Last updated 05/07/10

Screen Capture Guidelines for Windows 7

To achieve the highest degree of image quality, use the following Windows 7 appearance settings when creating software screens. Then follow the steps below to capture each screen. Be sure to save the VI for LabVIEW screens.

Follow each step carefully. Incorrect screens will be sent back for recapturing.

Windows 7 Appearance Settings

Using the following settings ensures consistency of all NI screens for color and appearance, as well as text quality. Images with incorrect appearance settings or blurred text will be sent back to you for recapturing. To prepare your computer to capture screens, complete the following steps:

1. Open your Control Panel and select Appearance and Personalization.

2. From the Personalization section, select Change the theme.

3. Select the Aero Theme Windows 7.

4. Use the back button to return to the Appearance and Personalization window.

5. From the Personalization section, select Change window glass colors.

Last updated 05/07/10

6. Deselect the checkbox for Enable transparency.

7. Verify that the default color Sky is selected.

8. Click Save changes.

9. Use the back button to return to the Appearance and Personalization window.

10. From the Fonts section, select Adjust ClearType text.

11. Deselect the checkbox for Turn on ClearType.

Last updated 05/07/10

12. Click the Next button five times until you get to the final screen, then click Finish.By turning off ClearType, the text is changed from color to grayscale. The grayscale font is morelegible for printing and for enlarging screens when used on large format graphics, such as tradeshow panels. Some windows in Windows 7 and in applications have black-only text with ClearTypeoff, which is how previous versions of Windows OS displayed text without ClearType. Black-onlytext is preferred for printing.

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13. Use the back button to return to the Appearance and Personalization window.

14. From the Display section, select Adjust screen resolution.15. Set the resolution of your monitor to 1280 x 1024. If that resolution is not available,

select 1440 x 900.

16. Click OK.

17. Select "Keep changes" when prompted “Do you want to keep these display settings?”

18. Follow the screen capture guidelines on the next page to take the screenshots.

Last updated 05/07/10

Screen Capture Process Be sure to capture only one screen at a time. If you need the end result to show the screens overlapping, please provide a sample screenshot of how they should be overlapped. CDG can overlap the individual screens in their graphics software. Complete the following steps for each screen:

1. Run your application and set up the windows that need to be captured. Make sure all appropriate data is displayed on the screen before capture. What you see onscreen is exactly what will be captured.

2. For each window, enlarge it to fill the monitor top to bottom and left to right, excluding pop-ups, dialog boxes, and other windows that cannot be enlarged. Do NOT maximize the window, because it clips the corners and edges of the screen capture. Instead, drag each edge of the window nearly to the edge of your monitor. Enlarging the window obtains screen captures with similar size ratios for more visual consistency.

3. In the Start menu, open the Snipping Tool in All Programs » Accessories.

4. In the Snipping Tool window, select New » Window Snip.5. Click on the window you want to capture. Snipping Tool highlights the window in red, captures the

screen, and opens it in Snipping Tool.

6. Select File » Save As, name the file with a short descriptive name, and save it as a PNG.

7. Send the screen(s) to Kathy Brown, CDG Image Coordinator, for processing.

8. For LabVIEW screens, be sure to include the VI for each screen.

Note: Do not import the screen into any other application such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. Send CDG individual PNG files for each screen.

LabVIEW Screens

You are required to save the VI used to create each window when taking LabVIEW screens. Name the VI using the same short descriptive name you used for the screen. CDG works with a translator to create localized screens more easily using the VI you provide. CDG must store each LabVIEW VI with its corresponding screen, even if there are no current plans for localization of that window.

If you have questions about capturing screens, contact Kathy Brown at (512) 683-5389.