Tutorial - Manual Capture

For this tutorial we will capture a rectangular image and save the image to a file.

Define the Manual Capture Preferences

We'll first start by setting the Manual Capture preferences. To start, right click on the Capture Express icon  in the system tray (next to the clock). Left mouse click on Preferences from the menu that opens to view the Preferences panel. Click on Capture and open the Manual Capture tab.

Set the Default Capture Settings

1. Set the Hot Key to F11.

2. Select the Dotted Outline option.

3. Choose Rectangle from the What to Capture drop down list.

4. The Masks, Borders and Vectors do not apply to the Capture Rectangle option and are grayed out.

In the Default After Capture Action section make sure the settings are as follows:

5. Select Save Image to File from the Capture Action drop down list.

6. Set the default file to C:\Program Files\Capture Express\capture.jpg.

7. Set the default format to JPEG (*.jpg).

8. Click Apply to save the changes made and OK to close the Preference window.

Capture the Image

1. To start, minimize any open windows.

2. Press the F11 key to open the Capture Express window and start a capture.

3. The radio button should default to Rectangular Area. If not, select this option.

4. Click on the Capture button and you will see a mouse pointer with the words Left Click on the Mouse to Start the Capture.  

5. Move the mouse pointer to the upper left corner of the image that you want to capture.

6. Left mouse click to mark the upper left corner of your image to be captured.

7. Move the mouse down and to the right to draw a border around the image. The image inside the dotted line is what will be captured.

8. For this example let's say that your capture didn't start in the right place.

9. Right click with the mouse.

10. This freezes the sizing of the image, but allows you to move the image to the correct starting point.

11. Move the mouse to move the box within the dotted lines.

12. When in the correct position right click with the mouse again.

13. Now resize the area to be captured by moving the mouse.

14. When adjusted and sized correctly left click with the mouse to finish the capture.

View the Captured Image

1. A new window opens displaying a small image of what you captured and prompting what you will do with the captured image.

2. Click on the View button to see an image of what you are about to save.

3. Click on the X in the upper right hand corner to close the View and return to the previous window.

Save the Image

1. The radio button should default to Save Image to File. If not, select this option.

2. Click on the Save button to open the Save Image to File window.

3. The default file name and path are already listed. The default is set in Options | Preferences | Capture - Manual Capture tab.

4. For this tutorial we will use the default file name and path. (You can overwrite the defaults of any manual capture and save the file to a new location, different file type, etc.)

5. Click on the Save button to save the image in your default file location.