Here's how to use Snagit in one sitting: open Capture, choose Image and Region, turn on Preview in Editor, click Capture and drag around the part of the screen you need. Add one arrow or callout, save an editable SNAGX copy, then save a separate PNG and open it once before you send it. The sections below walk through those five moves, along with the Windows and Mac differences that trip beginners up.
The steps follow TechSmith's tutorials. The Windows history lists 2026.4.0 as the latest Windows build, and the Mac history lists 2026.4.3 as the latest 2026 build, with Snagit 2027.0.0 for Mac released on October 29. On an older Mac, check the macOS compatibility table before updating: for Sonoma 14, TechSmith lists releases only up to 2025.4.0.
Before your first capture
If Snagit isn't installed yet, get it from the official TechSmith download page and follow my install and update checklist. The trial needs a TechSmith account rather than a software key, and TechSmith's trial reset article describes a fully functional 15-day trial that you can reset once for 15 more days. One condition is easy to miss: the trial is for evaluation only, not for company projects or training and marketing material. Stick to harmless sample content while you practice.
On a Mac, allow the screen access Snagit asks for. Apple keeps that setting under Screen & System Audio Recording in Privacy & Security. Microphone access is a separate permission, needed only for voice recording. If captures are blocked, work through the Snagit Mac permissions checklist instead of reinstalling the app over and over.
You'll spend your time in three places. Capture decides what to grab, Editor is where you mark it up and save it, and Library, a tab inside Editor, is where earlier captures wait for you. The Snagit Editor guide gives a longer tour if you want one.
Take your first Snagit screenshot
Start small: one dialog or one part of a page, with its heading and the control you want to explain. Leave unrelated tabs and personal details out of the frame. This is the Image route from TechSmith's image capture tutorial:
- Clear the screen. Open the window or page you want to capture, close notifications and move anything private out of view.
- Open Snagit Capture. Click the Snagit icon in the Windows taskbar or notification area, or in the Mac menu bar. If Editor is already open, click its Capture button.
- Choose Image and Region. Select the Image tab and set Selection to Region. Leave automatic effects and automatic sharing off for now.
- Turn on Preview in Editor. Switch Preview in Editor on so the screenshot opens for review before it goes anywhere.
- Capture the area. Click Capture. When the orange crosshairs appear, drag around the part of the screen you need and release.
- Check the result. Look at the capture in Snagit Editor. If the crop is wrong, go back to Capture and grab a smaller region.
If you prefer the keyboard, the default global capture shortcuts are Print Screen on Windows and Control+Shift+C on Mac. They use whatever is set in Capture right now, so glance at the Image tab before you press one. The Capture button always works, even if someone changed your shortcut. Press Esc to cancel a selection.
All-in-One works differently: it shows a toolbar after you select the area and asks whether you want an image, a video or a scrolling capture. Do not wait for that toolbar while following the Image steps above. If Print Screen opens Windows Snipping Tool instead, use the Capture button for now and fix it later with the guide to making Snagit the Print Screen default. The Snagit keyboard shortcuts guide covers custom key assignments.
Add one arrow and a short callout
A good first annotation tells the reader to do one thing. Point at a button and label it with the action, or use a lone arrow when the button's own label already says enough.
- Want an untouched original? Right-click the thumbnail in the recent captures tray on Windows, or Control-click it on Mac, and choose Duplicate. Edit the duplicate.
- Choose Arrow in the Editor toolbar (open More if it is hidden), pick a style and drag from the tail toward the control.
- Choose Callout, drag on the canvas to draw it and type a short instruction. Keep it clear of the button and any text the reader needs.
- Choose Move to reposition either object. Select anything you do not want and press Delete.
- Look at the whole image once more. Keep enough context to recognize the screen and remove marks that do not help.
TechSmith documents how the Arrow tool draws from tail to head and how the Callout tool handles text and tails. For layout ideas, see how to annotate a screenshot without clutter. These tools mark up still images. They don't add editable callouts to a video you've already recorded.
Remove confidential details before sharing
The safest practice capture has nothing secret in it. If a screenshot does include customer details, account numbers, passwords or recovery codes, don't trust blur or pixelation. TechSmith's Blur tool tutorial warns that some third-party tools can reverse them.
Choose Blur in Editor, then set the Type property to Solid shapes and drag over the whole sensitive area until no characters show. The same tutorial asks you to flatten the file or export a flattened format before sharing, so nobody can lift the cover off.
That's why the editable master stays with you. Anyone with the SNAGX source can delete a redaction object and read what sits underneath, even if they only wanted the picture. Export a PNG as shown below, then open that file outside Snagit. If you prefer Flatten All, run it on a duplicate so your master stays editable. The blur and redaction guide goes further for sensitive work.
Save a SNAGX master, then a separate PNG
Snagit normally autosaves image captures, annotations included, as SNAGX files in Library, although Windows users can switch that off. Saving a named copy yourself still makes sense, because then you decide where important work lives and how it's backed up.
Think of SNAGX as the working file: text, arrows, callouts, shapes and pasted images stay editable. PNG is the finished picture you attach to a message or drop into a document.
- Select the edited capture in the recent captures tray or in Library.
- Choose File > Save As.
