You may want to try this free software, much better than snipet
ScreenHunter Free - Download.com

I've been playing around and created a screenshot with the snipping tool. I want to see if I can attach it here and get only the item I selected and not all the rest of the junk shown in Paint when I open the clip.

OK - I guess it's back to normal, altho I have downloaded the program you suggested and will give it a try. Somehow, apparently, the program to open the clips taken with the snipping tool was changed to Windows Photo Gallery. I'm the only one who uses this computer so I don't know how that happened. But when I changed the program to Paint I am now able to get just my selections, and assume I will be able to print things again. I will try that out and if I need to, will get back to you.

Thanks again!

Addition: I'm still confused though. I know at times when I've had computer problems and have used the snipping tool over and over to take pictures of various boxes that have opened -- and have had them sitting all over my desktop -- when I open them I get only the window I have taken a picture of. But now, when I open these test snips that are on my desktop, I get the whole Paint window and all the tools, etc. Some other setting or something must have gotten changed and I have no clue where to look.

I have found with problems of that nature, it is fixed with a simple reboot. If that does not work a simple sfc scan (if we did not explain that to you already post) will do the trick. As a last resort a repair install.