The first time I set up Snagit on a new Windows 11 machine, I pressed Print Screen and got the Snipping Tool. Not Snagit. After 7 years of daily capture work, that's a jarring way to start a morning. The fix isn't complicated, but it requires changes in two separate places: one inside Windows and one inside Snagit. Most guides only cover one of them, which is why the comments on those articles are full of people saying it still doesn't work.
This covers the full setup for Windows 11, including the conflict fixes that most tutorials skip.
Quick answer: Go to Windows Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn off "Use the Print screen key to open Snipping Tool." Then open Snagit, go to File > Capture Preferences > Hotkeys, enable the override option, and press Print Screen in the hotkey field. Restart Snagit. Full steps and troubleshooting below.
Pros:
- Works globally across every app once configured
- One keypress fires Snagit's orange crosshairs from anywhere on screen
- Hotkey persists through app switches as long as Snagit runs in the background
Cons:
- Windows 11 updates can re-hijack Print Screen without warning
- Snagit must be open or running in the background for the hotkey to register
- Some Logitech keyboard users may need a separate fix in Logi Options+
The Windows 11 Print Screen Snipping Tool Problem Explained
On Windows 10, pressing Print Screen with Snagit running fired Snagit immediately. Windows 11 changed that. Microsoft added a setting that can bind Print Screen directly to Snipping Tool. On many systems it is enabled, and TechSmith notes that Windows 11 updates can force the Print Screen key back to Snipping Tool even after you previously changed it. Whether this applies to your machine depends on your Windows build and update path.
If you're on Snagit 2023 and haven't updated in a while, go to Help > Check for Updates first. Snagit 2023.2.1 added handling for this conflict, and running an older build makes the rest of this harder than it needs to be.
Step 1: Disable the Windows 11 Snipping Tool Override
This is the step most people miss. Without it, the Snipping Tool claims Print Screen at the OS level and no amount of Snagit configuration changes that.
- Click the search bar in your taskbar and type Accessibility keyboard settings.
- Click Open to launch the Accessibility Keyboard settings window.
- Find the option labelled Use the Print screen key to open Snipping Tool and turn the slider off.
- Restart your computer.
On some Windows 11 builds, this setting has moved. If you don't see it under Accessibility, it may also appear under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard.
I've had this toggle flip back on after a major Windows update on 3 separate machines. If Print Screen suddenly stops triggering Snagit weeks after you set this up, check this toggle before anything else. It's almost always the cause.
Step 2: Assign Print Screen as Snagit's Global Capture Hotkey
With Windows out of the way, assign the key inside Snagit.
- Open the Snagit Capture window.
- Go to File > Capture Preferences > Hotkeys tab.
- Check the box next to Allow Snagit to override other hotkey assignments and click OK.
- Back in the Capture window, click the shortcut field directly below the red Capture button.
- Press the Print Screen key on your keyboard. The field should now display "Print Screen."
- Restart Snagit.
The "Allow Snagit to override other hotkey assignments" option matters more than it sounds. Without it, if OneDrive or Dropbox has also registered Print Screen, Snagit loses that conflict silently. No error message, no crosshairs. The key just does nothing.
Most tutorials tell you to assign the hotkey first. That's backwards. Enable the override option first, then assign. Otherwise you may assign it and still get blocked.
Step 3: Enable Snagit on Startup
Snagit's global capture hotkey only works when Snagit is running. If Snagit isn't open, pressing Print Screen does nothing, or falls back to Windows defaults. The fix is a single checkbox.
- Go to File > Capture Preferences > General tab.
- Check Run Snagit when Windows starts.
From that point, Snagit runs in the system tray from the moment you log in. Your capture profiles and presets are available before you open the full editor, and Print Screen is live without you doing anything.
When Print Screen Still Does Not Trigger Snagit
After completing all 3 steps, it should work. If it doesn't, there are 4 specific scenarios worth checking. Each one has a clean fix.
OneDrive or Dropbox is claiming the key
OneDrive has a setting that saves screenshots automatically by registering Print Screen for itself. Open OneDrive settings, go to the Backup tab, and turn off Automatically save screenshots I capture to OneDrive. Dropbox has the same option under Preferences > Backups. After disabling both, reopen Snagit's Hotkeys preferences, confirm the override option is still checked, and reassign Print Screen.
Logitech keyboard conflict (MX Keys, Wave, and others)
TechSmith's support documentation calls out a specific Logi Options+ issue: a February 2025 update remapped Print Screen to Snipping Tool for some Logitech keyboards without prompting the user. If you use a Logitech keyboard and Print Screen stopped working for Snagit around that time, open Logi Options+, find your keyboard, and reassign the Print Screen button to Screen Capture rather than the Snipping Tool option. On my MX Keys setup, that was the actual fix. Not Snagit settings at all.
