You can edit screenshots using the basic program built into your smartphone or computer. Some changes such as cropping, rotation, or filters can be made on the phone by taking a screenshot, then tapping the " Edit " button to enter editing mode. Desktop computer users can use the Snipping Tool or Grab to take screenshots, and use the options provided to make a number of changes. Don't forget to save your work!
Step
Method 1 of 5: On Android Device
Step 1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time
One to two seconds later, the device screen will flash indicating that you have taken a screenshot.
On a phone that has a Home button (such as a Samsung Galaxy), press and hold the Home and Power buttons at the same time
Step 2. Open the Photos app
By default, screenshots will be saved in this location.
Step 3. Open the screenshot by tapping on it
Step 4. Tap on “Edit” (the icon is in the shape of a pencil)
It's at the bottom of the app's toolbar. A toolbar containing editing options will open. The " Levels " option will be selected by default.
Step 5. Tap on “Auto” for the software to adjust the color and lighting
It's on the left side of the Levels toolbar.
The "Reset" button will replace "Auto" if automatic change is enabled. You can press the button to undo the changes made
Step 6. Tap " Light ", then slide the slider to change the lighting level
Drag the slider to the right to make the image lighter, or left to make the image darker.
If you want to undo changes made to the lighting, tap the "X" below the slider
Step 7. Tap on “Color” and slide the slider to adjust the color saturation
Drag the slider to the right to make the color sharper, or to the left to make the image black and white.
If you want to undo changes made to the color, tap the "X" below the slider
Step 8. Tap on “Pop” and adjust the slider to change the contrast
Drag the slider to the right to increase the difference in dark and light areas, or to the left to decrease it.
If you want to undo changes made to pop, tap the "X" below the slider
Step 9. Tap " Vignette " and adjust the slider to add a dark border effect
Drag the slider to the right to increase the size and intensity of the border, or to the left to decrease it.
If you want to undo changes made to the vignette (vignette), tap the "X" below the slider
Step 10. Tap on the “Filter” icon to add a color theme to the screenshot
The button is a box with a star in it that's to the right of the " Levels " icon in the bottom toolbar.
- Color filters are available from ' warm ' to ' cool ' (cold), which is indicated by the color palette displayed by the name.
- The intensity of the color filter can be adjusted using the slider at the bottom of the screen.
Step 11. Tap "Rotation Icon" if you want to crop, zoom, or rotate the screenshot
The icon is to the right of the bottom toolbar.
- Tap and drag a corner of the image to crop it.
- Set the slider to rotate the photo manually or press the " Rotate " icon to rotate the image by 90 degrees automatically.
- Move two fingers outward (as opposed to pinching) to enlarge the photo.
Step 12. Save the changes made by tapping on “Save“
This button appears in the top right corner after you make changes.
To discard all changes at once, tap the "X" in the upper-left corner, then select "Discard". You must do this before saving any changes
Method 2 of 5: On iOS Device
Step 1. Press the Power and Home buttons at the same time to take a screenshot
The device screen will flash briefly and the device camera shutter will sound indicating that you have taken a screenshot.
Step 2. Open the Photos app
By default, screenshots will be saved here.
Step 3. Open the screenshot by tapping on it
Step 4. Tap on “Edit“
It's in the upper-right corner of the screenshot. Various editing tools will be displayed.
Step 5. Tap on the Magic Wand icon to make changes automatically
The button is in the top right corner. The device will automatically adjust the color and lighting of the screenshot.
Step 6. Tap the Dial icon to adjust the light, color and balance
The button is located at the bottom of the toolbar and will display 3 menus: " Light ", " Color ", and " B&W ".
Each category has a submenu with several options that can be adjusted using the slider
Step 7. Tap the “Filter” icon if you want to add an artistic filter
The icon is 3 overlapping circles at the bottom of the toolbar.
- Filters such as Mono, Noir, and Tonal, can add a stylish black and white filter.
- Filters like Instant or Fade can give screenshots a faded retro look.
Step 8. Tap “Rotation Icon” to enlarge, crop or rotate the screenshot
The icon is to the right of the bottom toolbar.
- Tap and drag the corners of the image to crop.
- You can adjust the slider if you want to rotate the photo manually or press the " Rotate " icon (a square with a curved arrow) to rotate the image 90 degrees automatically.
- Move two fingers outward (as opposed to pinching) to enlarge the photo.
Step 9. Save the changes made by tapping on “Done”
This button will appear in the lower right corner after you make changes.
- If you want to undo the changes made, tap “Cancel” located in the lower left corner and select “Discard Changes”.
- If you want to undo changes after saving, select "Revert" which is displayed at the location of the "Done" button.
Method 3 of 5: Using the Snipping Tool (Windows)
Step 1. Press Win and type " Snipping Tool " into the search field
The snipping tool application will be displayed in the search results.
Note: the snipping tool is only available on Windows 7 and later
Step 2. Click the search result to run the Snipping Tool
Step 3. Click "New"
This option is first on the Snipping Tool toolbar. Once you click on it, the computer screen will fade slightly and the mouse cursor will turn into a selection tool.
