We've been busy at TechSmith this month preparing not one, but two software releases for you - it's a TechSmith Two-peat! SnagIt 8 has just been released and wait 'til you hear about all the new features and uses!
First off, you might notice things look a little different. We used icons for a more visual look for SnagIt - it should be easier for you to identify what you want to capture with the new icons. Rest assured, if you're a veteran SnagIt user, all your favorite and familiar capture options are still there (plus some great new ones), and the workflow is still the same as always. And, if you really don't like the new look, you can always switch to the Classic View.
OK, I've got to tell you about my new favorite feature. I know you'll like it too. You can now use SnagIt to capture Web pages with the links - and all of the links remain clickable! Interactive screenshots! You can save the capture in a format that support links such as a Web page with image (.mht), Adobe PDF, (.pdf) or Macromedia Flash (.swf). The links will be embedded in the capture and clickable, just as they were on the original Web page. Just send the capture by e-mail and simply indicate where to click.
So, you're asking...Why would you care about this feature? Because this new feature saves you the time and trouble of copying and pasting links, and it allows you to guide people to exactly the right spot. And, it is perfect for archiving a webpage. And, you don't need to know how to do any programming to do this. For instance, we've been eating our own dogfood at TechSmith and using SnagIt 8 internally for quite some time. So often I'll send a screen capture in an e-mail to my colleagues to show off someone's blog post about our products. Since I can capture the links, the recipients can click on the image's links - within the e-mail - and are taken to that Web page. So, I've gotten so used to this feature, that now whenever someone externally sends me a screenshot of a Web page, I find myself clicking on the links . . . only to find that it's just a static screenshot.
Here's an example of an interactive screenshot I made that I emailed to some co-workers to show them what was being said about SnagIt.
Coming in at a close second, my next favorite feature is our new hotspot feature.
Your screen captures can be more engaging and informative if you add interactive areas to them. With SnagIt's new hotspot feature, adding interactivity is easy. Capture an image, and then use SnagIt's hotspot feature to specify parts of the image that, when moused over, will display text or images, or when clicked upon, will open a Web page. Add helpful hints and explanatory illustrations, or even create a functioning prototype of a Web page. I also like that since the textual comments only appear when you hover over them, the entire image doesn't end up cluttered with text. I'll use this feature when I do mock-ups with the webstaff over a new blog design. I can show them how I want the new blog to look and function. And, adding comments will be handy so they'll know exactly what I'm suggesting. Create interactive maps, picture tutorials, a staff directory that shows their pictures when you hover your cursor over their names . . . this way, screenshots include all the additional information you want them to know, without getting in the way of the images.
The rest of the company is thankful for this new feature because I no longer have to bug random co-workers...SnagIt 8 can now save screenshots as PDFs. I don't have to hunt down someone with Adobe Acrobat to create PDFs for me. I can do it myself. I like it because PDF is a perfect format to share captured images and documents with others - since everyone is able to view this universally accepted format.
And last, who doesn't want to be smarter? SnagIt has smarter editing features now. With SnagIt's powerful editor, there's no need to go anywhere else to add the finishing touches to your captures. SnagIt 8's Editor has been enhanced to include vector editing. What's vector editing, you might ask? That means that the callouts, arrows, shapes and text that you place on your capture remain editable. What's also nice is that you can reselect any object you've previously placed on the capture to delete or edit it anytime. So, no hitting that undo key over and over to edit your annotations. Save time making your images look exactly the way you want them to, the first time.
Later, (by saving them as .snag - a new file format!) you can come back and modify those images for different audiences, or update them with new information, without going through the hassle of taking additional screen captures. I like to change my mind...often...so this feature will be useful for me!
I did a quick screencast with the Assistant SnagIt Product Manager, Jessica Boyle. Click the screenshot below to watch the screencast.
We'll be making some new screencasts for the blog to show off the features in more detail as well. Stay tuned! Or, if you'd like to submit a screencast showing off a new feature, I'd love to highlight you.
As always, we have a fully functional eval for you to test-drive SnagIt 8. I can't guarantee that new car smell, but you can kick the tires. I know you'll like it! Or if there's something else you want to see in a future release, we need to know that too. Here's a list of everything that is new.
We even have special upgrade prices for current users.
So, let's hear your feedback about SnagIt 8! What do you think? What do you like? What would you like changed or added for our next release?
