Copyright: Copyright © 2001 TechSmith Corporation
Citation: Copyright © 2001 TechSmith Corporation


 Welcome to SnagIt Studio

Welcome to SnagIt® Studio. This powerful companion to SnagIt can make your screen captures look really professional with annotations, titles, callouts, graphics, and clip art. You can modify the size and shape of those elements to suit your needs, then save the file. You can export your modified file using a wide variety of bitmap formats. If you ever need to modify the file, you can make changes in the Studio file, then re-export to recreate the bitmap.

For more information about SnagIt screen capture, see also: Welcome to SnagIt.

SnagIt Studio is for any computer user who needs to modify screen captures with graphic additions. You don’t need a separate graphic editing program to make precise changes to the graphic. Some of the many uses for SnagIt Studio:

•	Create callouts to screen elements

•	Add arrows to graphics

•	Insert clip art into graphics

•	Add geometric shapes to graphics

•	Create your own catalogue of graphic elements to add to graphics

Getting Started

This Help file is designed to get you started with SnagIt Studio quickly. In just a few minutes, you’ll understand how Studio can be used to modify your screen shots in impressive ways. Click one of the subjects below to get started with Studio!

SnagIt Studio Quick Start

How SnagIt Studio Works

Purchasing SnagIt Studio


 SnagIt Studio Quick Start

1	Select File > Import to open an existing image file, OR select File > New to create a blank canvas.

Note: Importing an image fills your canvas with a background image. Drawing objects are placed on a "layer" above the background image or blank canvas. For more information, see also: How SnagIt Studio Works.

2	Mark up your image using the drawing tools in the Annotation Toolbar. Select a drawing tool and then click over the canvas to apply the tool.

3	Select a Catalogue (Stamps, Shapes, Pointers, etc.) and then drag objects from the Catalogue to your document.

Note: Since all drawing tools and catalogue shapes are object-based, the objects you create can be modified, repositioned and resized at any time.

4	To modify a drawn object, first select it with the mouse, then:

•	to move the object, drag it with the mouse to a new position

•	to resize the object, drag one of the selection boxes around the edges of the object with the mouse to a new position

•	to delete the object, press the <Delete> key or click the Cut icon

•	to change the properties of the object, use the Properties Toolbar or Font Toolbar or press the <Enter> key or right-click the mouse to select Properties from the pop-up menu

•	to change the text in a drawn object, click on the existing text, then make your changes

5	When you are ready to save your work, first select File > Save or File > Save As… to save the SnagIt Studio Document (.SSD) file. Then, if you want to create a new, modified bitmap from the document, select File > Export… to save it as an image.

CAUTION: Drawing object information and properties, including all of the modified objects you place on the imported image file, are never saved in an exported image file. To save this information, you must also use File > Save or File > Save As… to save the .SSD file.


 Import an Image to Create a New Document

File > Import. This procedure describes how to create a new document by importing an existing bitmap image over which you can make changes using Studio’s annotation tools.

Note: You can open more than one canvas at a time. Additional documents are listed under the Window menu.

1	Select menu choices File > Import….

Result: An Untitled workspace opens with the selected image as the background.

Note: By default, an imported image opens in original (100%) size as the "background" layer. The canvas size matches image dimensions. You can change this using the Import Options Dialog. If you do change canvas size on import, Studio always imports images according to that change until you change the settings on the Import Options Dialog. See also: Set Canvas Size on Import Options.

2	Select drawing tools and objects from the catalogue to create the modifications you want.

Note: The canvas and background image are a background layer that you draw on top of.

3	When you are done, save the SnagIt Studio Document (.SSD file). See also: Save a SnagIt Studio Document.

4	If you need a new bitmap for placement in an external program, use File > Export. See also: Export a New Image from a SnagIt Studio Document.


 Open a Blank Canvas to Create a New Document

File > New. This procedure describes how to create a new document starting with a blank canvas, then using Studio’s annotation and drawing tools to create the graphic.

1	Select File > New….

Result: The New Blank Document dialog opens.

2	Provide a file name (the .SSD file name extension is automatically applied).

Note: Your new document will be stored in the last directory you used. If you wish to specify a path, type it in the Name box.

3	Type the dimensions for the new drawing in pixels.

4	Click the [New] button.

Result: A blank workspace opens.

Note: An imported image opens in original (100%) size as the "background" layer and sets the canvas size to be the same. This may be changed in the Import Options Dialog. See also: Set Canvas Size on Import Options.

5	Select drawing tools and objects from the catalogue to create the drawing.

Note: In this case, the background will be blank (no image in the background).

6	When you are done, save the SnagIt Studio Document (.SSD file). See also: Save a SnagIt Studio Document.

7	If you need a new bitmap for placement in an external program, use File > Export. See also: Export a New Image from a SnagIt Studio Document.


 Save a SnagIt Studio Document

When you save a SnagIt Studio Document (.SSD file), you preserve all drawing object information you have added to the graphic. In addition, if you used a bitmap image as background, either a link to the image file or the image itself is saved within the .SSD file.

Note: If you want to save all drawing information and background as a new bitmap image, see also: Export a New Image from a SnagIt Studio Document.

1	After you have made your changes, select menu choices File > Save or File > Save As…. Alternative: Click the disk icon on the Studio toolbar at top.

Result: If you have already saved the document before (it has a file name that appears in the title bar), it is saved again.
If you have not yet saved the document (Untitled appears in the title bar) or if you selected the Save As… option, the Save As dialog appears.

