Editing the image acquired through a screenshot is an activity that can be performed using any image editor with basic functionality, such as those normally found on all computers and smartphones. Making changes such as cropping an image, applying a filter or rotating a photo can be done directly with a smartphone by pressing the "Edit" button while viewing the screenshot you just captured. Desktop users can use the "Snapshot" (Mac) or "Snipping Tool" (Windows) programs to capture an image of the entire screen or a section of it. Both of these software tools include some basic features to be able to edit the screenshot once it has been created. As always, remember to save your work when you are done editing!
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Android systems
Step 1. Press the Volume Down button and the Power button at the same time
After 1-2 seconds you will receive the notification that the screenshot has been taken (normally you will see the screen light up and you will hear the classic sound of the shutter of a camera that clicks).
If you are using a smartphone model with a physical "Home" button, such as the Samsung Galaxy, to take a screenshot you will need to press the "Power" button and the "Home" button at the same time
Step 2. Launch the Photos or Gallery app
Screenshots will be automatically saved in the device memory, which you can access using either of these two applications.
Step 3. Select the screenshot you just took
Step 4. Tap the "Edit" icon (characterized by a stylized pencil)
It is located at the bottom of the screen, in the center of the control bar. A set of tools will appear that will allow you to edit the image. By default, the options related to the "Basic Adjustments" tab will be shown.
Step 5. Tap "Help" to allow the program to change the levels of brightness and saturation of colors in a fully automatic way
This button is located on the far left of the "Basic Settings" bar.
The "Reset" button disables the "Auto" function by canceling all changes made automatically by the program and restoring the original image
Step 6. Tap the "Light" icon, then use the slider to change the brightness level of the image
Drag the slider to the right to make the photo brighter, or move it to the left to make it darker.
Tap the "X" icon next to the slider to undo any changes made to the brightness level
Step 7. Press the "Color" button, then use its slider to change the color saturation level
By moving the slider to the right, the colors of the image will be warmer and more intense, while moving it to the left will result in a "colder" image tending towards black and white.
To undo any changes made to the color saturation level, tap the "X" icon next to the slider to make adjustments
Step 8. Tap the "Pop" icon and use the pop-up slider to adjust the contrast level
Moving the slider to the right will increase the contrast between the lighted and shadowed areas of the image, while moving it to the left will decrease it.
Again you can press the "X" button next to the slider to undo any changes made to the image contrast level
Step 9. Press the "Vignette" button and use the relative slider that appeared to shade the edges of the image
Moving the slider to the right will increase the size and intensity of the edge shading, while moving it to the left will decrease the final effect.
Press the "X" button next to the slider to undo the changes made to the "Vignette" effect
Step 10. Tap the "Filter" icon to change the color theme of the screenshot
It is located next to the "Basic Adjustments" button and features a small square with a stylized four-pointed star inside.
- The scale of the color filters goes from the "warmest" ones to the "coldest" ones and each one is characterized by the dominant color and its name.
- The intensity of the filter can be adjusted using the special slider which is shown at the bottom of the screen.
Step 11. Press the "Crop and Rotate" button to crop, enlarge or rotate the screenshot
It is located to the right of the control bar.
- Drag the corners of the image with the index finger of your dominant hand to select the area to crop.
- Edit the cursor that appeared manually to freely rotate the image, or press the "Rotate" icon to perform automatic 90 ° rotations.
- Place the index and thumb of your dominant hand in the center of the screen and slowly move them apart to zoom in on the image.
Step 12. Select the "Save" option to save the changes
The relevant button will appear at the top right of the screen after you finish editing the image.
If you are not satisfied with the final result, tap the "X" icon located in the upper left corner of the screen, then choose the "Ignore" option. This must be done before saving any changes
Method 2 of 5: iOS systems
Step 1. To take a screenshot with an iOS device, press the "Home" and "Power" buttons at the same time
The screen will flash briefly and the classic shutter sound of a snapping camera will be emitted to indicate that the screenshot has been taken successfully.
Step 2. Launch the Photos application
This is the default application with which to manage your screenshots.
