How can I hide sections of a screenshot?

Q

I often share screenshots of my desktop with members of my local U3A (University of the Third Age) group. Sometimes I would like to hide certain information in my screenshots, such as account numbers and email addresses. Can I do this using Windows 10’s Snipping Tool?

A

We recommend switching to a more advanced screenshot tool, such as Picpick (download it free from https://picpick.app). Follow the installation instructions, then run the program.

The options under the Screen Capture heading let you take screenshots of your entire desktop or just sections. Select the option you want, then take your screenshot (you can also load an existing screenshot by clicking Open). The screenshot will now appear in Picpick’s image editor. Click the Select option in the toolbar, then use your mouse to draw a box over the area you want to hide. Now click Pixelate (in the Effects section of the toolbar – see screenshot) and use the slider to adjust the pixelation effect (we find setting this to 3 works best). Press OK, then repeat the process for any other areas of your screenshot you may want to hide. When you’ve finished, you can save your screenshot by clicking the Save option at the far left of the toolbar.

If you’d prefer to stick with Snipping Tool, you can use its Pen tool to hide sections, but it’s not ideal and can leave your screenshots looking messy. In the preview window that appears after taking a screenshot, click the down arrow to the right of the pen icon in the toolbar at the top, then select Customise. From here, choose a colour, and set Thickness to ‘Thick point pen’. Click OK, then draw over the section of your screenshot you want to conceal.

Do you need our advice on what software to use? Just email us at letters@computeractive.co.uk