This week I just wanted to write a quick blog about an app we’ve been using a lot here of late in the e-BAS Accounts office. It’s called the “Snipping Tool“. We’re probably a bit late to the party on this one because I’m sure it’s been around for a while, but we’re only just discovering how useful it is! It’s a Windows app so apologies to all those Apple users before we start, but I’m sure you guys probably have something similar anyway.
“The Snipping Tool allows you to take a snap shot of any part of your screen.” 
Basically, the Snipping Tool allows you to take a snapshot of any part of your screen, much like you can with the “print screen” function on your keyboard. I find it better to use than the print screen as it’s more localised to the item you are actually wanting to copy and you can also annotate the “snip” and highlight particular things on it should you need to do so. I used the Snipping Tool to create the “how-to” graphics for the “How to Process Overpayments in Xero” blog – pretty cool huh! You can snap any area of your computer screen, large or small. Once you have saved your “snip”, you can edit it if you wish to use your favourite picture editing program. We just use “Paint” – seems to do the job. You don’t have to do any editing if you don’t want or need to – we find the annotating and highlighting functions within the app quite enough. You can write notes and highlight anything you require!
We find this app super useful and we know you will too. Here’s a video outlining how to find and use the tool – it’s really easy.
We use this tool with our clients all the time now (even if they don’t know it!). We find it useful for the following:
- Providing instructions on how to complete tasks in accounting software (or other tasks)
- Copying open transactions or other data about which we require more information to show a client or an accountant via email – easier than trying to explain over the phone or write about etc.
- Adding specific information to emails that require more than just a written description (a picture paints 1000 words!)
- Taking screenshots of software errors to send to support on behalf of clients
“Discover the many ways we are utilising the Snipping Tool at e-BAS Accounts…”
We also use the Snipping Tool for creating graphics for blogs and social media – it’s an alternative picture source.
Do you use the Snipping Tool in your business? Tell us how you use it in the comments section below.
