Screenshots create an image file of the data currently being displayed on your screen. This is usually done by pressing the "Print Screen" button on a Windows computer, or by pressing "Shift," "Command" and "3" on a Mac. Screenshots are useful for a variety of reasons, such as requesting support or simply showing off what you have on your screen. Since screenshots are images, the data on them cannot be edited through any standard means, but you can edit a screenshot in many ways using a simple and free image editor.
Step 1
Open a graphics editing program to edit your screenshot. If you don't have a graphics program and don't want to use Paint, you can find a free image editor online, such as Pixlr or Splashup (see Resources).
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Step 2
Click "File," then click "Open" and select your screenshot. The image will appear in your graphics editor, and many tools should become available for you to use.
Step 3
Replace any text on the screenshot by using the eye dropper tool to select the background color, then using the brush or rectangular shape tool to drag a box over the pre-existing text. The text should disappear, replaced with the color of the background. You can then use the text tool to type in your own words wherever you want. For the best effect, it's helpful to know what font the screenshot is using. If you don't know the name of the font, you can change your own font until you find a close match. This may take some experimenting.
Step 4
Alter the size of the image by clicking "Image," then "Image Size." You can change the overall size of the screenshot, and the image editor will typically adjust the second measurement automatically to keep the image ratio equal (if you don't want this, you can disable the "constrain proportions" option). If you make the image too much bigger or smaller, some quality loss may occur.
Step 5
Add special effects to the screenshot by accessing the "Filter" menu. From this menu you can add blurring, add a vignette, noise and more. If you only want to add a filter to a certain part of the image, use one of the selection tools to click and drag around what portions you want to edit, then add the filter.
Step 6
Edit the saturation, hue and lightness of the image. You can typically find this option within the "Image" or "Adjustments" menu. Drag the sliders back and forth to adjust each setting to your discretion. You can change the overall color composition of the image, or change it from vibrant color to black and white.
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