How do I put an arrow on a screenshot?

On Windows, use Photos or Paint 3D’s shape tool; on a Mac, Preview’s Markup toolbar. In the browser, a screenshot tool with an editor lets you draw the arrow immediately after capturing.

Does the Snipping Tool have an arrow?

No. It has a pen and a highlighter. For a proper arrow open the capture in another editor, or use a browser tool that has one.

What colour should screenshot arrows be?

One colour, used for everything on the image, with enough contrast against the interface. Red is the convention because it is rarely part of the interface itself.

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How to Add an Arrow to a Screenshot (and When Not To)

September 19, 2026

An arrow answers "where?". It is the right mark when the reader has to find a specific point on a busy screen -- a small icon, one row in a table, a toggle in a settings page. It is the wrong mark for a region, where a box does the job with less noise.

Windows

The Snipping Tool editor has no arrow, only a pen. Paint 3D and Photos both do: open the screenshot, choose the shape tool, pick the arrow. It works and it is several clicks.

Mac

Open the screenshot in Preview, show the Markup toolbar, choose the shapes menu and pick the arrow. Drag to place it, then adjust the ends. Preview’s arrows are good; the number of steps to reach them is the cost.

In the browser, in one motion

With Demorta’s screenshot tool the capture opens directly in an editor: choose Arrow, drag from empty space to the target, done. Change the colour and thickness from the toolbar, Ctrl+Z if it landed wrong, then Download or Copy. Try the free screenshot tool.

Two rules for arrows

Start in empty space, end on the target. An arrow that starts on the thing and points away reads backwards.
One arrow per image. Two arrows are a comparison; three are a puzzle. If several things need pointing at, number them with circles and explain the numbers in the text.

Frequently asked questions

How do I put an arrow on a screenshot?: On Windows, use Photos or Paint 3D’s shape tool; on a Mac, Preview’s Markup toolbar. In the browser, a screenshot tool with an editor lets you draw the arrow immediately after capturing.
Does the Snipping Tool have an arrow?: No. It has a pen and a highlighter. For a proper arrow open the capture in another editor, or use a browser tool that has one.
What colour should screenshot arrows be?: One colour, used for everything on the image, with enough contrast against the interface. Red is the convention because it is rarely part of the interface itself.

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