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SnagIt 9

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Loading Zone September 2008 • Vol.8 Issue 9 Page(s) 78 in print issue
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SnagIt 9

TechSmith SnagIt 9
$49.95
www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.asp

If you only take one or two screenshots a month (or a year), then you probably don’t need a dedicated screenshot program like SnagIt, let alone one that runs $49.95 as SnagIt does. However, if you take five or 10 a month (or more), then a program like SnagIt is indispensible, for it offers top-notch capture abilities, an image editor that’s second to none in both features and ease of use, and a file management system that makes short work of keeping track of hundreds (or thousands) of previously captured images. Two years ago, we rated SnagIt 8 five stars out of five, yet TechSmith has managed to improve the latest version in almost every way. Care to guess how many stars it scores now?

SnagIt consists of two parts: the Capture Window and the Editing Window, the latter of which also serves double-duty as the Library Window. Both windows sport a Vista-like dark color scheme, while the Editor gains an Office 2007-like Ribbon interface, complete with a Start-Button-like menu that has most of the contents of the old File menu. The old version’s clutter, its only real blemish, is now history.

The Capture Window allows you to set a screen capture profile, which includes choices such as Capture A Window, or the Full Screen, or a user-definable region, and designate an output, such as the SnagIt Editor, any of the Microsoft Office programs, the Clipboard, or many others. You can also tell SnagIt to automatically apply an effect to a screenshot, such as adding a watermark or making it grayscale. Of course, you can manually select settings on the fly, as well.

The editor has all the drawing tools you’d expect and it keeps track of all additions and changes, allowing multiple levels of undo even months after the fact, and can export captures to one of 28 graphics file formats, or PDF, or even SWF. The built-in Library is similar to Google’s Picasa, showing thumbnails and offering drag-and-drop mashups of multiple captures.

SnagIt 9 is more than the sum of its parts, however. Screenshots are easier to take, look better when manipulated, and are more easily stored and recalled than ever before. It is truly the best of the breed.

by Warren Ernst

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