TDX Knowledge: Create and Edit Screenshots for Use in an Article

Before inserting images into your knowledge base article it's important to crop, resize them, and add any highlights if necessary.

There are many tools available for editing images. This article focuses on Preview for the Mac and Paint for Windows. Both are free tools that come with their respective operating systems.

• Taking a Screenshot
  • Mac
  • Windows
• Cropping an Image
  • Mac
  • Windows
• Editing an Image
  • Mac
  • Windows
• Resizing an Image
  • Mac
  • Windows
• Additional Information

Taking a Screenshot

Take a screenshot to capture an image of the entire screen or a specific area of the screen. 

For additional help with creating a screenshot, see Take a Screenshot.

Mac

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+Shift+3 to capture an image of your entire screen.
   1. Alternative: Use the keyboard shortcuts Cmd+Shift+4 or Cmd+Shift+5 to capture an image of a specific area of the screen. 
2. Immediately after taking the screenshot, click on the small preview that appears in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Preview application. 
   
3. Save the screenshot to your device by clicking the  Share button and selecting a destination to save the image to. 

Windows

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows Key+Shift+S to use the Snipping Tool. 
2. Select the New button in the pop-up window. 
   
3. Select an area of the screen to capture. A new window will pop up showing the screenshot. 

Cropping an Image

Cropping out extraneous parts of an image helps focus the viewer's attention on what's important.

Mac

1. Open Finder and navigate to the image.
2. Double-click on the image to open it in Preview.
3. Go to the View menu and select Show Markup Toolbar (if necessary).
4. Click the Selection tool on the Edit Toolbar.
   
5. Drag a selection around the part of the image you want to keep.
6. Click the Crop button in the toolbar.
7. Select Save from the File menu.

Windows

1. Navigate to the image you'd like to edit. 
2. Right-click on the image and select Open with > Paint. 
3. Click on Select in the toolbar.
   • If necessary, choose the Rectangular selection from the drop-down menu.
4. Drag a selection around the part of the image you want to keep.
5. Click Crop on the Home tab.
6. Click the Save button at the top.

Editing an Image 

Use arrows, boxes, or other types of call-outs to highlight important aspects of the image.

Mac

1. Open Finder and navigate to the image.
2. Double-click on the image to open it in Preview.
3. Select the  Markup button to make edits. 
4. Set the outline color of the desired shape to red by selecting the Border Color icon in the toolbar and selecting red from the drop-down menu. 
   
5. If using a shape such as a box that can be filled with a color, select the Fill Color icon in the toolbar and select no fill from the drop-down menu. 
   
6. Choose the desired shape by selecting the Shapes icon in the toolbar and choosing a shape from the drop-down menu. 
   
7. Select the location to place the shape by dragging the cursor to expand the shape. 
8. Save the screenshot to your device by clicking the  Share button and selecting a destination to save the image to. 

Windows 

1. Navigate to the image you'd like to edit. 
2. Right-click on the image and select Open with > Paint.
3. Add a shape to the screenshot by selecting the  Shapes button and choosing the desired shape to add to the image. 
4. In the shapes drop-down menu, ensure Fill is set to no fill and Outline is set to red.
   
5. Select the location to place the shape by dragging the cursor to expand the shape.
6. Save the image to the device.

Resizing an Image

Images should be as small as possible but be easy to read. Images should be no more than 600 pixels wide.

• Note: You can resize an image directly in TDX. See Add an Image to an Article.

Mac

1. Open Finder and navigate to the image.
2. Double-click on the image to open it in Preview.
3. Select Adjust Size from the Tools menu.
4. Change to measuring the Width and Height by pixels.
5. Enter the value you want the image to be in the Width field.
   
6. Select Save from the File menu.

Windows

1. Navigate to the image you'd like to edit. 
2. Right-click on the image and select Open with > Paint. 
3. Click on Resize in the toolbar.
4. Click the radio button next Pixels.
5. Enter the value you want for the image width in the Horizontal field.
   
6. Click OK.
7. Click the Save button at the top.

Additional Information

• For examples of effectively cropped and resized images, see Create Effective Images.