User Manual

Comprehensive guide to help you make the most of Snipaste's powerful features

Table of Contents

Welcome to the Snipaste User Manual. This guide will help you understand all the features and functions of Snipaste, a powerful yet easy-to-use screenshot and annotation tool. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced user, you'll find valuable information to enhance your productivity.

Installation

System Requirements

  • Windows: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, or 11 (32-bit or 64-bit)
  • macOS: macOS 10.12 (Sierra) or later
  • Minimum 1GB RAM, 50MB free disk space

Installing on Windows

  1. Download the latest version of Snipaste from the download page
  2. Locate the downloaded file (usually in your Downloads folder) and double-click it
  3. If you see a SmartScreen warning, click "More info" then "Run anyway"
  4. Follow the installation wizard instructions
  5. Once installed, Snipaste will automatically start and appear in your system tray

Installing on macOS

  1. Download the latest version of Snipaste from the download page
  2. Locate the downloaded .dmg file and double-click it
  3. Drag the Snipaste icon to your Applications folder
  4. Open your Applications folder and double-click Snipaste
  5. If you see a security warning, go to "System Preferences" > "Security & Privacy" and click "Open Anyway"
  6. Snipaste will start and appear in your menu bar

Uninstallation

Windows:

  • Go to "Control Panel" > "Programs" > "Programs and Features"
  • Find Snipaste in the list, select it, and click "Uninstall"
  • Follow the uninstallation wizard

macOS:

  • Quit Snipaste if it's running
  • Open your Applications folder
  • Drag the Snipaste icon to the Trash
  • Empty the Trash to complete uninstallation

Basic Operations

Starting Snipaste

After installation, Snipaste will automatically start. You can also launch it manually:

  • Windows: Find Snipaste in your Start Menu or on your desktop
  • macOS: Find Snipaste in your Applications folder or Launchpad

Accessing Snipaste

Once running, Snipaste resides in the system tray/menu bar:

  • Windows: Look for the Snipaste icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen)
  • macOS: Look for the Snipaste icon in the menu bar (top-right corner of your screen)

Right-click (Windows) or control-click (macOS) the icon to access the main menu with various options.

First Screenshot

Taking your first screenshot is easy:

  1. Press the default screenshot hotkey F1
  2. Your screen will darken, indicating you're in screenshot mode
  3. Click and drag your mouse to select the area you want to capture
  4. Release the mouse to capture the selected area
  5. An editing window will appear with your screenshot and annotation tools

Saving and Copying Screenshots

After capturing a screenshot, you have several options:

  • Click the "Copy" button to copy the screenshot to your clipboard
  • Click the "Save" button to save the screenshot to your computer
  • Click the "Pin" button to pin the screenshot as a floating window
  • Press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (macOS) to copy
  • Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (macOS) to save

Screenshot Methods

Region Screenshot

Capture any rectangular area of your screen.

Hotkey: F1

Usage: Click and drag to select the area, release to capture.

Fullscreen Screenshot

Capture your entire screen.

Hotkey: F11

Usage: Press the hotkey to capture immediately.

Window Screenshot

Capture a specific window or application.

Hotkey: Ctrl+F1

Usage: Hover over a window and click to capture.

Delayed Screenshot

Capture after a specified delay.

Hotkey: Shift+F1

Usage: Set delay time, then capture any region.

Tips for Better Screenshots

  • Use the magnifier (appears when selecting a region) for precise selection
  • Hold Shift while selecting to maintain aspect ratio
  • Press Esc at any time to cancel a screenshot
  • For multi-monitor setups, fullscreen screenshot captures the primary monitor by default
  • Window screenshots automatically detect and capture the entire window, including title bar

Annotation Tools

After capturing a screenshot, you'll see a toolbar with various annotation tools. Hover over each tool to see its name and shortcut key.

