Essential software - Skitch

If you use a Mac, and have any need to take screenshots or want to edit / annotate images quickly, you need Skitch! This free software allows you use different kinds of images:

Screenshots of entire pages or small areas (using simple cross-hairs to define the area),
Web cam images,
Any other pre-existing image… simply drag and drop it on the Skitch window, or onto the icon on the dock.

When the image is loaded in the program, you can annotate it by drawing with pens / straight lines / arrows. You can also add text, highlighting or shapes. If you want to resize the image, just resize the Skitch window and the image will shrink / enlarge and be saved at that new size.

When you’ve finished annotating the image, you can also rename it and change the file type using the options at the bottom of the main window. Then simply drag and drop the ‘Drag Me’ button to a folder (or your desktop) to save it where you want. You can also add your FTP connections to get the image posted online immediately (and copy the image url so you can then insert it into web pages / blog posts).

Skitch is an incredibly easy to use piece of software, and it saves me a huge amount of time whenever I have to work with images.

For personal use, it’s great because it allows me to quickly:

Resize images for use online,
Change file formats without importing and then exporting into full-blown image-editing software,
Post images online without loading extra FTP software.

It’s also great for use in school. Here are some possible uses:

Creating tutorials for others to follow. All of the images on my school’s ICT wiki were produced with Skitch,
Annotating maps in Geography:

Editing and uploading images for use in a school web page / blog,
Highlighting / annotating children’s digital photos… maybe to make a guided tour of the school, or to show things from a class trip,

If you already use Skitch, and have any other educational uses, I would love to know.