Step 3. Select the image you want to view and edit
Step 4. Press the "Edit" button
It is located in the upper right corner of the screen. After selecting it, a series of tools will appear with which to modify the image.
Step 5. Tap the magic wand icon to have the program automatically edit the screenshot
It is located in the upper right corner of the screen. This will automatically improve the color saturation, brightness and contrast level of the screenshot.
Step 6. Press the knob shaped button to manually change the color saturation level, brightness and contrast
It is located within the control bar at the bottom of the screen and will give you access to three menus: "Light", "Color" and "Black and White".
Each category has a secondary menu that contains a series of options that can be changed using a special slider
Step 7. Tap the "Filters" icon to add an artistic touch to the image
It features three small, partially overlapping circles and is located on the toolbar located at the bottom of the screen.
- For example the "Mono", "Tonal" and "Noir" filters add a touch of black and white to images.
- The "Fade" or "Instant" filters instead give a faded effect caused by time giving the screenshot a vintage look.
Step 8. Press the "Crop and Straighten" button to crop, enlarge or rotate an image
It is located on the right of the toolbar.
- Drag the corners of the image to select the area to crop.
- To rotate the image manually you can use the appropriate cursor, or you can press the "Rotate" icon (characterized by a square and two curved arrows) to perform 90 ° rotations.
- Place the index and thumb of your dominant hand in the center of the screen and slowly move them apart to zoom in on the image.
Step 9. Press the "Finish" button to save all changes made
It will appear in the lower right corner of the screen when you are done making changes.
- If the final result does not satisfy you, you can restore the original image by pressing the "Cancel" button located in the upper left corner of the screen and confirm your desire to cancel the changes by pressing the relevant button.
- You can undo your changes even after you have already saved them by simply pressing the "Restore Original" button that appears in place of the "Finish" button after saving the image.
Method 3 of 5: Using Snipping Tool (Windows Systems)
Step 1. Press the ⊞ Win key, then type the keywords "snipping tool" into the search bar
The application icon will be displayed within the results list.
Note: The "Snipping Tool" program is integrated into Windows 7 and all subsequent versions of the operating system
Step 2. To open the "Snipping Tool" program, select the relevant icon from the results list that appears
Step 3. Press the "New" button
It is located on the left side of the small program window. After pressing it, the screen will appear slightly faded and the mouse pointer will change to a cross shape to indicate that a selection tool is active.
Step 4. Drag the mouse cursor on the screen to select the area you want to become the subject of the screenshot
Releasing the left mouse button, the indicated area will be transformed into an image that will be automatically loaded into the program editor.
Step 5. Select the "Pen" tool to be able to draw freehand lines on the image
You can use this simple element to add corrections, notes to the image or to highlight a detail.
You can choose different colors with which to make changes. To do this, press the down arrow button next to the "Pen" icon
Step 6. The "Highlighter" tool can be used to highlight specific areas of the image in yellow
Drag the relevant slider on the screen to highlight an area or detail you want to draw attention to.
Step 7. Use the "Eraser" tool to undo your changes
After selecting it, click the lines drawn with the "Pen" or the "Highlighter" tool to remove them.
The "Eraser" tool Not is able to remove the contents of the screenshot: it can only undo the changes made.
Step 8. To save your work, go to the "File" menu and choose the "Save As" option
You will be asked to choose a name for the image and to select the folder in which to save it. To save, press the "Save" button.
Method 4 of 5: Use Microsoft Paint (Windows)
Step 1. Press the Print key on your keyboard
In this way everything that is shown on the screen will be converted into an image that will be automatically saved in the system clipboard.
Step 2. Press the hotkey combination ⊞ Win + R and enter the keyword "mspaint" in the "Open" field of the appeared window
As soon as you press the "OK" button the Microsoft Paint program will start automatically.
Step 3. Press the key combination Ctrl + V after activating the Paint window
The screenshot stored in the system clipboard will be pasted into the editor workspace.
