Extract text from Snipping Tool images (SNIP)
To convert SNIP images to another format, you need Microsoft Snipping Tool or other Raster Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Legacy Screenshot File" file type, you need software like Microsoft Snipping Tool or a similar tool.
A .SNIP file is an old screenshot image created by the original Windows XP Tablet PC Edition version of the Microsoft Snipping Tool. It stores a screen capture along with stylus annotations like highlights and ink marks.
This proprietary format is completely obsolete. Modern operating systems and standard image viewers cannot read it. Because it requires discontinued software to open, you cannot view these files on mobile devices, share them online, or open them on modern PCs. The format effectively locks away your visual data in a dead container.
To use the image today, you must convert it to a standard format like PNG or JPG. Converting to a PDF is also useful if the screenshot contains document text. Converting the file ensures it works on all devices natively, though you will permanently lose the ability to edit the original ink annotations.
Because the .SNIP format uses outdated Windows XP Tablet PC binary structures instead of standard image encoding, normal online image converters almost always fail to process it. Usually, only the original legacy software can properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded visual format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SNIP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PNG, JPEG, JPG, PDF, BITMAP, MACHINE, PG2, TEXT, TABLE and IMAGE files.
If you want to convert SNIP file to TEXT, PDF, JPG, TABLE, IMAGE or PNG, you can use Microsoft Snipping Tool or similar software from the "Legacy Screenshot Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to SNIP, try Microsoft Snipping Tool or another comparable tool in the "Legacy Screenshot Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our SNIP converter.