Capture

There are three ways to activate the capture process: through the capture bar, through the program symbol in the system tray, or through keyboard shortcuts.

Capture bar

Once Snap is launched, the capture bar will be automatically displayed as a marker at the top of your screen by default. Move your mouse over the marker to expand the capture bar. Move it outside the bar to hide it.

Functions

1: Capture screen region

2: Settings

3: Open editor

4: Capture all displays as screenshot

5: Starts Live Edit

6: Exit program

Context menu (system tray)

Once launched, you can access many capturing tools through Snap's context menu. Simply right-click the program icon in the system tray next to the clock.

Capture screen region

1: Create selection

2: Select target

3: Capture pointer

4: Fast screenshotting

5: Switch color scheme

6: OCR texts

7: OCR language

8: Palette

9: Switches to eyedropper mode.

Create selection

Selection mode

Automatic (window detection)

In this mode, the progam auto-highlights windows below the mouse pointer and creates a rectangular selection on clicking.

Rectangle

Hold down the left mouse button and drag to create a rectangular selection. Drag the edge markers to adjust its size. Drag inside the rectangle to reposition it.

Ellipse

Hold down the left mouse button and drag to create an elliptical selection. Drag the edge markers to adjust its size. Drag inside the ellipse to reposition it.

Freeform

Hold down the left mouse button and drag to draw a freeform shape. The shape is always closed automatically.

Eye dropper (Color recognition)

Move the pointer over a pixel and left-click to extract and copy its color value to the palette.

Create selection (presets)

Current display
Creates a rectangular selection around the display area that currently has the mouse pointer.

All displays
Creates a rectangular selection across all connected displays.

Custom
Allows you to input width/height manually to create a value-based rectangular selection. See Custom selection

Repeat last
Recreates the most recently confirmed rectangular/elliptical/freeform selection.

Select target

Select the desired output target for your captures here.

Editor: Shots are automatically opened in Snap's built-in editor upon creation.

Folder: Shots are only stored a image files in the output folder.

Clipboard: Shots are immediatly copied to the system clipboard.

Other application: Shots are sent to custom application. You can specify the application in the program settings.

Ashampoo Web: Shots are uploaded to Ashampoo Web. The affected link will open automatically in your default web browser once the upload is complete.

Capture pointer

Enable this feature to capture the mouse pointer as part of your screenshots.

Fast screenshotting

If enabled, the selected area will be captured as soon as you release the mouse button without the need for manual confirmationn and without the ability to readjust the position/size of the selection.

Switch color scheme

You can toggle the color of the crosshair and guidelines here to adjust their display for best readability.

OCR texts

Extracted texts are stored here. Move the pointer over an entry and use the buttons to delete or copy its content to the system clipboard. Click a text entry to edit it.

More (…)

Clear
Deletes all text entries.

Export TXT
Exports all texts as a single text file.

OCR language

Use this menu to quickly switch between OCR languages. Click "Add language" to add additional OCR languages.

Palette

Colors that have been extracted using the eye dropper tool are collected here. Move the pointer over a color and use the buttons to delete or copy its value in different notations to the system clipboard.

More (…)

Clear
Deletes all color entries from the palette.

Export CSS (Photoshop
Exports the current hex values as CSS file prepared for Photoshop. Use "Import swatches" via the "Swatches" tab in the palette tool to add the colors to your Photoshop project.

Export PNG (Affinity)
This function exports all colors as single pixels to a PNG file. Use Affinity's "Create Palette From Image" to import the colors into a project.

Confirm selection

Use the context menu (…) to confirm your selection and apply an operation. Alternatively, right-click the selection to access the menu. The most frequently used operations are also accessible through dedicated buttons below the selection.

Scroll-capturing

Snap can capture scrolling content vertically or horizontally. This is achieved by taking multiple screenshots between scrolling and assembling them into a coherent image at the end of the process.