Step 4. Click and drag the mouse cursor to select the area you want to take a picture of
Once the mouse cursor is released, the computer will take a screenshot of the selected area. Some simple editing tools will be displayed.
Step 5. Click the " Pen " tool if you want to write on the screenshot
Use this tool to make simple notes or circle the desired area.
If you want to choose a color for this tool, click the arrow button next to the pen icon
Step 6. Click the "Highlighter" tool to use the yellow highlighter tool
Click and drag the tool to highlight the text to make the writing more visible.
Step 7. Click the " Eraser " tool if you want to erase the changes
Select the tool first, then click the marked pen or highlighter to remove it.
The Eraser tool will NOT erase the content present in the screenshot, it will only erase the changes you have made
Step 8. Save the changes made by opening the "File" menu and selecting "Save As"
Name the screenshot and specify a save location. Confirm the changes made by clicking " Save ".
Method 4 of 5: Using Microsoft Paint (Windows)
Step 1. Press PrtScr on the keyboard (keyboard)
This button is used to copy the content on the screen to the clipboard.
Step 2. Press Win+R, then type “mspaint” in the text field that appears
Windows' Run tool will run Microsoft Paint after you press " OK ".
Step 3. Paste the screenshot into Paint by pressing Ctrl+V
You can also paste a screenshot by right-clicking the Paint area and selecting "Paste"
Step 4. Click " Rotate ", then select the rotation option
This button is in the " Image " section of the toolbar. This will open a menu with several rotation options, such as horizontal, vertical, or 90 degrees.
Step 5. Resize the image by clicking "Resize"
The button is in the " Image " section of the toolbar. A window that can be used to set the size of the new window will open. Enter a new size value (eg 200%), then press " OK ".
- You can select the desired size by percentage or pixels. Use the pixel settings if you want to apply pixels precisely.
- Image quality will decrease if you enlarge the image beyond its original size.
Step 6. Cut the screenshot
Click the " Select " option which is in the " Image " section of the toolbar. Click and drag the mouse cursor to select the desired screenshot area, then click the " Crop " button to the right of the " Select " tool.
Step 7. Add text on the screenshot by clicking the "A" button
It's in the Tools section of the toolbar. Click and drag the mouse cursor to select an area of text, then type the desired text in it.
Step 8. Click the brush icon or select one of the available shapes to mark in the screenshot
Both of these options can be selected in the " Shapes " section. Brushes can be used to make your own marks, while Shapes are useful for creating marks based on the selected shapes.
You can change the color of shapes and markers by selecting the color palette in the " Color " section
Step 9. Save the changes made by opening the "File" menu and selecting "Save As"
Name the screenshot and specify a save location. Confirm the changes made by clicking " Save ".
Method 5 of 5: Using Preview (Mac)
Step 1. Take a screenshot by pressing Cmd+⇧ Shift+3
The computer will capture the screen that is currently displayed and save it to the desktop.
Alternatively, press Cmd+⇧ Shift+4, then click and drag the mouse cursor to take a screenshot of the selected area. The computer will take a screenshot after you release the mouse button
Step 2. Open the screenshot in Preview by double clicking on it
Screenshots are saved on the desktop and named after the time and date when you took them.
If you have changed your preferences so that the image opens in another program, press Command key, then click on the image, then select " Open With " and select " Preview"
Step 3. Click the " Rotate " button to rotate the orientation of the image by 90 degrees
The button is a curved arrow in the upper right of the window.
Step 4. Open the "Tools" menu, then select "Adjust Size"
The "Tools" menu is in the top menu bar. A box containing options for setting the height, width, and resolution will be opened.
Image quality will decrease if you enlarge the image beyond its original size
Step 5. Cut the screenshot
Click the " Select " tool in the top toolbar, then click and drag the mouse cursor to select the area of the image you want to crop. Next select "Crop" in the "Tools" menu in the top menu bar. The image will be immediately cropped based on the area that has been selected.
Step 6. Open "Tools", then select "Adjust Color"
This will bring up a new panel containing sliders that you can use to adjust exposure, highlight, contrast, shadow, hue, temperature, saturation, or sharpness.
- The changes you make are immediately applied to the screenshot, so you can experiment with getting the combination of settings that you want.
- Exposure, highlights, contrast, and shadows affect brightness and black/white balance.
- Saturation, tint, and temperature will affect the intensity of the color.
Step 7. Click the " Toolbox " icon to access other annotation tools
It's in the upper-right corner of the window. After you do that, you can access annotation tools, such as pens (Pen), shapes (Shapes), or text inserts (Text).
- The Pen Tool can be used to make homemade marks.
- The Shapes tool can be used to create marks with any of the available shapes, such as triangles or ellipses.
- The Text tool allows you to select an area of the screenshot that can be used to enter text with the computer keyboard.
Step 8. Save the changes made by opening the "File" menu and selecting "Save As"
Name the screenshot and specify a save location. Confirm the changes made by clicking " Save ".