2	Select a directory and type a file name for the document.

3	Click [Save].

Result: The document is saved, but Studio remains open with the document in view.


 Copy an Image from Studio to Another Application

As a shortcut to exporting images from SnagIt Studio, you can also place a copy of the document on the clipboard as an image file, then paste it into another external document or application.

1	Select the entire canvas by clicking once on its title bar.

Note: By default, if nothing is selected when you copy, the entire canvas is copied.

2	Select menu choices Edit > Copy Image. Alternative: Press <Shift + Ctrl + C>.

3	Task switch to the application where you want to paste an image copy and select the paste command (<Ctrl + V> works in most Windows applications).

Note: If an object is selected on the canvas, Edit > Copy or <Ctrl + C> copies only that object, and only within SnagIt Studio. Objects cannot be pasted outside Studio. If you need to copy and paste a single object outside Studio, create a separate Studio Document for it and use the copying methods described above.


 Export a New Image from a SnagIt Studio Document

File > Export

When to Use File Export

Shortcut: You can quickly copy a document from Studio and paste it as an image in another application. See also: Copy an Image from Studio to Another Application. Note that this process does not save either to Studio document or the copied image.

CAUTION: Drawing object information and properties, including all of the modified objects you place on the imported image file, are never saved in an exported image file. To save this information, you must also use File > Save or File > Save As…. See also: Save a SnagIt Studio Document.

1	After you have made your changes, select menu choices File > Export….
Alternative: Click the export icon on the Studio toolbar at top.

Result: The Export dialog appears.

2	Select a directory and type a file name for the image.

3	Select a file format from the Save as type: drop-down list. For more information, see also: Supported File Formats.

4	Click [Save].

Result: The image is exported in the file type you selected.


When to Use File Export

When you want to save a document including all annotations and changes you have made as a new bitmap, use Export. This option allows you to create a new bitmap in the file format you need for the application where you are using the image. For example, if you are using the new bitmap on the web, you may want to export the document as a .GIF, JPG, or PNG file. If you are creating a Windows help system, you’ll want to save the file as a 256 color or less .BMP file.

Note: If you want to make a copy of the document without saving an exported bitmap, use Edit > Copy Image.


 Open and Modify an Existing SnagIt Studio Document

SnagIt Studio Documents contain information regarding the background image plus all of the annotations, drawing objects, text, callouts, etc. you have applied. When you want to make changes to these elements, you should open and modify the existing .SSD document.

1	Select menu choices File > Open….

Result: The Open SnagIt Studio Document dialog appears.

2	Choose the directory and file to open. Look for the .SSD file name extension.

Result: The SnagIt Studio Document opens and appears at 100% size on the right side of the screen.

3	Make any necessary modifications, save and export if needed, and close the document.


 Set Canvas Size on Import Options

You can set SnagIt Studio Document canvas size when you import an image, or you can set it later (in Layout). The canvas size determines the dimensions of any images you export from Studio.

Note: By default, an imported image opens in original (100%) size as the "background" layer. The canvas size matches image dimensions. You can change this using the Import Options Dialog. If you do change canvas size on import, Studio always imports images according to that change until you change the settings on the Import Options Dialog. See also: Set Canvas Size on Import Options.

1	Select menu choices File > Import Options….

Result: The Import Options dialog appears.

2	At the top of the dialog, select the appropriate radio button to size the new canvas using: Image dimensions or User specified dimensions.

3	If you select Image dimensions, the canvas is automatically sized to fit the pixel dimensions of the image.

4	If you select User specified, you can also check the box to Stretch image to fit the canvas.

5	If you select User specified, type the Width and Height in the boxes provided.

6	If you specify a canvas larger than the image you are importing, you can define the image’s position using the Position button/diagram.

7	Click [OK] when you have finished setting Import Options.

Result: The Import Options dialog closes.


 Set Canvas Size in Layout

You can set SnagIt Studio Document canvas size after an image has been imported, in Layout. The canvas size determines the dimensions of any images you export from Studio.

1	Select menu choices Layout > Canvas Size….

Result: The Canvas Size dialog appears.

2	Type the Width and Height in the boxes provided.

3	Click [OK] when you have finished setting Canvas Size.

Result: The Canvas Size dialog closes and the canvas in view change to the new size.

Note: The background image and any objects you have added are unchanged. You can drag the object to fit the new canvas size and select Layout > Background Image Layout to switch mode and enable you to move the background on the new canvas.


 Change Background Image Properties

1	Select menu choices Layout > Background Image Layout.

Result: SnagIt Studio switches to Background Image Layout mode. The following happens:

•	Drawing objects on the layer above the background disappear, leaving the background image alone.

•	A checkmark appears next to the menu selection to show it has been selected.

•	The background image can be selected and manipulated.

2	Click anywhere over the image to select it.

Result: Handles appear at the edges of the image to allow you to manipulate it.

3	You can stretch or compress the image using the handles, or right-click over the selected image to see the Property Sheet for the image.

4	The Property Sheet should have Bitmap in the drop-down list at the top.

5	You can select any attribute on the Property Sheet and change it to affect the image.

6	Select Layout > Background Image Layout again to exit Background Image Layout mode.


 Create a Drawing Object

You can create multiple drawing objects above a background layer in SnagIt Studio. There are two ways to do this, depending on the nature of the object you want to create:

Drag a predefined shape from a Catalogue onto the canvas:

1	Select a catalogue to display in the list on the left side of the Studio screen (default position—it can be moved).

2	Click and drag any drawing object from the catalogue onto the canvas.

3	You can select the object with the cursor, stretch or reposition it, and right-click over it to get access to more editing options.

