Technical Writing - How to Create a Graphic Screen Shot

You may see an ad every once in a while for a technical writer, and you may wonder, what exactly is a technical writer? Is this a good career to follow, the ads seem to have money in them? This article will attempt to answer this question from experience, and from the standpoint of the changes taking place in the market today.

Technical writing has several definitions, as a computer information systems student, the definition that was taught to me involved working with software, testing, and designing ways for the user to make use of the software. This involved several key functions that we will discuss, if not in this article, then in articles which will follow it- parts of the art involving shooting screen shots (nothin' to it(!)), aligning features logically (good common sense approaches as a user) and finally what to do when the software doesn't do what you think it should. This was the definition of technical writing, but it was categorized and highly specific.

In the modern market it is a changing definition that may have nothing to do with software, it may have to do with procedures, policies, administration, and any number of other facets of the incredible complex technological culture we have become. This new definition takes the art of technical writing to new heights, and makes the talents which are basic to it, even more thrilling.

Let's dive right into it - shooting a screen shot. Many people who use a computer don't realize that this simple method of getting what you see onto your screen is in the computer. It is very simple - look on your keyboard at the key to the right of the "F" keys, you will see "Print Screen SysRq" on it. Now with the screen up press it. Now go to the program called "Paint" when it opens click on "Edit" and then "Paste" and zwoilla, there you have it, a screen shot of your screen. You can modify this by using the paint command inside the program, or, you can save this as a .Jpeg and then use a more advanced video editor to make more enhanced adjustments to it.

This is a tool which you will use over and over again in Technical writing as it allows you to construct figures which are referenced in what you are explaining. Remembering that a picture is worth a thousand words, you can see the value of being able to graphically show a person how to screw in the bolt and where to do it. This is an art form, and it is a career, and technical writing is fun.