Jing and Skitch.  It may be the first time you’ve come across these words, and if your first impulse is to reach for a dictionary you may be puzzled to learn that one is a Scottish exclamation of surprise, while the other is a portmanteau word formed from “skate” and “hitch” describing the act of grabbing a tow from the back fender of a passing car while riding on a skateboard or roller skates. All quite amusing, but “Jing” and “Skitch” are two brilliant web tools that have become indispensable since we discovered them. 

Both programs are similar in that they provide a screen capturing and image sharing service that is easy to use, quick, and effective. The main differences are that whereas Jing is available on both Windows and Mac, Skitch is a dedicated Mac tool. Also, Jing has a few more features including a video capturing function.

With each of these popular tools you can take a picture, and in the case of Jing, a short video, of whatever you can see on your computer screen, and share it in an instant via web, email, instant messaging, Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. A lot of phone and email time can be curtailed, while online conversations are enhanced by rapidly shared visuals. We use both Mac and Windows platforms and since we were introduced to Jing and Skitch we have found ourselves using them all the time to have simpler, more effective conversations amongst ourselves, and to get prompt information or confirmation to a client. We treasure both.

Each of these services is free, and, as well as screen capture, includes useful image editing and drawing tools amongst other features. However, if you see yourself as a serious user, you may want to take a look at Jing’s professional version. These tools are marvellous, don’t hesitate to download.