What can I do with a pinned Snipaste image window?

Updated

A pinned Snipaste window is a screenshot (or clipboard content) pasted back onto your screen as a floating, always-on-top image. Once it's pinned, you can zoom, rotate, flip, and adjust transparency, make it click-through, and hide or shrink it — and if the source is a GIF, you can control its playback. These operations apply to the floating window itself, not to the original screenshot file.

How to create a pinned window

  1. Download and start Snipaste.
  2. Press F1 to start snipping.
  3. Press F3 to paste the capture as a floating window.

You can also convert clipboard content into a floating image window. According to the site, the supported clipboard sources are:

  • Image
  • Plain text
  • HTML text
  • Color info text
  • Image files: PNG, JPG, BMP, TGA, ICO, TIFF, and GIF

Operations on a pinned window

Action How
Zoom Mouse scroll, or + / -
Rotate 1 / 2
Flip 3 / 4
Set transparency Ctrl + mouse scroll, or Ctrl + + / -
Mouse click-through Available as a supported operation
Image editing Space
Thumbnail mode Shift + double click
Hide Double click

Working with GIFs

If the pinned content is a GIF, the same zoom controls apply, and you can also set the playback speed or jump to the previous/next frame. This is useful when you want to freeze on a specific frame while comparing it against something else on screen.

Click-through and transparency

Making a window click-through means mouse clicks pass through it to whatever is underneath, so the pinned image stops blocking the application behind it. Combined with reduced transparency, this lets you keep a reference image visible without it getting in the way of normal work.

Hiding vs. thumbnail mode

A double click hides the window; Shift + double click switches it to thumbnail mode. Thumbnail mode keeps the window present but out of the way, while hiding removes it from view until you bring it back.

Other features that pair with pinned windows

The site also lists these capabilities, which are relevant if you plan to annotate or organize pinned images:

  • Color picker — try F1, C, F3
  • History play back — using , / .
  • Drag & drop
  • Grouping
  • Auto backup & restore
  • Easy image annotation — rectangle, ellipse, linestrip, arrow, pencil, marker pen, and text
  • Intuitive snipping — auto detect UI elements, pixel-level control, multi-screen support, HiDPI (retina display) support

Practical notes

  • The pinned window is a floating, topmost window, so it stays above other applications by design.
  • Snipaste is described as free, customizable, and portable. It is always free for personal use; for business use, Snipaste 1.x remains free, while Snipaste 2.0 and later require a paid license.
  • The site notes there are many hidden features beyond the basics, and points to the manual for details.