Create a new shape with the drawing tools in the Drawing Toolbar:

1	Select a drawing tool from the Drawing Toolbar on the right side of the Studio screen (default position—it can be moved).

2	Click and drag on the canvas to create a shape, text, frames, highlights, and more.

3	After shaping the drawn object, you can select it with the cursor, stretch or reposition it, and right-click over it to get access to more editing options.


 Modify a Drawing Object

It is easy to modify your Studio objects on the canvas.

1	Select the object with the mouse so that there are handles (green boxes) around the edges.

Note: You can select objects only when the Select drawing tool is in use.

2	Select editing commands from the toolbars at the top or by using the menus. To delete an object, press <Delete>.

3	Right-click on the object to open the Properties Sheet for the object. You can change multiple properties in one place. The Properties Sheet controls aspects such as colors, position, line widths, text fonts, and more. For more information, see also: Change Drawing Object Properties.


 Change Drawing Object Properties

1	Right-click on a drawing object to reveal a pop-up menu.

Result: A menu appears with common commands such as: Cut, Copy, Duplicate, Bring to Front, Send to Back, Object Properties… and more.

2	Click to select Object Properties….

Result: The Property Sheet opens with various object properties listed that you can change.

3	Select a property to change. The property names are listed vertically on the left side of the Property Sheet.

4	Click on the right column entry for any property to change it.

Note: You’ll notice that the options that appear for a property depend on the nature of the property. For example, if Font is the property, the options listed are the available fonts installed on your computer. If the property is for a line object, the options listed will be line width and style.


 Set Default Object Properties

Layout > Default Object Properties. Use this menu choice and dialog to set default properties for the drawing tools. These properties remain in effect until you change them with the Default Properties Dialog again.

1	Select menu choice Layout > Default Object Properties….

Result: The Default Object Properties Dialog opens.

2	Click a tool button on the dialog.

Result: A Property Sheet for the selected tool opens.

3	Set the individual properties associated with the objects to be created with the selected tool.

4	Whenever you use the tool, the defaults you have set will be used with the created object. You can change properties by setting them for individual objects after creation.


 Import Non-Background Images

1	Click and drag the Insert Bitmap tool from the Drawing Toolbar at the right of the screen onto the canvas.

Result: The Bitmap Dialog opens.

2	Click the [Load…] button.

Result: The Browse Files dialog opens.

3	Select a directory to look in and a file name to load.

4	Click [Open].

Result: The Browse Files dialog closes and the image is shown in thumbnail size in the preview window of the Bitmap Dialog.

5	Remove the check mark from the Link: check box if you do not want SnagIt Studio to maintain a link to the image file. Leave the check mark if you want a link.

Note: The Link checkbox controls whether the graphic is stored or just linked in the .SSD file. If it is linked, the .SSD file only stores a pointer to the file's location. If the file is moved or deleted, it would not be loaded correctly when the .SSD file was reloaded. The benefit to linking is that the .SSD file is very small since it doesn't need to store all of the bitmap data. If the bitmap is not linked, the .SSD file will contain the entire bitmap, which results in a much larger file.

6	Select a transparency color from the drop-down list if you want to specify one. Leave it on Automatic if transparency will be specified elsewhere.

7	Click [OK] to complete the insertion.

Result: The bitmap image is imported onto the canvas and should be located in the upper left-hand corner.

8	Position the image with the cursor or right-click on it to access more editing options.


 Exit SnagIt Studio

1	Select File > Exit or click the window close control [X] in the upper right-hand corner of the Studio screen

Result: A dialog asks if you want to save changes to the SSD file.

2	Click [Yes] to save and exit.


 Using Studio Drawing Tools

Mark up your background image or blank canvas using the drawing tools on the Drawing Toolbar, which is normally docked on the right-hand side of your screen. Select a tool and click over the canvas area to apply the tool.

Click on this image or a text link for more information about the tool:


Select Tool

	Select existing drawing objects to modify them.


Line Tool

	Draw straight lines. In the Property Sheet, you can set: Pen Width, Pen Style, Arrow Head, Foreground Color.


Freehand Tool

	Draw a freehand, irregular line. In the Property Sheet, you can set: Pen Width, Pen Style, Arrow Head Shape, Foreground Color, Edit Points, Free Rotate.


Arc Tool

	Draw a curve. In the Property Sheet, you can set: Pen Width, Pen Style, Foreground Color, Background Color, Free Rotate.


Frame Tool

	Draw a frame with a text title. In the Property Sheet, you can set: Pen Width, Foreground Color, Background Color, Hatch Style, Free Rotate, "Font Toolbar" properties.


Bitmap Tool

	Place an image from an image file or the Windows clipboard on the document (above the background image, if used). In the Property Sheet, you can set: Free Rotate, the "Bitmap Dialog" allows you to select a transparent color for a Bitmap object.


Connector Tool

	Not currently used.


Polyline Tool

	Draw an arbitrary polygon shape with lines. In the Property Sheet, you can set: Pen Width, Pen Style, Foreground Color, Background Color, Hatch Style, Edit Points, Free Rotate.


