How to Easily Capture Content for Microsoft OneNote

How to Easily Capture Content for Microsoft OneNote

When using Microsoft OneNote, you can easily capture content from images, articles, PDF documents and more, using one of the application’s three Screen Clipping Options. OneNote lets users capture content using Screen Clipping, Snip & Sketch, and Web Clipper.

How to use Screen Clipper

The easiest way to grab content is by using Screen Clipper. Before you open the built-in tool, make sure that you open the document or file you want to capture. Then select Insert, and from the Ribbon, click Screen Clipping. Once you do, OneNote will automatically be minimized while Screen Clipping is activated and your mouse takes the form of a cross.

Use your mouse to select the area of the screen you’d like to capture. When you do, the application will insert that selection into the active page in your OneNote notebook. Use the mouse to move the picture as needed. You can also resize it in OneNote, as necessary.

How to Use Snip & Sketch

Snip & Sketch is an upgraded version of Screen Clipper that is also built into OneNote. You can use Snip & Sketch easily even when OneNote is not open by right-clicking the OneNote icon in the Windows notification area (located on the right-hand side of the taskbar). From the resulting dropdown menu, you’ll want to select Take screen clipping. Your mouse icon will once again change from a pointer to a cursor, and you can select the content you’d like to capture with it.

Once you’ve made your selection, the Select Location in OneNote dialog box will open. You’ll be prompted to pick a location in a OneNote Notebook to send your content. Navigate to the appropriate section and page in the file and click Send to Selected Location in the lower left-hand corner of the dialog box. If you’re not entirely sure where it should go, or you’d like to save it to another application, you can also choose Copy to Clipboard to preserve the content to transfer later.

You can also create a screen clipping for OneNote or any other application by using the keyboard shortcut Win + Shift + S. A simple toolbar will appear at the top of the document that provides you with several options for snipping your content. By default, Rectangular Snip is selected. However, you can also choose Freeform Snip, Windows Snip, or Fullscreen Snip. Whichever option you select, use your mouse to make your selection, which will automatically be sent to the Windows Clipboard. To move your content from the Clipboard to OneNote, open OneNote and move your cursor to the location you’d like to place your content. Then use the Paste function (whether using the Ribbon, using the shortcut Ctrl + V, or right-clicking and selecting Paste from the dropdown menu).

How to use the Web Clipper App

Accessible for both the Chrome and Edge browsers, the Web Clipper App is a free add-in for OneNote users that can be downloaded from OneNote.com/Clipper. To do so, click Get OneNote Web Clipper from the site and follow the prompts. A dialog box will appear notifying you that Web Clipper has successfully been added to OneNote. You’ll also see a Web Clipper icon in the upper right corner of the URL bar in your browser. To ensure it appears at all times, Chrome users should click the Extensions icon and then click the Pin icon near the Web Clipper icon in the resulting menu.

Why use the Web Clipper App when the Screen Clipping and Snip & Sketch tools are already built into OneNote? Well, the Web Clipper App allows you to easily annotate the content you capture, as well as share it among multiple devices. Capturing content using Web Clipper is similar to capturing it using the previous options. Open the browser window containing the content you want, then click the Click to OneNote icon, which will capture your browser window content. You may be prompted to log in to your Microsoft account. Then pick the location where you want to send your content from the resulting dialog box.

Other options for capturing screen content

These three methods for capturing content are not only efficient but also allow you to capture only the content you want and use it as you see fit. However, they are not the only ways to capture content for use in a OneNote application. You can always use the PrtScn key to capture everything on your screen. Or you can use the keyboard shortcut Alt + Prtscn, which captures the active window or dialog box.

Because these methods capture your entire screen or active window, you’ll likely want to minimize open applications containing irrelevant content and minimize browser windows. Otherwise, you may have to spend time editing your screen capture after copying it. But once you’ve captured screen content using either of these two methods, simply open the section of your OneNote Notebook (or another application document) where you’d like it to appear, then paste it there.

There are also many paid screen capture programs on the market, such as Snagit, which not only allows you to capture static screen images but also create video recordings of your screen. This feature can be especially useful if you’re looking to create tutorials that demonstrate how to use particular software programs.

However, for simple static screen image captures, built-in tools like Screen Clipping, Snip & Sketch, and Windows keyboard shortcuts are ideal for most routine content needs. And the Web Clipper App can help you ensure you’re collecting the online information you need and keeping it organized.

If you’re looking for more ways to use OneNote to boost your team’s productivity, we at K2 Technologies can help. For more than two decades, we’ve worked with businesses of all sizes to improve their operational efficiency and implement the right technology solutions for their business problems.

As recognized Microsoft experts, we’re ready, willing, and able to put our knowledge of the platform’s applications and tools to work for you. So, whether you want to know how your business can use Microsoft’s applications more efficiently or you require a trusted provider for your enterprise-wide IT needs, K2 Technologies will get you the results your business needs. Contact us today to get started.