Here's a few pointers for a successful scroll capture:

• Your selection must not contain window elements, like scrollbars, because these will interfere with the assembling of the screenshots.
• Make sure your selection does not contain sticky elements. These are elements that move with the content to stay in a fixed position, like web banners.
• If you need to capture a website that dynamically fetches new content during scrolling, make sure to manually scroll the bottom of the page before you start capturing from the bottom. This will ensure the content is instantly available.

Example

A browser window was detected and selected in the image above (red box). The selection contains multiple window elements (title bar, top/right toolbar, right scrollbar, window border). In addition, the website contains a navigation element at the bottom right that stays fixed during scrolling (white upward arrow on dark circle). For a successful scroll-capture, the selection has to be adjusted to only surround website content without window and navigation elements (green box).

Timer-based capturing

This function allows you to capture one or multiple shots after a custom time period specified in seconds. Use the buttons to adjust the time span or use your keyboard.

Capture video

See Capture video

Customize selection

This dialog allows you to create or modify a selection based on the specified width/height. Use the buttons or your keyboard to adjust the values individually.

Custom presets

Click "Add preset" to create a preset based on the current width/height. Click an existing preset to apply its values to the current selection. Click the trashcan to delete a preset.

Clear selection

Aside from the menu item you can also hit Backspace to delete an existing selection.

Capture video

1: Reposition toolbar

2: Start/Pause recording

3: Stop/Cancel recording

4: Recording time/Time after which recording stops

5: Displays a still picture for 5 seconds. This helps you to identify regions of interest during editing later.

6: Show/Hide mouse clicks. This settings is only available when "Capture pointer" was enabled when creating the selection.

7: Enable/Disable drawing mode

8: Select the color of the selection, arrows, and rectangles here

9: Show/Hide webcam

10: Open video settings

11: Minimize controls

Reposition toolbar

Drag the grabber to reposition the toolbar.

Start/Pause recording

Click the button to start or pause a recording. The icon changes depending on the recording status.

Stop/Cancel recording

Hit the button to end a recording in progress or cancel recording altogether.

Timer

1: Select the desired recording time here (hours:minutes:seconds).

2: Enable/Disable the timer here.

3: Closes the timer settings. If enabled, the timer icon will appear next to the time display:

Show/Hide mouse clicks

Enable this setting to visualize mouse clicks via animations. Their color is based on the currently selected color scheme.

Enable/Disable drawing mode

This mode allows you to draw arrow via left and rectangle via right mouse clicks. Their color is based on the currently selected color scheme.

Draw arrow

• Left-click the selection area to auto-create an arrow pointing in the direction of the click. The starting position is based on the previous mouse pointer position.
• Left-click and drag to manually draw an arrow from start to end. The arrow will appear once you release the mouse button.

Draw rectangle

Right-click and drag to draw a rectangle around an area. The rectangle will appear once you release the mouse button.

Show/Hide webcam

Hit the button to show or hide a live feed from your webcam inside the selection area.

Open video settings

This button leaves the video capturing mode and opens the video-related program settings. The video caturing mode will resume automatically once you apply your changes.

Minimize controls

This button hides the toolbar.

Custom file names

You can adjust the file naming scheme that will be used for exported images/videos in the program settings. Simply place the cursor at the desired position under "Output file name" and click the below buttons to add the associated placeholders.

Example

Supported placeholders

Edit image

1: Toolbar

2: Quick access bar

3: Workspace

4: Tool/Object properties

5: Status bar

6: Preview bar

Context menu

Right-click into the screenshot to open the context menu.

Copy to clipboard
Copes the current screenshot and all objects to the system clipboard.

Insert image from clipboard
Pastes the clipboard image into the screenshot as an object at the current mouse position.

Insert object from clipboard
Pastes the most recently copied object into the screenshot at the current mouse position.

Insert image from hard drive
Inserts an existing image file into the screenshot as an object at the current mouse position.

