A smarter way to handle screenshots, snaps & scans
June 16 2025 | Issue 48 | Link to this issue | Subscribe
Hi Reader –
How many times have you taken a screenshot, snapped a photo, or scanned something on your phone — only to completely forget about it?
It's not just you.
We're great at grabbing things in the moment. A Facebook post to revisit. A grocery receipt. Notes scribbled on a whiteboard.
But unless we put them all in one centralized place and actually do something with those captures?
They stay in digital limbo forever.
So let's talk about how to make your screenshots, photos, and scans actually work for you in Evernote.
Capture Now, Process Later
David Allen's Getting Things Done method outlines five steps for mastering workflow:
1. Capture → 2. Clarify → 3. Organize → 4. Reflect → 5. Engage
Most people stop after step 1.
They capture everything in different places — photos in camera roll, scans to cloud storage, bookmarks in browsers, audio clips in voice memo apps — and lose track of it pretty quickly.
They never go back to process any of it.
But when you capture everything in one central location (hello, Evernote! 👋), you can easily process all that information so you can actually use it.
Processing is what transforms random screenshots into a searchable, useful archive that serves your goals.
Here's the thing: while Evernote mobile is fantastic for capturing everything in the moment, it's not the best place to organize what you've captured.
On your computer? You've got a larger screen and better tools that make organizing way more efficient.
My recommendation: Capture on your phone, organize on your computer.
Don't worry about filing notes, adding titles, or managing notebooks when you're capturing in the moment.
Evernote syncs across all your devices. You can access everything later when you're at your computer with time to process.
🧠 Academy Members: Gain a full understanding of the 5 Stages of Mastering Workflow and how Evernote supports them in Chapter 2 of the GTD Book Club included in your membership.
Why Batch Processing Works
Productivity experts recommend batching similar tasks because it cuts down on context switching and allows for deeper focus.
Apply this to your Evernote captures.
Set aside 5-15 minutes each day to process what you've captured. You'll be amazed how much faster you can organize dozens of notes when you're not constantly switching between capture mode and organize mode.
This approach takes advantage of Evernote's powerful desktop features: keyboard shortcuts, bulk actions, easier note-links (to name a few), plus a full-sized computer screen, keyboard, and trackpad.
Much easier than trying to do detailed work on your phone.
Let It Be Messy
Here's the key to making "capture now, process later" work:
Give yourself permission to capture "messy" on mobile.
Your goal isn't perfect organization in the moment — it's getting information into Evernote.
When you separate capture from organization, you remove the friction that prevents people from using Evernote consistently.
Quickly get that idea out of your head. That photo of the delicious wine from dinner. That important document. All into Evernote without worrying about where it goes.
You'll sort it out later when you have the right tools.
This workflow uses each device's strengths while eliminating the frustration of trying to do detailed work on a tiny screen.
Try this approach for a week. Capture freely on mobile, then batch process on desktop.
I'd love to hear how it goes.
Cheers to your productivity —
Stacey
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