Sharing My Favorite Computer Shortcut - A Tutorial

Today I want to share my favorite little computer shortcut.  I wish I could say that I figured it out all by myself but I didn't.  I have a little sister that is super "computer" savvy and she shared it with me several months ago.  Now, it's my absolute favorite computer tool.  I use it for blogging all the time!

source

What is it?  The "snipping tool".  If you have Windows 7 (or Vista) then you can find it in the start menu.  Click on the start menu, go to all programs, then accessories, then snipping tool. 

(Sorry for the bad photos.  I took pictures of my computer screen...bad idea!)

That's how you find it, now let me show you what you can do with it.  To demonstrate this, I'm going to use my own blog page (while shamelessly promoting current link party, the All Star Block Party).


Let's say you see something on a website that you want to put on your blog.  For example, a button that has no "grab box" for the HTML code to put on your sidebar. Just load the snipping tool while you are viewing the button that you want and "snip" it.


When you open the snipping tool, a small cross will appear where your arrow was.  The page will also whiten some.  Move the cross (by moving your mouse) to the top left corner of the image that you want to snip.

Then hold down the left button of your mouse (left click) and move the cross to the bottom right of the image.

Once the image is "highlighted", you can release the left mouse button and you will see the image open in a new window.  Now save the image to your computer.  To do this, just click on the "save" icon at the top.

Note:  the next part of this tutorial refers to Blogger use (sorry Wordpress peeps)

Once you have it saved to your computer, go to the layout page of your blog and click on "add a gadget" in the sidebar section that you want the button in.  That will pull up the gadget menu.  Choose "add a picture".  There you can put the picture source URL in and select the picture from your computer files.

  
Now, when someone sees the button on your sidebar and clicks on it, it will take them to the website that you snipped it from.


I also use this to add pretty and interesting pictures to my blog.  ALWAYS add a source link back to the website that you snipped it from.  It's not polite to steal!


Thanks, sis, for teaching me about this cool tool!

Linking to:

Happy Hour Projects' Happy Hour Friday
Twinkle in the Eye's Flash Blog Friday
My Repurposed Life's Catch As Catch Can
Petals to Picots' I Love Fridays Link Party
The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday
It's a Hodgepodge Life's Hodgepodge Friday
Craftionary's Friday Fun Party
Addicted 2 Decorating's Addicts (not so) Anonymous Link Party
Little Becky Homecky's Fantabulous Friday
Have a Daily Cup's Share Your Cup Thursdays
Cheerios and Lattes' Saturday Show and Tell
Tatertots and Jello's Weekend Wrap Up Party
Six Sisters' Stuff's Strut Your Stuff Saturday
Too Much Time's Get Schooled Saturday
Serenity You's Serenity Saturday
YATTM's Meet Me Monday Linky Party
My 1929 Charmer's Sunday's Best
Serendipity and Spice's Manic Monday Linky Party