Techsmith SnagIt 9 review

SnagIt has been capturing screenshots for many years, and this latest version is a significant improvement.

The new interface looks slick and is very easy to use. The main screen shows all the types of capture available, including full screen, a window, a region and a scrolling web page, which also captures the parts that don't fit onscreen.

There are also options that allow you to capture a menu after a time delay, capture a web page complete with working links, capture text from a window and record a movie. This last option lets you record not just the application but also mouse movements and audio. It's only a basic version of the more powerful Camtasia Studio, but it's a useful inclusion. Files are saved as AVIs, and there's the option to create a time-lapse video, too.

For each profile, you can change settings to suit your needs. The output section lets you send the capture via email or FTP, save it to a file, send it to a program (including Word, Excel and PowerPoint) or a printer. The Effects tab allows you to apply borders, captions, effects (such as ripped edges or a drop shadow), a watermark, scaling and colour correction. You can also select DirectX from the Input tab for capturing games or a video overlay.

SnagIt 9 also includes an editor and an organiser. The former uses an Office-style ribbon to make it easy to get to the tools you want, and it's simple to create composite images by dragging captures from the tray to the canvas. This is useful if you're making an invitation and you want to include a map, text and photo, for example. The organiser is particularly brilliant as it keeps track of all your captures and doesn't require you to save each one as a separate file. If you want, you can tag images to make them easy to locate. However, if that's too much, there are simple flags including Important, Follow up and Sent that you can apply quickly and easily.

The only real problem with SnagIt 9 is the price - $50 is a lot to pay if you need only the occasional screen capture. However, if you'll use all the features regularly, it's a superb choice.