Border Tool

	Draw a rectangular border. In the Property Sheet, you can set: Pen Width, Foreground Color, Background Color, Hatch Style, and Free Rotate.


Ellipse Tool

	Draw an ellipse (circle or oval). In the Property Sheet, you can set: Pen Width, Pen Style, Foreground Color, Background Color, Hatch Style, Shadow Style, Free Rotate.


Text Tool

	Create a text box in which you can insert text, with or without a border. In the Property Sheet, you can set: Pen Width, Foreground Color, Background Color, Hatch Style, Shadow Style, "Font Toolbar" properties.


Hilite Tool

	Draw a translucent highlight rectangle over some object on the canvas. In the Property Sheet, you can set position and Hilite Color.


 Edit Bitmaps in SnagIt Studio

Any bitmap you incorporate into a SnagIt Studio Document can be edited using the built-in Bitmap Editor. This is useful for making minor changes to imported graphics that have been captured using SnagIt, for example.

Note: By default, if nothing is selected when you edit a bitmap, the image used as background is selected and opened in the Bitmap Editor. Alternatively, select an embedded bitmap in the document if that is what you want to edit.

1	Select Edit > Bitmap. Alternatively, right click over the area you want to edit and select Edit Bitmap from the popup menu.

Result: The Bitmap Editor opens with either the selected image or the background image, depending on what you have selected.

2	Move the Zoom Tool Slider (with percentage marking from 10% - 600%) to set the view.

3	Select and apply the appropriate drawing tools from the toolbar.

4	Click [OK] to save the image and exit the Bitmap Editor or choose [Cancel] to abandon changes and exit.


 Using Bitmap Editor Drawing Tools

When an image is selected and Edit Bitmap is chosen, the Bitmap Editor opens with the image and a set of drawing tools. This topic explains those tools.

Click on this image or a text link for more information about the tool:


Cut - Bitmap Editor

	Deletes the selected area or object and places it on the clipboard for pasting in the Bitmap Editor.


Copy - Bitmap Editor

	Copies the selected area or object to the clipboard for pasting in the Bitmap Editor.


Paste - Bitmap Editor

	Pastes the contents of the clipboard into the image in the Bitmap Editor.


Clear - Bitmap Editor

	Deletes the selected area or object from the image in the Bitmap Editor.


Undo - Bitmap Editor

	Undoes the most recently performed operation in the Bitmap Editor.


Redo - Bitmap Editor

	Redoes the most recently performed Undo operation in the Bitmap Editor.


Magnify - Bitmap Editor

	Click to select the Magnify tool, then left-click over the image to magnify the area. Right-click to reduce magnification of the area.


Size to fit Window - Bitmap Editor

	Click to adjust the image in the Bitmap Editor to fit the current Editor window. You can increase the size of the window to increase the size of the image.


Crop - Bitmap Editor

	First, use the Select Area tool to define the area you want to keep. Then, click the Crop tool to eliminate areas of the image that are outside of the currently-selected area.


Select Area - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Select Area tool to define an area you want to work with. After selecting an area, you will usually want to apply another tool, such as Copy, Cut, or Crop.


Select Color - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Eyedropper to switch to the color selector. Then, any color you select using the left mouse button will be set as the Foreground color. Any color you select with the eyedropper and the right mouse button, the Transparent color is set.


Flood Fill - Bitmap Editor

	Select this tool to "pour" color onto areas of the image currently in the Bitmap Editor. The currently selected Foreground color is used as the fill.


Add text - Bitmap Editor

	Click to enter text editing mode. The Text Tool dialog appears to allow you to enter and format text. When you close the dialog, the text is added to the image.


Airbrush - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Spray Can to spray color onto areas of the image currently in the Bitmap Editor. The currently selected Foreground color is used as the spray color.


Freehand Erase - Bitmap Editor

	Use the Freehand Erase tool to erase areas of the image. Set the size of the eraser with the Eraser Width tool.


Freehand Draw - Bitmap Editor

	Use the Freehand Draw tool to draw irregular lines. Use the Pen Width tool to set the thickness of the lines.


Line - Bitmap Editor

	Use the Line tool to draw regular (straight) lines. Use the Pen Width tool to set the thickness of the lines.


Eraser Width - Bitmap Editor

	Set the size of the Freehand Erase with the Eraser Width tool. Click the icon to increase Eraser Width or click the arrow next to the icon to choose a width. Select a larger eraser size to remove larger sections of the image.


Pen Width - Bitmap Editor

	Use the Pen Width tool to set the thickness of lines drawing using either the Freehand Draw tool or the Line tool. Click the icon to increase Pen Width or click the arrow next to the icon to choose a width.


Rectangle - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Rectangle tool to enter drawing mode. When you click and move the cursor on the image, a rectangle is drawn. Release the mouse button to set the rectangle size.


Rounded Rectangle - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Rounded Rectangle tool to enter drawing mode. When you click and move the cursor on the image, a rectangle with rounded corners is drawn. Release the mouse button to set the size of the rounded rectangle.


Ellipse - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Ellipse tool to enter drawing mode. When you click and move the cursor on the image, an ellipse (oval shape) is drawn. Release the mouse button to set the size of the ellipse.


Filled Rectangle - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Filled Rectangle tool to enter drawing mode. When you click and move the cursor on the image, a rectangle is drawn which is filled with the color selected as the Foreground. Release the mouse button to set the filled rectangle size.