Select next/previous object
This entry is available, when there's already an object selected and moves the selection to the next/previous object.

With object

The functions in this submenu affect the object that belongs to the given index.

Select object
Selects the current object.

Move object to front/back
Moves the object to the first or last position in the object hierarchy so that is either visually sits above or below all other objects.

Move object one level up/down
Moves the object one level up/down in the object hierarchy.

Copy project
Copies the object to the system clipboard.

Cut object
Copies the object to the system clipboard and deletes it from the project.

Delete object
Deletes the object from the project.

Working with objects

Left-click objects to select them. There are three types of objects:

Type 1

Objects of this type display a selection rectangle around them. Drag the icon to reposition them. Drag the icon to rotate the objects freely, e.g. to display text at a 45° angle. Drag the edge markers () to resize the objects.

Type 2

These objects also display a selection rectangle around them, once selected. Unlike type 1, type 2 objects can be dragged directly for repositioning but support neither resizing nor rotation.

Type 3

Toolbar

Select

Left-click an object to select it.

Transformations

These functions allow you to adjust the size of the screenshot/canvas to your needs.

Crop / Resize Screenshot / Resize Workspace

The handling is identical between these operations but you can hold down shift while resizing a screenshot to preserve the current aspect ratio.

Combine layers

This function merges the current objects into the image, rendering them uneditable afterwards.

Frame

With this function, you can add a colored frame to your image, optionally with rounded corners. The transparency of the frame can be freely adjusted. This allows you, for example, to create a rounded-corner effect using a fully transparent frame.

Watermark

Pencils and markers

Pencil

Simply drag to highlight or draw over an area in your image.

Highlighter

Use the highlighter to highlight image portions with lines/rectangles or freehand shapes. Toggle "Enable highlight mode" to invert your selection.

Blur

With the blur tool, you can obscure parts of an image by smudging or pixelating them. This only alters the original image; any added objects remain unchanged. The "Strength" setting affects the blurring effect, while "Size" controls the stroke width in line or freehand mode. Activate the rectangle mode to draw a rectangle and blur a larger area.

Arrows

Click with the left mouse button on the starting position and drag the mouse to the end position to create the arrow. In the tool properties, you can switch between straight and curved arrows under "Type." Drag the square edge markers to adjust the start/end position of the arrow. For curved arrows, drag the additional markers to adjust the curvature. Enable the "Growing" option to automatically resize the arrowhead based on the arrow's length.

Text

Left-click the workspace to add a text object. Once added, start typing to modify its text content. To edit an existing text object, select it and left-click its content.

Documentation

Hint

Hint objects can be added and edited in the same way as text objects. However, they also support border/background colors and can point to any desired position with an arrow if needed.

Note

Note objects are created and edited the same way as text objects but additionally display a background clipart, e.g. a speech bubble. You can pick the clipart from the properties pane on the right and even modify its transparency. You can also pick a new clipart for an existing note object to modify it.

Numbering

This tools helps you visualize consecutive steps, e.g. when you're creating a tutorial. Each time you left-click the workspace, a new object will be created with its index automatically incremented sequentially. You can either use numeric (1, 2, 3, ...) or alphanumeric (A, B, C, ...) characters. See "Current number" in the properties pane on the right to adjust the initial value. This way, you can also alter the value, and the background clipart, of existing objects.

Shapes

Left-click and drag to create a shape with the desired size. Use the edge markers to readjust its size. Drag the centered arrow icon, if available, to readjust the shape's position. If the icon is not available, drag the shape itself. Drag the arrow icon above the shape, if available, to rotate it.

Erase

The eraser replaces pixels in your original screenshot with either transparent or colored pixels. This allows you to quickly remove unwanted elements from your screenshot. This will only affect the screenshot and not added objects.

Fill area

You can fill regions in your screenshot with a solid color or color gradient using this tool. This will only affect the screenshot and not added objects.