Laptop with Fn lock active
On many laptops, Print Screen requires pressing Fn + Print Screen. If your laptop has function lock enabled, try pressing Fn+Esc to toggle it off and test Print Screen alone. If Fn+Print Screen is what works, you can assign that combination as the global capture hotkey in Snagit instead of plain Print Screen.
Ctrl+Print Screen as a temporary fallback
If the hotkey field shows "Print Screen" correctly but pressing it produces nothing, try Ctrl+Print Screen. Some conflict situations respond to the modifier version even when plain Print Screen is blocked. It also works as a permanent alternative if you can't fully resolve the conflict.
Snagit Print Screen Setup vs ShareX, CleanShot X, and Greenshot
Every Windows screenshot tool faces the same Windows 11 Snipping Tool problem. Snagit isn't uniquely difficult here. The comparison below shows what each tool actually requires.
| Tool | Windows 11 setup | Disable Snipping Tool first? | Mac support | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snagit | Accessibility toggle off + Snagit Hotkeys preference | Yes | Ctrl+Shift+C (no Print Screen key on Mac) | Two-step but well documented |
| ShareX | Same Accessibility toggle required; ShareX claims Print Screen automatically on install | Yes | No | Slightly less manual inside the app |
| CleanShot X | Mac-only, not applicable | N/A | Yes (Mac only) | No Windows option |
| Greenshot | Claims Print Screen on install; Accessibility toggle still required on Windows 11 | Yes | No | Free; feature set is more limited than Snagit |
Snagit requires one more manual step inside its preferences than ShareX or Greenshot. Where Snagit tends to earn its cost is post-capture: the scrolling capture, annotation editor, and OCR. Whether that matters depends on what you're using it for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Snagit better than ShareX for Print Screen capture?
Both work with Print Screen once you resolve the Windows 11 Snipping Tool conflict. ShareX is free and handles the hotkey assignment on install. Snagit requires the manual preference step. The difference shows up after the capture: Snagit's annotation tools, scrolling capture, and OCR are more developed. ShareX offers more capture modes and automation options, but it takes more configuration to get there. For documentation and SOP work, Snagit is the faster daily driver.
Does Snagit work on Mac with a Print Screen key?
Mac keyboards don't have a Print Screen key. On Mac, Snagit's default global capture hotkey is Control+Shift+C. You can change it in Snagit Settings under the Keyboard tab by clicking the shortcut field and pressing your preferred key combination.
Why does Print Screen stop working for Snagit after a Windows update?
Windows 11 updates can re-enable the "Use the Print screen key to open Snipping Tool" setting without prompting you. TechSmith documents this behavior and recommends checking the toggle first whenever Print Screen stops responding. Go back to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, turn it off again, and restart.
Does Snagit need to be open for Print Screen to work?
Yes. If Snagit is fully closed, the global capture hotkey is not registered and Print Screen won't trigger it. Enable Run Snagit when Windows starts under File > Capture Preferences > General to keep it in the system tray automatically after every login.
Can I use a different key instead of Print Screen for Snagit?
Yes. Click the shortcut field below the red Capture button in the Snagit Capture window and press any key or combination you want. Common alternatives are Ctrl+Shift+S or Alt+S. Both avoid the Windows 11 Snipping Tool conflict entirely since neither is claimed by default.
Can I set different Print Screen hotkeys for different capture types?
Yes, through presets. Open the Presets panel in the Snagit Capture window and assign a unique hotkey to each preset. That way you can have one key for image capture, another for video, and another for scrolling capture, without changing the global capture hotkey at all. See the TechSmith hotkey guide for the full options.
Troubleshooting Priority: Where to Check First
If Print Screen isn't triggering Snagit after setup, work through this order before changing anything else:
- Check the Windows Accessibility toggle. Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard. Confirm "Use the Print screen key to open Snipping Tool" is off.
- Check Snagit's override option. File > Capture Preferences > Hotkeys. Confirm "Allow Snagit to override other hotkey assignments" is checked.
- Check OneDrive and Dropbox. Disable screenshot backup in both if active. Then reassign Print Screen in Snagit.
- Check Logi Options+ if you use a Logitech keyboard. Reassign Print Screen to Screen Capture rather than Snipping Tool.
- Check Fn Lock on laptops. Try Fn+Esc to disable it, then test plain Print Screen again.