Filled Rounded Rectangle - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Filled Rounded Rectangle tool to enter drawing mode. When you click and move the cursor on the image, a rectangle with rounded corners is drawn which is filled with the color selected as the Foreground. Release the mouse button to set the size of the rounded rectangle.


Filled Ellipse - Bitmap Editor

	Click the Filled Ellipse tool to enter drawing mode. When you click and move the cursor on the image, an ellipse (oval shape) is drawn which is filled with the color selected as the Foreground. Release the mouse button to set the size of the ellipse.


Foreground Color - Bitmap Editor

	Click the arrow next to the Foreground Color icon to choose a color. The selected color is shown on the icon and is used for drawing and filling operations.


Transparency Color - Bitmap Editor

	Click the arrow next to the Transparency Color icon to choose a color. You can also right click with the mouse while the color selector tool is selected to set the transparent color. The selected color is shown on the icon and is used as the transparent color on the image in the Bitmap Editor.


 Using Studio Catalogues

There are a number of standard catalogues delivered with SnagIt Studio. These catalogues contain Stamps, Shapes, Pointers, Clipart, Callouts, and Arrows. In addition, a blank catalogue called My Catalogue, can be used for storing your own, customized shapes. This is especially helpful for keeping standard objects you frequently use in modifying images.

See also:

Drag and Drop Objects from a Catalogue

Place Objects in My Catalogue

Create Your Own Catalogues


 Drag and Drop Objects from a Catalogue

1	Select a Catalogue by clicking on the name in the Catalogue window on the left side of your screen (default position).

Result: The selected Catalogue opens.

2	Click and drag an item from the Catalogue window to the canvas.

3	Release the mouse to drop the object where you want it.

4	Now you can resize or edit the object as needed.


 Place Objects in My Catalogue

You can create your own drawing objects and save them in My Catalogue, an empty catalogue provided for this. Creating reusable drawing objects for repetitive annotation tasks is an incredible timesaver.

To add a drawing object to My Catalogue:

1	Select My Catalogue from the list in the Catalogue window.

Result: My Catalogue opens. If you have already stored items there, they are listed.

2	Select an object (text, drawing, image) on the canvas.

Result: Selection boxes appear around the object to indicate it is selected.

3	Select menu choices Catalogue > Add Item. Alternative: Hold down <Alt> while dragging the item to My Catalogue.

Result: The selected item is added to My Catalogue.

You can create any number of custom catalogues with any number of drawing objects. See also: Create Your Own Catalogues.


 Create Your Own Catalogues

In addition to My Catalogue, you can create and name your own customized catalogues. Since these catalogues are kept in files on your computer, you can also share them with other users. Catalogues can be created for specific projects or departments in an organization.

To create a customized catalogue:

1	Select menu choices Catalogue > New.

Result: New Catalogue appears with the others listed in the Catalogue window.

Note: The name of New Catalogue will not change until you begin to add objects to it. Then a catalogue name will be requested.

2	Select an object (text, drawing, image) on the canvas.

Result: Selection boxes appear around the object to indicate it is selected.

3	Select menu choices Catalogue > Add Item. Alternative: Hold down <Alt> while dragging the item to New Catalogue.

Result: The Save As dialog appears requesting a file name and location for the catalogue you are creating.

Note: Be sure to leave the filename extension .CAT. This is how SnagIt Studio recognizes catalogue files.

4	The new catalogue is created with the name you just used when saving the file. It appears in place of New Catalogue in the Catalogue window.

Note: If you ever need to change the name of a catalogue once it has been saved, do so in Windows Explorer.


 Purchasing SnagIt Studio

SnagIt Studio is bundled with SnagIt.

See also: How Can I Purchase SnagIt?.


 How SnagIt Studio Works

Overview

SnagIt Studio is an object-based drawing program designed for annotation of screen captures and other images. SnagIt Studio helps you quickly mark up any image using object-based vector drawing tools to add text boxes, captions, callouts, rubber stamps, arrows, sticky notes, and other drawing objects to your images.

Some Details

SnagIt Studio works with both bitmap and vector graphics. A bitmap, such as a screen that was captured using SnagIt, is imported as the background. A layer is created above the bitmap to contain the vector graphic elements (objects). Studio allows you to edit the underlying bitmap if needed (using the included Bitmap Editor) and allows you to make additions to the bitmap by adding objects on the layer above the bitmap. Then you can export both the background and layer to a single modified bitmap, if needed, to be imported into your documents, help systems, or web sites. You can export your work as a bitmap using a number of supported file formats.

Studio also allows you to save your modifications to a SnagIt Studio Document (.SSD), which is a formatted file that can only be opened, modified, and saved using Studio.

Some other features:

•	A powerful Catalogue feature includes many preset annotation shapes and allows you to create your own Catalogue (.CAT) files that contain modified or original shapes for use in Studio.

•	The highlight tool can be used to highlight a portion of your image.

•	You can add frames and borders.

•	Quickly overlay images to create a collage of images or to print multiple images on a single page.

With object-based vector drawing tools, an extensible shape Catalogue, and unlimited undo/redo, SnagIt Studio is far more powerful than ordinary paint programs and an incredible productivity tool for image annotation.


 System Requirements

To run SnagIt Studio, your system must meet these specifications:

•	An IBM PC or compatible that meets the minimum hardware requirements for your version of Microsoft Windows.

•	Windows NT 4.0 (or higher), Windows 95/98 installed and configured on your system. Windows 95 requires Service Pack 1.