Clipart

Left-click a clipart in the right properties pane to add it to your project or drag it to the desired position. While you can move and resize the object, you cannot alter the clipart design of an existing object. Click "Add graphics" to add existing images to the clipart library. Click the folder button to open the location for custom cliparts in Windows Explorer, e.g. to delete custom images. You can also copy and paste images to the folder directly to add them to Snap's clipart library.

Share / Export

Use these features to share your image with others. Use the "…" button next to "Open with app" to select a target application (.exe) for the "send to" feature. If no application is specified, you'll be prompted to select an application when you first use this feature.

Print

Use this dialog to print your current image and to individually customize settings such as scale and margins.

If you prefer the system-default dialog, click "Open System Print Dialog". Your current settings will be ineffective in this case.

Quick access bar

Use the quick access bar to swiftly access frequently used functions.

1: New project

2: Open project

3: Import image

4: Save project

5: Undo

6: Redo

7: Cut object

8: Copy object

9: Paste object

10: Delete object

11: Move object up by one in object hierarchy

12: Move object down by one in object hierarchy

13: Provide feedback

14: Open help

15: Open current output folder in Windows Explorer

16: Export project

Status bar

1: Resolution of the current image

2: Displays the current image in its original size

3: Zooms in/out to show all of the current image

4: Drag the slider for seamless zooming

5: Opens the folder that contains the image in Windows Explorer

The preview bar displays a miniature preview of your projects. An exclamation mark indicates that the affected project contains unsaved changes. Click the trashcan button to delete the affected project.

Combining projects

Use the plus symbol to combine several projects into one. This will append the selected project to the currently open project, expanding its workspace as needed. Objects contained in the added project remain fully editable.

Edit video

1: Preview

2: Toolbar

3: Timeline

4: Click the folder to open the folder of the current video in Windows Explorer.

Preview

The playback range currently visible in the timeline is displayed a colored rectangle (1). Drag the circle (2) to adjust the playback position. Existing cut marks are also displayed (3).

Toolbar

General

1: Here are you most recently used files.

2: Opens an existing audio/video file and closes the current one. Unsupported file formats are auto-converted into supported formats.

3: Zooms out of the timeline.

4: Zooms into the timeline.
 

Cut marks

5: Extends the cut mark left of the playback marker to the playback position.

6: Sets the start of the cut mark to the playback position.

7: Adds a cut mark at the playback position. Drag its edges to resize it.

8: Deletes the cut mark at the playback position.

9: Sets the end of the cut mark to the playback position.

10: Extends the cut mark right of the playback marker to the playback position.

Export

11: Opens the program settings. You can select the output folders for audio/image/video files and their respective output formats here.

12: Exports the current video frame as an image file.

13: Creates either an audio file without the marked regions or a separate audio file for each region marked.

14: Creates either a video file without the marked regions or a separate video file for each region marked.

Timeline

The current playback position is displayed as an arrow (1). Drag it to quickly adjust the playback position.

Added cut marks are also displayed as colored bars (2). Drag the start/end of a mark to adjust its length or the the toolbar.

Live Edit

Think of Live Edit as a transparent canvas that covers all of your screens. You can add arrows, speech bubbles etc. as needed and create annotations/explanations before you take the screenshot.

Click the button to launch Live Edit (1).

Live Edit always launches in "interactive" mode as indicated by the green dot next to the icon (2) and the icon in the taskbar. This mode allows you to freely edit the canvas and add/edit elements. In this mode, interaction with other applications is blocked.

Klick the icon in Live Edit to switch to "visible" mode or press Win+Esc. In this mode, your annotations remain visible but you can freely interact with your other applications. You can recognize this mode by the yellow dot next to the Live Edit button (3) and the corresponding taskbar icon.

Click the icon or press Win+Esc to switch back to interactive mode.

Toolwheels

Live Edit uses two toolwheels: on for canvas-related functions (1) and one for currently selected elements (2).

