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Screen capture: Capture video of the screen

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Screen capture: Capture video of the screen

Instructions for a screen video

Almost everyone knows how to take screenshots. Screen videos, i.e. screen recordings as video, are not that common. It is quite easy to record a screen video and there are many useful uses for recording a screen video. For example, you can use it to describe work processes on the screen, document error messages or use screen videos for training. Follow our guide to take a screen capture yourself and save it as an MP4 video. Use our tips at the end to prepare your screen capture and capture clear video of your screen.

Screen video or screenshot – the difference

The difference between a screenshot and a screen recording as a video is obvious: in a static screenshot you capture a moment as an image, while a screen video or screen video shows what is happening on your screen over a certain period of time. The transfer usually takes place as a video, but can also take place as an animated GIF file.

Suppose you want to explain how to use an online account. With a screen video you show the entire process from entering the URL and login information to all mouse movements and clicks to logout.

You can simultaneously record audio, such as speaker narration, through an internal or external microphone while recording the screen. It is also possible to record system audio (this is the audio that you hear from your computer speakers and contains e-mail notifications, for example).

While you can take simple screenshots with key combinations, you need a suitable screen recording tool for a screen video. Snagit, for example, is suitable for simple screen recordings. If you want to edit your screen recordings afterwards, combine them with other clips and media elements, add new background music, zoom and cursor effects or text annotations, you need a recording tool with a video editor like Camtasia.

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Instructions for a screen recording (Screen Video)

The following guide shows an example of how to take a screen capture with Snagit:

Step 1: Open your screen recording software

Decide on a software for screen recording. As mentioned above, Snagit is very good for simple, short screen captures. Camtasia is better suited for longer, more complex recordings. Camtasia also offers versatile editing features in the professional video editor. You can also send Snagit recordings directly to Camtasia Editor, where you can edit and combine them with other videos.

Step 2 Set screen capture settings

Go to the Snagit capture window and click on the ‘Video’ tab. Here you can make various settings:

  • Choice: decide whether you want to capture an area or the whole screen.
  • Sharing: Control whether your screen video is instantly uploaded to a platform, shared, or saved as a local file.
  • Preview in Editor: Automatically open your screen video in Snagit Editor for further editing and saving.
  • Record cursors: Choose whether to record or omit mouse movements.
  • Microphone Audio: Record speaker commentary or background music and noise.
  • System Audio: Record system notifications such as email notifications.

Step 3 Specify the capture area of ​​the screen capture

Full screen recording is the best choice in some cases. You can also limit your screen recording to a specific area, such as a program or browser window, to show specific work steps or navigation through a website. This has the advantage that you don’t have to include unnecessary information such as the toolbar or the desktop background and remove it later. So if you only want to capture an area of ​​your screen, you can set the size of the screen in Snagit before you start capturing.

Step 4 Start and stop screen recording

Now all you have to do is click the red record button in Snagit Recorder and your recording will start. To stop, click on the blue stop button. Snagit also provides the ability to pause recording by clicking the pause icon.

Step 5: Edit the screen capture

If you activated the preview in the editor before the screen recording, your screen recording will be displayed there automatically. In the editor you can still fix mistakes or trim the video at the beginning or end. This is very easy to do in Snagit:

Step 6 Save the screen recording as MP4 video

In Snagit and Camtasia, you can save your video as an MP4 file, a popular, widely used, and highly compatible video file format, or as a GIF file. Both Snagit and Camtasia offer various options under the Share feature where you can upload your video, such as YouTube, Screencast.com, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Of course, you can also save the video as a local file on your hard drive.

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New to Snagit? Try out all the screen recording and screen video features.

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Tips to prepare for screen recording

Before you start the screen recording, it’s a good idea to write down what you want to show or say so you don’t forget anything and have a clear structure for viewers. A script or notes will help you stay on topic and comment clearly.

If you’re recording your entire screen, be sure to clean up your desktop first. Too many icons or private pictures only distract your viewers and you certainly do not want to tell the whole world (or your customers and colleagues) what programs you use and where you spent your last vacation. You should also remove favourites, bookmarks or recent browser activities before recording your browser. For security reasons, you should always hide or redact sensitive data such as personal information or passwords.

Plan at least one test run for your screen recording. It may take several attempts to capture a good screen video without any slips of the tongue. Don’t let this discourage you: screen videos are very easy to record and with a little practice you’ll get faster and faster at them.

Tips for a sharp screen recording

  1. Capture a large area of ​​the screen: When capturing in full screen, the capture dimensions are usually the same as the computer screen’s resolution. If you only select an area of ​​your screen to capture, the capture dimensions will automatically shrink. Therefore, it makes sense to choose the recording area of ​​your screen as large as possible. For example, you can display the browser window for the recording in full screen to completely fill the screen.
  2. Avoid unnecessary scaling: Scaling means increasing or reducing the original size of your screen recording. The quality of the recording deteriorates, especially when it is enlarged.
  3. Before you screen capture, think about the dimensions of your capture for production. If possible, keep the dimensions the same for recording and production to avoid loss of quality, or use a larger screen for recording to easily edit, zoom in or out your screen video later.
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Screen captures with Snagit

Download the free trial and start creating your screen videos. With Snagit, you can capture your screen and then use its many editing features to get professional results.

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