•	A mouse or other pointing device.

•	SnagIt version 5.0 or higher.


 Installing SnagIt Studio

The installation program SETUP.EXE installs both SnagIt and SnagIt Studio. You must have Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 95/98 installed before installing these products. For more information about system requirements, see also: System Requirements.

1	Start Windows, if you haven't already done so.

2	Insert the SnagIt CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.

Result: SnagIt Setup should start automatically when you close the drive.

3	If the setup program does not automatically start, or if you have SnagIt on a hard drive (from download) or diskette, perform the remaining steps.

4	Find the program named setup.exe, either on the CD or disk. Double-click it.

Result: SnagIt Setup starts.

5	Follow the instructions given by the setup wizard for correct installation of the product.


 Uninstalling SnagIt Studio

SnagIt Studio will not run without SnagIt, so if you remove SnagIt from your system, Studio is also automatically removed. For more information, see also: Uninstalling SnagIt. However, since you can continue to use SnagIt without Studio present on your system, you may select and remove it by itself.

1	Click the [Start] button.

2	Click Settings > Control Panel.

3	Run the application Add/Remove Programs.

Result: The Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog appears.

4	Select the Install/Uninstall tab.

5	Select the programs to remove:

•	If you want to remove both SnagIt and SnagIt Studio, select SnagIt from the list of applications.

•	If you only want to remove Studio, select that item from the list.

6	Click the [Add/Remove...] button to uninstall SnagIt and/or Studio.


Bitmap Graphics

Bitmaps are graphics containing representations of screen pixels, or very small individual elements of your computer screen (approximately 1/72 inch). These individual bits contain information about the color or shade of the graphic. Bitmap graphics appear as "mosaics" when viewed in their original size, but can show incredible detail on a computer screen or printout.


Vector Graphics

Vector, or "object" graphics are defined by the mathematical information required to construct the graphic. This generally describes the shape of an object, such as a square or circle. For example, a vector graphic that is a square would be defined by four lines that form a closed quadrangle and which connect at certain x- and y-axis points. Vector graphics are useful for creating line art, shapes, symbols, and so forth.


 Supported File Formats

Windows Bitmap (.BMP)

PC Paintbrush (.PCX)

Tag Image File (.TIF)

JPEG (.JPG)

Targa .(TGA)

Graphics Interchange Format (.GIF)

Portable Network Graphic (.PNG)

SnagIt Studio Document (.SSD)


Windows Bitmap (.BMP)

Windows Bitmap (.BMP) is a standard Windows image file format. Bitmap files are one of the most commonly used image file formats on Windows systems and are widely supported by Windows applications. Bitmap files are a simple image file format and are very close to the native image format used internally by the Windows operating system. Bitmap files are typically uncompressed. The file size for a screen capture will depend directly on the screen resolution and number of colors. Bitmap files can be compressed or saved with a variety of color depths.


PC Paintbrush (.PCX)

PC Paintbrush (.PCX) is one of the earliest attempts to standardize image file formats on PCs. This image file format was made popular by the PC Paintbrush program and then became a de facto standard. PC Paintbrush files are widely supported by graphics applications. PC Paintbrush files always shrink the areas of the image which have the same color by using "run length encoding (RLE)." This can dramatically reduce the size of the image file, especially for screen captures.


Tag Image File (.TIF)

Tag Image File (.TIF) was created to become the industry standard image file format. Also known as Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), this file format is widely supported by graphics applications on many different types of computers besides the Windows PC. TIF files are supported by almost all desktop publishing programs. TIF files are known for their portability, and rich set of possible options.


JPEG (.JPG)

JPEG (.JPG) IMAGE files are compressed by discarding "extra" data that the human eye "cannot see." Because JPEG discards data, it is referred to as "lossy." JPEG image files are typically much smaller than other file formats and are widely used for communicating images over the Internet. However, when a JPEG image is decompressed and viewed, it will not be identical to the original image. With JPEG, you can select the quality of the compressed image. The lower the quality, the smaller the image but the more different it will look than the original image. SnagIt Studio supports image quality levels from 1% to 100%. The JPEG image file format works best for images with many colors and a large variation of colors (e.g., a scanned photo or multimedia CD display). Using JPEG for images with only a few colors (e.g., a database form) will result in a small image but poor image quality.


Graphics Interchange Format (.GIF)

GIF (.GIF) was designed by CompuServe for exchanging image files between a wide variety of computers. It is now one of the most popular image formats used to distribute images over the Internet. GIF compresses the image without incurring a loss in image quality. GIF does not support images with more than 256 colors.


Portable Network Graphic (.PNG)

PNG (.PNG) Portable Network Graphics is a replacement for the GIF format. It is a full-featured (non-LZW) compressed format intended for widespread use without legal restraints. This relatively new bit-mapped graphics format is similar to GIF. In fact, PNG was approved as a standard by the World Wide Web consortium (W3C). Use of the PNG file format is completely patent- and license-free. The most recent versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer now support PNG.


SnagIt Studio Document (.SSD)

SnagIt Studio Document (.SSD), which is a formatted file that can be opened, modified, and saved using Studio. This is a proprietary file format specific to SnagIt Studio. It is designed to maximize the quality of the graphics you create.

Important Note: To save vector or object data associated with your documents, you must save the file in SSD format.


 Software License Agreement

See the file license.txt in the SnagIt install folder for the Software License Agreement.