Selector

Select and manipulate existing annotations. Shortcut: V

Arrow

Draw arrows to point out details. Shortcut: A

Rectangle

Draw rectangles and squares. Shortcut: R

Circle

Draw circles and ovals. Shortcut: C

Text

Add text annotations. Shortcut: T

Pen

Freehand drawing. Shortcut: P

Mosaic

Blur sensitive information. Shortcut: M

Eraser

Erase parts of annotations. Shortcut: E

Color Picker

Pick colors from the screenshot. Shortcut: I

Customizing Annotation Styles

You can customize the appearance of your annotations using the style options in the toolbar:

  • Change color using the color palette or color picker
  • Adjust line thickness for lines, arrows, rectangles, and circles
  • Change text font, size, and alignment
  • Toggle fill for shapes (solid or outline only)
  • Adjust opacity for all annotation tools

Your style settings will persist until you change them, making it easy to maintain consistency across annotations.

Advanced Features

Window Pinning

One of Snipaste's most powerful features is the ability to "pin" screenshots as floating windows that stay on top of other applications.

How to use pinning:

  1. Capture a screenshot using any method
  2. Click the "Pin" button in the editing toolbar
  3. Alternatively, press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (macOS) while editing
  4. The screenshot will appear as a floating window that stays on top of other windows

Pinned window controls:

  • Drag the title bar to move the pinned window
  • Use the resize handles to adjust the size
  • Double-click the title bar to toggle between original size and current size
  • Click the button to close the pinned window
  • Press F3 to toggle visibility of all pinned windows

Color Picker Tool

Snipaste includes a powerful color picker that can identify the exact color of any pixel on your screen.

Using the color picker:

  1. Open the color picker from the main menu or use the hotkey F12
  2. Move your mouse to the color you want to sample
  3. A magnified view of the pixel area will help you select precisely
  4. Click to capture the color
  5. The color value will be displayed in multiple formats (RGB, HEX, HSL)
  6. Click "Copy" to copy the color value to your clipboard

Pixel Measurement

Snipaste can measure the exact pixel dimensions between two points, useful for designers and developers.

Using the measurement tool:

  1. Capture a screenshot and enter editing mode
  2. Select the measurement tool from the annotation toolbar
  3. Click and drag from one point to another
  4. The distance in pixels will be displayed
  5. Hold Shift to constrain to horizontal/vertical measurements

Settings & Configuration

Customize Snipaste to fit your workflow through the settings menu. Access settings by right-clicking the system tray icon and selecting "Settings."

General Settings

Startup Options

  • Start Snipaste on system startup
  • Minimize to system tray when closed
  • Check for updates automatically

Interface Options

  • Language selection
  • Theme (light/dark/system)
  • Show/hide toolbar labels

Screenshot Settings

Save Options

  • Default save location
  • Default file format (PNG/JPG/BMP)
  • JPG quality setting
  • Automatic file naming pattern

Capture Options

  • Include mouse cursor in screenshots
  • Play sound on capture
  • Default delay time for timed screenshots
  • Show/hide screenshot countdown

Annotation Settings

Default Styles

  • Default color for each annotation tool
  • Default line thickness
  • Default text font and size
  • Default shape fill opacity

Hotkey Settings

Customize keyboard shortcuts for all Snipaste functions:

  • Click on any hotkey field to set a new shortcut
  • Press the desired key combination
  • Click "Reset" to restore default hotkeys
  • Check for shortcut conflicts with other applications

Keyboard Shortcuts

Function Windows Shortcut macOS Shortcut
Region screenshot F1 F1
Window screenshot Ctrl+F1 Cmd+F1
Fullscreen screenshot F11 F11
Delayed screenshot Shift+F1 Shift+F1
Open color picker F12 F12
Toggle pinned windows F3 F3
Copy screenshot Ctrl+C Cmd+C
Save screenshot Ctrl+S Cmd+S
Pin screenshot Ctrl+P Cmd+P
Undo last action Ctrl+Z Cmd+Z
Cancel operation Esc Esc

All shortcuts can be customized in the Settings menu. Some shortcuts might conflict with other applications, so if a shortcut isn't working, check for conflicts or try a different key combination.