Right-click the canvas to display the toolwheel that matches the current application context at the mouse position. Click the "X" to hide the toolwheel. The toolwheel is hidden/shown automatically when you switch between the "interactive" and "visible" mode.

You can tell the two toolwheels apart by their differently colored "X" buttons (blue: canvas, green: elements).

Each toolwheel has two levels. The primary level (1) displays currently available functions. The second level (2) only appears when the selected functions offers additional options.

Adding / Editing elements

1. Click the plus button to show available element categories.
2. Select a category to show the supported styles.
3. Drag a style onto the canvas to create a corresponding element.

Selecting elements

Click an existing element to select and focus it (1). If the element is part of an existing selection, click another selected element to shift the focus to it.

Hold down Ctrl and click to select multiple elements in a row or use the mousewheel to click. Alternatively, drag to create a selection rectangle around elements to select them.

Press Ctrl+A to select all elements. If a selection already exists, only elements matching the selected types will be selected.

Click the canvas to clear the current selection.

Using colors

Both toolwheels have separate color palettes. The canvas toolwheel color affects newly created elements, the element toolwheel color affects currently selected elements. If more than one element is selected, the color display changes accordingly.

Click the palette button on the first level to display available colors. Click a color to use it for new elements or to modify the currently selected elements.

You can also drag colors onto existing elements e.g., to modify elements not part of the current selection. This works with both toolwheels.

Categories

Shape

This category includes (rounded) rectangle and ellipses. Drag their borders to move existing shapes and the edge markers to resize them.

Arrow

Use arrows to draw attention to specific image portions. Drag the center of an arrow to move it and the end points to adjust the starting/end position.

Number

Use numbers to add structure to your annotations.

Each time you create a number element, the preview icon is incremented by one. This allows you to quickly create a sequence.

To adjust the size or value of a number, drag the new number onto the existing one. Size, color, and value will then be applied to the existing element.

Numbers come in three sizes. Use the toolwheel resize buttons to quickly adjust the size of existing numbers.

Text and speech bubble

Click the contents of existing text/speech bubble elements to edit their text. Text elements shrink and grow automatically with their contents. Drag the edges to reposition them.

Drag the tail of a speech bubble to reposition it. If the text content covers the tail, its presentation changes accordingly.

From the toolwheel, drag a text-only style onto a speech bubble, to turn it into a text-only element. Drag a speech bubble style onto a text-only element, to turn it into a speech bubble. Colors and font sizes will also be applied.

Text and speech bubble elements in three sizes. Use the toolwheel resize buttons to quickly adjust the size of existing elements.

Selector

Selectors use three pre-determined colors but behave like regular shapes. FOr example, ese them to select parts of your screen and create screenshots. You can also select multiple selectors and create multiple screenshots in a row.

1: Displays available functions.

2: Creates a screenshot of the selected area(s). This function behaves exactly like the "regular" screenshot in Snap. If you've selected to open new screenshots in Snap's image editor in Snap's program settings, these shots will also open in the image editor afterwards.

3: Detects the program window below the top-left corner of the selector and resizes the selector to match the window's size.

4: Creates a freely positionable image element of the selected screen area. The selector will be deleted afterwards.

5: Uses optical character recognition (OCR) to create a text-only element based on the selected screen area. The selector will be deleted afterwards.

Keyboard shortcuts

Apart from the capture bar and the context menu, you may also use various keyboard shortcuts to access different capturing tools, some of which you can customize in the program settings.

Capture

Capture: Screenshot

Capture: Video

Image editor

Video-Editor

Live Edit

Uninstall program

1. Click the Windows logo in the start bar and select the cog wheel (Settings).
2. Click "Apps".
3. Look for "Ashampoo Snap Pro 26" under "Apps & Features" and left-click to select the entry.
4. Click "Uninstall" and follow the on-screen instructions to remove the program from your system.