 Acknowledgments

TechSmith Corporation provides this manual "as is", makes no representations or warranties with respect to its contents or use, and specifically disclaims any expressed or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. TechSmith Corporation reserves the right to make changes to the content of this manual, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of such changes.

The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement.

No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than the purchaser's personal use, without the express written permission of TechSmith Corporation.

Copyright © 2000 - 2001 TechSmith Corporation.

All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

Trademarks:

TechSmith is a registered trademark and SnagIt is a registered trademark of TechSmith Corporation.

Microsoft, MS, Windows, Word and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

All other brands and product names referred to in this manual are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Association of Shareware Professionals

TechSmith Corporation is an Approved Vendor and a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members’ products. Contact the ASP Ombudsman at:

Ombudsman, Michael Marshall
Association of Shareware Professionals
157-F Love Avenue
Greenwood, IN 46142
E-mail: omb@asp-shareware.org


 About TechSmith Corporation and Our Products

Company Overview

For the latest information, see http://www.techsmith.com/.

TechSmith Corporation develops practical screen capture software and video screen recording & production tools to capture and manipulate images, video and voice. Applications for our products range from technical documentation and software demonstrations to developing streaming content for web sites and broadcasting desktop activity over the Internet.

SnagIt, our popular advanced screen capture software introduced in 1990 has a large and loyal following. It has become "The Screen Capture Standard" in the Windows world.

Camtasia, our multimedia video screen capture and production tool was unveiled at Fall Comdex, 1999. It has quickly established itself as a must have tool for people who want to capture the action from the Windows desktop and save it in industry standard video formats.

Free trial versions of all of our products are available from our web site as well as from hundreds of other sites around the globe.

Established in 1987 and located in East Lansing, Michigan, USA, TechSmith initially provided custom Windows software development and LAN remote access consulting and solutions. The shift to product development was completed in the early 1990s.

TechSmith is a privately held Michigan corporation rated 3A1 by Dun & Bradstreet. Our Duns Number is 60-672-4680. TechSmith holds several registered trademarks and domain names, including techsmith.com, snagit.com, dubit.com and camtasia.com. TechSmith's co-founder and president is William Hamilton.

Contact Information

U. S. Postal Service Address
TechSmith Corporation
P.O. Box 4758
East Lansing, MI USA 48826-4758

UPS / FedEx Address
TechSmith Corporation
1780 E. Grand River Ave.
East Lansing, MI USA 48823

Telephone
Voice:+1 517 333-2100
Fax:+1 517 333-1888

E-mail
Sales: sales@techsmith.com
Marketing: marketing@techsmith.com
Technical support: support@techsmith.com
Personnel / Job Queries: personnel@techsmith.com
Website, FTP or connectivity issues: webmaster@techsmith.com

Other TechSmith Products

•	Camtasia™

Camtasia Camtasia includes all the tools you need to record and produce videos from software actions. Camtasia Recorder is a desktop camcorder that captures screen activity and applies real-time effects. Camtasia Producer is a non-linear editor producing standard AVI files or streaming formats.

You can use this tool to record program action to be used in many creative ways: training videos, multimedia projects, demonstrations of all types, and recording abnormal events for support and testing purposes. The standard Windows Media Player, RealNetworks RealPlayer G2, or any AVI player (such as TechSmith’s audio editor, DubIt) can be used to view the captured files.

An evaluation version is available at http://www.techsmith.com/.

Send email requests for additional information to camtasia@techsmith.com.

•	SnagIt® (16-bit version)

SnagIt is the screen capture, print and file program for Microsoft Windows 3.x. Users can capture an entire screen, a portion of the screen or a single window. SnagIt sends the captured area to the clipboard, printer or a file for later use in other applications, such as word processors. SnagIt is a fully functional Windows DDE server so it may be incorporated into custom or commercial applications for printing.

An evaluation version is available at http://www.techsmith.com.

Send email requests for additional information to snagit@techsmith.com.

•	DubIt™

DubIt is a multimedia tool which lets you easily add audio to movie clips and images. Unlike video editors and presentation authoring products, DubIt adds audio in real-time as you watch the movie or image.

With DubIt, it is easy to narrate a video clip and synchronize your voice with the video. DubIt is the perfect tool to quickly add voice annotation and sound effects to a movie or image.

DubIt uses a familiar VCR-style "Media Player" interface that anyone can use. There is no complicated setup or long learning curve with DubIt. Simply open a movie or image and hit the record button. Just because DubIt is small and simple does not mean it is not powerful.

An evaluation version is available at http://www.techsmith.com.

Send email requests for additional information to dubit@techsmith.com.

TechSmith and SnagIt are Registered Trademarks of TechSmith Corporation. Camtasia and DubIt are trademarks of TechSmith Corporation.


 Help Menu

Under the SnagIt Studio Help menu, you have the following options:

Contents and Index - Opens Studio’s Help table of contents.

Using Help - Opens the standard How to Use Windows Help system for the operating system you are using.

Support… - Opens the Studio Diagnostics dialog, which will help you assemble the information needed by SnagIt Studio Support Personnel. This will produce a file for you to send via e-mail to Studio Support. See also: Support (Help).

Check for Update - Launches your Internet Browser and goes to the update page on the TechSmith web site. This page allows you to download program updates.

Frequently Asked Questions - Launches your Internet Browser and goes to the Frequently Asked Questions page on the TechSmith web site. This page gives you information about SnagIt Studio in FAQ format.

