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  5. Windows 11 Capture tools

Windows 11 Capture tools

Windows 11 streamlines screen capture by combining classic hotkeys with intelligent AI tools. These native utilities let you instantly grab, edit, and extract information straight from your display without installing third-party apps.

Text Extractor

The ⁠Microsoft Text Extractor utility is used to copy text from your screen.  This includes standard text in Word, PDFs, and web pages, as well as inaccessible text, such as text in images. 
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Open the Text Extractor in Windows 11. Press: Win + Shift + T 

Screenshot of extractor menu
Choose from the 3 dot menu option (auto copy and/or remove line breaks)
screenshot of extractor menu with drop down menu open
Select an area with the curser. The Extractor will then analyse the area you have selected.
screenshot of coloured highlighted white text with a black background
The extractor will then show the text it has detected.
screenshot of white highlighted text with a black background
Then click on copy all text to save it to your clipboard.  The text can then be pasted as plain text.
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Snipping Tool

The Snipping tool, allows you to capture, copy edit, save and paste images from your screen. The snipping tool will also extract inaccessible text when editing in Paint, which you can choose to do after the initial capture. Be aware that the Print Screen shortcut will take you to the Snipping Tool's initial toolbar. 
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Open the Snippet tool in Windows 11, Press Win + Shift + S.  Then choose how you want to make your capture (rectangle, window, freeform or fullscreen). Be aware there may be additional tools on your toolbar such as quick markup, shortcut to text extractor and a colour picker. 
screenshot of snipping tool drop down menu
A box will then pop up saying the screenshot has been saved to the clipboard, at this point you can paste the capture, but you also have the option to markup (edit) and then share. 
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screenshot of the mark up view toolbar

If you choose to markup and share, you will be taken to the snipping tool editing window, where you will be able to do basic edits and annotations to your screenshot.  From this window you can also scan and extract any text from your screenshot.  You also have the option to edit the screenshot in MS Paint, where you can access additional editing tools.  
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Clipboard History 

Using the shortcut Win + V provides quick access to the last 25 screenshots/captures for repeated use.  You can also pin a selection of these for continued use after you have closed the current document.  The first time you use this function, you will be taken to your settings to turn it on if you have not already done so.