations.
Two new features make this tool even more powerful. The color picker lets you grab exact color codes from anywhere on your screen. The text extraction feature converts images of text into editable digital text you can paste anywhere.
How to Take a Basic Screenshot
Press Windows + Shift + S and the Snipping Tool appears. With one settings change, my Print Screen starts the Snipping Tool. You can make the same modification in seconds.
The screen dims, and your cursor becomes crosshairs. Click and drag over the area you want to capture. Release your mouse, and the image copies to your clipboard. You can now paste it anywhere, just like text.
Using the Print Screen Key
At the bottom of the screen on your Windows computer, enter the following term: accessibility keyboard settings and press Enter.
A screen appears, and you want to look for “Use the Print screen key to open screen capture.”
Record Your Screen in Seconds
Need to create a quick demonstration video? The Snipping Tool handles that too.
Hit your Print Screen button. Click the video camera icon. Drag a window around what you want to record. Everything inside that window will appear in your recording.
Start talking. The tool records your voice, mouse movements, and clicks. When you’re done, save the recording. No need for Loom or Zoom when you need something fast.
Shape Selection Options
The next icon lets you choose between snipping a rectangle, windows, full screen, or freeform shape.
Here’s the truth: I never use this dropdown. The default rectangle does everything I need. Want to capture the full screen? Drag across it like a rectangle. Want one specific window? Same thing. The rectangle option handles it all.
The Color Picker Tool
Ever needed to match a color exactly? Maybe you’re creating a PowerPoint presentation and want your slides to match your company’s website colors. The color picker solves this problem.
Click Print Screen. Select the color picker tool. Move your mouse across the screen. You’ll see the exact color name and hex code for every pixel.
The hex code is a six-character code that shows the exact mix of red, green, and blue in that color. The combination of these three colors creates every color you see on screen.
There’s also a dropdown that shows RGB values from 1 to 256, separated by commas. This gives you another way to specify the exact color.
Here’s how you’d use this technique. Say you’re working in PowerPoint and you see a circle with an orange fill, but you want a red fill, and you have the hex code for the exact shade of red you want.
Right-click to change the fill color. When you click the dropdown, you see preset colors. But you also see an option for “More Colors.” Click that, paste your hex code or RGB values, and you’ve got an exact color match.
Extract Text From Images
We’ve saved the best for last. You can pull text from any image on your screen and paste it as editable text anywhere you want.
Press Print Screen. Click the right-mosy icon. Highlight the text you want. When you release your mouse, look for a colored outline to appear. Click copy. Now paste it anywhere.
Turn On These Two Settings
Let me show you two settings that make text extraction even better.
Press Print Screen. Click the text extraction tool. Do you see the three dots that appear? Check these two boxes: “Auto-copy text” and “Remove line breaks.”
These settings stay on until you manually turn them off. When you highlight text, it automatically copies to your clipboard without the additional mouse click. It also eiminates those annoying line breaks.
When Text Extraction Struggles
The Snipping Tool works great on standard fonts. But what about fancy or elaborate fonts? That’s when it struggles.
Here’s what works better: paste your snip into Evernote. A little transcribe button appears. Click it, and Evernote does an amazing job. It even handles cursive writing.
I created a whole video about Evernote’s transcription feature. It’s incredibly accurate and works on almost any handwriting or font. You’ll find it here.
Make It Part of Your Daily Workflow
The Snipping Tool is already on your computer, waiting to save you time. I use it for:
- Capturing information from webinars
- Grabbing text from PDFs that won’t let me copy
- Matching colors in presentations
- Creating quick tutorial videos
- Documenting processes with screenshots
Like any new tool, practice it in isolation first. Start with simple screenshots. Then try text extraction. Add the color picker when you need it. Once these actions become automatic, you’ll wonder how you worked without them.
As with any new tool It helps to practice in isolation first. Once you have a little skill, incorportate it into your workflow. This one simple tool has been a major timesaver for me for years. The addition of text extraction takes its value to a whole new level.
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