- In Save as type on Windows, or Format on Mac, choose SNAGX. Pick a private, backed-up folder, name it something like
topic-master.snagxand click Save. - With the same capture selected, choose File > Save As again, pick PNG and a delivery folder, name it something like
topic-final.pngand click Save. - Open
topic-final.pngin an image viewer outside Snagit and check the text, crop, annotations, covered areas and the file name before you attach it.
These steps follow TechSmith's file-saving tips, which also explain a detail that confuses people: Windows can keep annotations editable locally after Editor restarts, while on Mac a non-SNAGX image is flattened when Snagit quits. Either way, a PNG still isn't a portable layered project. For other formats and quality settings, use the Snagit export settings guide.
Find an earlier capture in Library
Click Library at the top of Editor, search for a file name or filter by date, source or tag, then double-click a thumbnail to open it. TechSmith's Library tutorial covers tags and sorting, and libraries on Windows network drives offer fewer filters.
Library history isn't a backup, so keep important masters in your usual backup routine. Never share your whole Library to hand over one screenshot, because it may hold unsaved captures and private originals. TechSmith's Library location notes also advise against sharing a cloud Library with other users. My Library location and backup guide shows how to move or protect your own captures.
Send the checked copy
For a simple handoff, attach the PNG you just checked. If you'd rather paste, Copy All puts the current image on the clipboard; then press Ctrl+V on Windows or Command+V on Mac. When the capture contains redactions, the exported file is the safer one to send.
Share Link uploads the capture, normally to Screencast, and copies the URL. In company deployments, IT can point it at OneDrive on Windows or Google Drive instead, so check the destination before you click.
A clean image can still leak something through its name. TechSmith's sharing tutorial notes that Snagit may build descriptive titles from the captured file or web page name. To stop that:
- Windows: Edit > Editor Preferences > Share, then select Do not include capture source in shared file names and titles.
- Mac: Snagit > Settings > Share, then clear Include capture source in shared file names and titles.
Either way, check the final name and who has access to the link. Send the editable master only to someone who needs to edit it, and only when nothing in the source is secret.
Record a short video when motion helps
When a screenshot can't show the order or timing of an action, record a short clip. In Capture, choose Video and Region, and set Open In to Snagit Editor for your first attempt. On Windows, TechSmith's Capture preferences let you turn Automatically start video recording off and Show Ready to Record window on, which gives you a moment to check settings. Then click Capture and select the area.
In Ready to Record, look at the microphone, system audio and camera and switch on only what you need. Click Record, walk through a ten-second example, then click Stop and play it back. Sound and framing problems are much cheaper to catch now than after a long take.
On Mac, recording your voice needs microphone permission in Privacy & Security, and Apple suggests quitting and reopening the app after you change it. Set microphone options before you start, because the Mac 2026.3.2 release removed the microphone options button from the recording toolbar.
Where the video ends up depends on Open In, as the video capture tutorial explains: Snagit Editor opens it for review, None saves it to Library without opening Editor, and Camtasia Editor sends it there without a Snagit Library copy. On Windows, also check Edit > Editor Preferences > Library > Automatically save new video captures in the Library. If that's off, save the recording yourself before you close Snagit.
Snagit can trim, cut and combine clips. The Snagit screen recording guide covers the full procedure, and the Snagit vs Camtasia comparison helps when you need a multitrack timeline.
What to learn next
Use a region when one part of the screen answers the question, and capture a window or the full display only when the extra context helps. Check everything inside the frame either way. For content below the fold, the scrolling capture workflow beats a stack of overlapping screenshots.
Once your first workflow feels routine, save repeated settings as a Snagit preset. When you need the words rather than a picture, use Grab Text and OCR, and for a procedure with several clicks, try Step Capture. Everything else lives in the Snagit guides hub.
Snagit beginner tutorial FAQ
How do I use Snagit for the first time?
Open Capture, choose the Image tab and Region, turn on Preview in Editor, click Capture and drag around what you need. Add one arrow or callout in Editor, save an editable SNAGX copy, then save a separate PNG and check it before you send it.
Where does Snagit save images?
Image captures normally autosave as SNAGX files in the Snagit Library, although Windows users can turn that off. Files you create with File > Save As go wherever you choose. Video sent to Camtasia Editor with Open In does not get a Library copy.
Why does my capture not open in Snagit Editor?
For an image, check that Preview in Editor is on in Capture and that no automatic share is set. For video, set Open In to Snagit Editor. Try one small capture after changing the setting before looking for other causes.
Should I save SNAGX or PNG?
Both, for different jobs. Keep SNAGX as your editable working file and export PNG for the person who receives the image. A PNG is not a layered project, and a SNAGX that covers private details should stay private.
Is blur safe for confidential text?
No. TechSmith warns that some third-party tools can reverse blur and pixelation. Use the Solid shapes type, export a flattened file such as PNG, and check that file before sharing.
Can Snagit record screen video and audio?
Yes. Choose Video, select the area, check the microphone and system audio settings in Ready to Record, then click Record. Record ten seconds first and play it back before the real take.
Is Snagit the same on Windows and Mac?
The capture, edit and save workflow is nearly the same. The default capture shortcut is Print Screen on Windows and Control+Shift+C on Mac, Save As uses Save as type on Windows and Format on Mac, and a Mac needs screen and microphone permissions first.