Alternatively you can select an empty spot in the Paint window and choose the "Paste" option from the context menu that appeared
Step 4. Click the "Rotate" toolbar icon and choose the option you prefer
It is located within the "Image" section of the Paint ribbon. A menu will appear with several options to rotate the image, for example "Rotate 180 °" or "Rotate right 90 °".
Step 5. Select the "Resize" icon to change the size of the screenshot
This button is also inserted within the "Image" section of the ribbon. The "Resize and Skew" dialog box will appear, allowing you to edit the image under examination. Enter the new measurements (for example 200%) and press the "OK" button.
- It is possible to vary the dimensions both in pixels and in percentage. If you need a very high level of precision, it is advisable to make adjustments in pixels.
- Enlarging the size of an image beyond its original size results in a loss in quality and definition.
Step 6. Cut out the screenshot
Press the "Selection" button located within the "Image" section of the ribbon. Drag the mouse cursor on the screen to select the area of the image you want to crop, then use the "Crop" tool (located to the right of the "Select" icon).
Step 7. If you want to add text, press the "A" button
It is located within the "Tools" section of the ribbon. Drag the mouse cursor on the screen to draw a text box where you can type what you want.
Step 8. Select the "Brushes" icon or choose one of the geometric shapes in the "Shapes" box to draw on the image
Both options can be selected directly from the Paint ribbon. The "Brushes" are useful for freehand drawing, while the "Shapes" guarantee greater precision of the stroke.
You can change the color of the stroke or shapes by choosing the one you want from the "Color" section of the ribbon
Step 9. To save your work, go to the "File" menu and choose the "Save As" option
You will be asked to choose a name for the image and to select the folder in which to save it. To save, press the "Save" button.
Method 5 of 5: Use Preview (Mac)
Step 1. To take a screenshot press the key combination ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + 3
An image of everything currently displayed on the monitor will be captured and automatically saved to the desktop.
Alternatively you can press the key combination ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + 4 to then select the area of the screen that will become the subject of the screenshot. The latter will be acquired as soon as you release the mouse button
Step 2. Double-click the file containing the screenshot to be able to open it with Preview
Screenshots are automatically saved to the desktop and named according to the date and time of capture.
If you've changed your personal settings by setting a different program for opening images, hold down the ⌘ Command key while clicking on the file. This way you will have access to the "Open with" menu from which you can choose the "Preview" program
Step 3. Press the "Rotate" button to rotate the image 90 °
This button has a curved arrow icon and is located at the top right of the program window.
Step 4. Enter the "Tools" menu and choose the "Adjust Size" option
The "Tools" menu is located directly on the menu bar. A new dialog will appear that will allow you to change the height, width and resolution of the image.
Increasing the size of an image beyond the original limits causes it to degrade in terms of quality and definition
Step 5. Cut out the screenshot
Choose the selection tool located on the toolbar, then drag the mouse cursor to select the area you want to crop. At this point choose the "Crop" option from the "Tools" menu. The selected area will be immediately removed from the image.
Step 6. Enter the "Tools" menu and choose the "Adjust Color" option
A new dialog will appear where you will find sliders to change the level of contrast, brightness, exposure, shadow, saturation, temperature, tint or sharpness.
- All changes will be applied immediately, giving you a chance to experiment and find the correct settings.
- The sliders for exposure, contrast, brightness, and shadow have a direct impact on the brightness, sharpness, and black and white balance of the image.
- The sliders relating to the level of saturation, temperature and tint have a direct impact on the intensity of the colors.
Step 7. Press the "Edit" button to access other tools with which you can write or draw directly on the image
It is located in the upper right corner of the window. You will have access to a number of tools with which to annotate the image, for example "Pen", "Text" or "Shapes".
- The "Pen" tool can be used to draw or write freehand.
- The "Shapes" tool allows you to easily draw perfect geometric shapes, such as ellipses or triangles.
- The "Text" tool can be used to select an area of the screenshot in which to insert text.
Step 8. To save your work, go to the "File" menu and choose the "Save As" option
You will be asked to choose a name for the image and to select the folder in which to save it. To save, press the "Save" button.
