Windows 11 Screenshots Made Better: Add Eye-Catching Borders In Just 3 Steps

If you’re like me and frequently use the Windows 11 Snipping Tool for capturing screenshots, you’ve probably noticed that your snips appear without any borders by default. Whilst this might be exactly what you want for some situations, there are times when adding a border can make your screenshots look more professional and help them stand out, particularly when pasting them into documents with white backgrounds.

Let me show you how to automatically add borders to all your screenshot captures in the Windows 11 Snipping Tool.

Why Add Borders to Your Screenshots?

The standard Windows 11 Snipping Tool produces borderless captures that can sometimes blend too well with white backgrounds in documents, presentations, or web pages. By adding a border, your screenshots will have a defined edge that makes them stand out clearly, giving them a more polished and professional appearance.

Same screen capture, left without borders blends into background. Right with borders stands out.

Step-by-Step Guide: Adding Automatic Borders

Step 1: Open the Snipping Tool

First, launch the Windows 11 Snipping Tool. If you use it regularly like I do, it should appear in your recent applications list for quick access.

Step 2: Access the Settings Menu

Once you have the Snipping Tool open, look towards the top-right corner of the ribbon interface. You’ll see three dots (⋯) which represent the “See more” options menu. Click on these dots to reveal additional settings.

Important note: If you haven’t captured anything yet, you’ll only see two options in this menu. However, if you have an active snip, you’ll see more options available.

Step 3: Navigate to Border Settings

From the dropdown menu, select “Settings” – this will always be the last option available. The settings window might appear quite compact on your screen, you may need to resize the window or scroll down to see all available options.

Look for the setting labelled “Add Border to Each Screenshot” and use the toggle switch to turn this feature on.

Snipping Tool Borders can be found in the Settings.

Step 4: Customise Your Border Appearance

Before leaving the settings, I recommend clicking on the dropdown arrow next to the border setting. This will show you a preview of exactly how your border will appear on future screenshots.

The default setting provides a black border with a fairly thin thickness, which I personally prefer as it’s professional-looking without being too prominent. However, you can customise both the colour and thickness using the available slider if you’d like a different appearance.

Step 5: Apply and Test Your Settings

Once you’re satisfied with your border preferences, scroll back up and click the arrow in the top-left corner to exit the settings menu. If you already have a screenshot on screen, you’ll notice the border has been automatically applied.

Now, create a new snip to test your settings. You should see that every new screenshot will automatically include your chosen border style.

Making the Most of Your Enhanced Screenshots

With automatic borders enabled, you can continue to save or copy your snips as normal, but now they’ll have that professional edge that makes them stand out in any document or presentation. This feature is particularly useful for:

Creating tutorials or instructional materials
Adding screenshots to reports or presentations
Sharing images on social media or websites
Building professional documentation

Wrap Up

Adding automatic borders to your Windows 11 Snipping Tool captures is a simple yet effective way to enhance the appearance of your screenshots. This small change can make a difference in how professional and polished your captured images appear, whether you’re using them for work, education, or personal projects.

The beauty of this feature is that once you’ve set it up, it works automatically for every future screenshot, saving you time whilst ensuring consistency across all your captures.

Of course if you don’t like it or don’t need it you can also go back into the settings and edit or remove it.

Give it a try and see how this simple change can improve your screenshots.

Written with the assistance of Claude AI from an original transcription