TechSmith Products - Launches your Internet Browser and goes to one of two selected product description pages on the TechSmith web site: Camtasia and DubIt.

TechSmith on the Web - Launches your standard Internet Browser and displays http://www.techsmith.com/. From there, you can obtain support information or information of other TechSmith products.

About SnagIt Studio… - Presents program version information. If you are using an Evaluation Version, this menu choice displays registration and information about the evaluation period.

Register SnagIt Studio… - (Evaluation version only) Opens a 3-step dialog the allows you to purchase and register SnagIt Studio.

Sales Information… - (Evaluation version only) Opens the SnagIt Studio help file to additional information on how to contact TechSmith and buy our products, including information about international distributors.


 Support (Help)

Clicking Support from the Help menu displays detailed setup and diagnostic information about SnagIt Studio and your system. This information can help troubleshoot problems if you have them when you contact the SnagIt Studio support staff.

You may be asked to send or fax a copy of the diagnostics when you report a problem that is not fixed quickly and easily. If you are asked for diagnostics, perform the following:

1	Click Help > Support on the SnagIt Studio main screen.

2	Click [Copy to Clipboard].

3	If you want to send an e-mail report of the problem to SnagIt Studio support, compose a message with the following information:

•	Your name, e-mail address, fax and phone numbers

•	A description of the problem and what you were trying to do

•	Paste the text from the SnagIt Studio Diagnostic Information box on the Support window.

4	Alternatively, you can save the Diagnostic Information to a file by clicking [Save to File…], then attaching the file to your e-mail or printing the information and faxing it to SnagIt Studio support, along with the other requested information in step 3.

5	Click [OK] to close the SnagIt Studio Support window.


 SnagIt Studio Support

Please contact our Technical Support department in one of the following ways:

E-mail:	support@techsmith.com
Fax:	(517) 333-1888
Phone:	(517) 333-2100
Mail:	TechSmith Corporation Attn.: SnagIt Studio Support PO Box 4758 East Lansing, MI 48826-4758
If you are reporting a problem with SnagIt Studio, please provide the following information:

•	The product name and version number (SnagIt Studio, version 6.0).

•	Your name, e-mail address, fax number and phone number.

•	A Diagnostic Information printout (using Help > Support…).

•	A description of the problem, and what you were trying to do when the problem occurred.


 Set Printer Properties

The SnagIt Studio Printer Dialog allows you to:

•	Select a printer.

•	Set Properties for that printer.

•	Position and scale the image for the best printed copy.

1	Select File > Print Setup….

Result: The Printer dialog appears.

2	Select your Default Windows Printer or another Specific Printer of your choice. Click the [Properties] button to go to the Properties dialog for your brand of printer.

3	To set printing options affecting the layout of the image on the page, click the [Page Layout…] button.

Result: The Page Layout dialog appears. See also: Set Printer Page Layout.

4	After setting the options you want, click [OK] to save the output options you have set for this SnagIt Studio session

5	Click [Cancel] only if you want to loose the changes you have made and start over.


 Set Printer Page Layout

The [Page Layout…] button and dialog are used to set how your printed image will appear on the page.

1	Set page Margins in the appropriate boxes. You can either type the numbers in or select them with the spinner controls.

2	Select an Image Position by clicking one of the buttons to indicate relative position on the printed page.

3	Set Image Scaling Options that will affect the printed image only:

•	Fit Image on a Single Page – The image, regardless of length, will be proportionally scaled to fit on one page. Example: A three page long image would be scaled equally in length and width to print on a single page. The resulting printed image would be 1 page long and 1/3 of its normal width.

•	Manual Scale - The user can apply a scale factor to the image to reduce or increase its size on the printed page. The default scale of 1.00 is equal to printed image obtained with the Proportional setting. Example: A scaling factor of 2.00 would double the height and width of the printed image.

•	Proportional Scale - The size relationship between the width of the area being captured and the width of the screen will be used to determine the width of the printed image in relationship to the width of the printed page. Example: An image half the width of your screen will be scaled to print at half the width of the printed page.

•	Fixed Size – The width and height are set in the boxes provided. The resulting printed image matches the dimensions, scaling or distorting the image if required to do so.

•	Maximize Image on a Single Page - The image will be made as large as possible to fit on a single page, while still preserving the proper aspect ratio of the original.

•	Auto Scale - The width of the captured image will be scaled to equal the width of the page. The length will be proportionally scaled and may exceed the length of a single page. Example: An image 2 inches wide and 6 inches long will be scaled by an approximate factor of 4 to fit the printed page width. The length will also be scaled by the same factor, resulting in a printed image 2 1/2 (24 inch) pages in length.

4	Click [Default] to return settings to Studio defaults. The default settings for Printer Setup are Default Windows Printer, Image position is Upper Left and image scaling is set to Fit Image on a Single Page.

5	Click [OK] to save the output options you have set for this Studio session.

6	Click [Cancel] only if you want to loose the changes you have made and start over.

Result: The Printer Dialog appears.

7	Click [OK] again to exit the dialogs.


Default Printer Settings

The printer settings that SnagIt Studio uses unless you specify otherwise.


Targa (.TGA)

Targa (.TGA) Targa graphics are a standard output from Targa devices from Truevision and Pinnacle Systems. These devices normally support video editing on personal computers and can be configured to take still "snapshots" from the video and save them in .TGA format.