How to Make a Great How-To Video

Do you constantly find yourself explaining how to complete a task on the computer? Is it sometimes hard to put those instructions into words? The Jing Project allows you to demonstrate a task by snapping a picture of your screen or recording a video (with audio) of what you do and see.

What makes the Jing different from other screen capturing software?

The idea behind the Jing Project is to create a program that is always ready to capture your screen and allows for immediate sharing. Jing runs unobtrusively in the background by placing a dock-like button on the edge of your screen. Once you are ready to take a screen shot or record your screen, all you do is click the Jing button and choose ‘Capture’. When you finish capturing, Jing makes it easy to share your how-to on the web via Screencast, Flickr, FTP server, blog, IM, or email. Here is a video tour of Jing provided by TechSmith:

How do I use Jing?

Once you click the Jing button and choose ‘Capture’, “cross-hairs” will appear on the screen, which allow you to select the part of the screen you wish to capture. You can click on a maximized window or your background to select your entire screen. If you wish to capture a window that is already open, simply click inside that window and Jing will automatically select it for you. If you want to show a certain section of your screen, all you do is drag and select it using the “cross-hairs.”

Now you have the option to make an image or a video. If you choose ‘Image’ you can add instructions via text, arrows, boxes and highlighting to your image. If you choose video, your screen as well as your voice (if you have a working microphone) will be recorded until you click stop.

When you download and install Jing, you will be asked to create an account with Screencast so you will have someplace to upload your content. However, you are not limited to only Screencast, you can choose to share your how-to on Screencast, Flickr, or any FTP server.

All that is left to do is configure the upload service of your choice. Once your how-to is uploaded to the web, the URL to your demonstration is automatically copied to the clipboard so it can easily be pasted into an IM conversation or email. Jing also gives you the choice of placing your image or video directly into your blog or website by creating the HTML code for you when you click the ‘Embed’ button.

Who would find Jing useful?

The Jing Project is obviously a great tool for bloggers and tutorial makers. However, the easy to use interface makes it perfect for the average computer user to show a parent, grandparent, friend, or girlfriend how to do something when you can’t be there to show them yourself.

How much does Jing cost and where can I get it?

Jing is completely FREE and is available for download at the Jing Project website. Here you can download Jing for Windows as well as Mac. If you would still like more information on the Jing Project, check out their FAQ page as well as their blog.

(By) Michael & Eric are two college students who are balancing classes, work, and their personal lives. In their free time they enjoy relaxing and working on their blog www.wlmtips.com

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