How do I take screenshots and make animated gifs for articles?

Using built-in tools

Windows 10 and 11

Windows bundles a simple screen capturing tool called Snipping Tool. You can also download a slightly more advanced tool called Snip & Sketch for free from the Microsoft Store. You can activate the Snipping Tool by pressing the Windows logo key + Shift + S. Your screenshot will be saved to the clipboard. Learn more about the Snipping Tool.

Tip: To change the hotkey to use the PrintScreen key:
Open Windows Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard > Enable the Use the PrtScn key to open screen snipping option

Mac OS

Mac OS bundles a few options for capturing screenshots and recordings. The quickest option is to use the default keyboard shortcuts:

• Shift + Command + 3 to take a screenshot of your entire screen.
• Shift + Command + 4 to take a screenshot of part of your screen. Use ESC (escape) key to cancel a selection.
• Shift + Command + 5 to launch the Screenshot tool.

Learn more about taking screenshots on a Mac.

SnagIt

CUNY also provides licenses (upon request) for a commercial tool called SnagIt that is designed specifically for capturing and annotating screenshots and making short videos or animated gifs. If you work on a lot of screenshots for documentation and training, contact the helpdesk to request a license.

Watch SnagIt training videos.