Utility: Greenshot Screen Capture
Original article: 2017. Updated for Windows 11
Greenshot is free, with no advertisements, no registration, no nagging, no-strings-attached utility. The authors ask for small and deserved donation.
http://getgreenshot.org/downloads/
How it works:
After installing and setting keystroke preferences, note the "Greenshot" icon in the System Tray, meaning the program is running and waiting.
Press the keyboard's Print Screen key and draw a box around the part of the screen to capture. (Other keystrokes can capture the entire screen, the same area as last time, etc., as well as other options too boring to list here.) For example, her is a screenshot of Windows Explorer. Notice the size, in pixels. Optionally capture the mouse pointer, magnify, draw, etc..
Then it prompts for a save location, or you can set a default, such as "Open in Image Editor":
"Open in Image Editor" is my favorite destination -- This is slightly misnamed. By default, it opens in a small Greenshot editor -- not in your photo editor. From here, you can annotate, draw objects, obfuscate, or move the mouse-cursor. Then from the ribbon bar, manually copy to the the clipboard or save as a file.
"Open in Image Editor" opens a new window with each Print Screen, acting like multiple clipboards and I might have a dozen of these open. I copy the image to the Windows clipboard and manually paste into my graphics editing programs or word processor. This helps keep the work organized.
The Image Editor even has click-to-place counter graphics! Oh, my heart, be still!
Optionally, Greenshot can write a numbered file (file001.png, 002.png, etc), a feature I do not use, but understand its usefulness.
One-time Installation Preferences:
When the program first launches, it invariably has a warning about the PrintScreen keystroke being intercepted.
Disable Windows's default PrintScreen keystroke:
1. Go to Windows Settings (the Gear icon), "Accessibility", "Keyboard" (or just search "keyboard")
2. [ ] (uncheck) "Use Print Screen to open snipping"
3. Then, in the System tray, right-mouse-click on the Greenshot icon and select "Preferences"
Set the Capture Region key to "Print Scrn" - to this by placing the cursor in the field and pressing the keyboard's PrntScrn key.
4. In the Capture menu, [ ] Show Magnifier (uncheck)
5. Recommended:
In the Destination tab, change the default Output Destinations to "Open in Image Editor". This gives me multiple clipboard functionality. Leave all unchecked to be be prompted each time.
In older versions of Windows, you may find the PrintScreen key does not work on all screens (pressing PrintScreen does not activate the highlight). Consider these steps:
A. From the System Tray, select the Greenshot icon, Preferences. In the General tab, set the program to not [ ] Launch Greenshot on startup.
B. Then, from the Start Menu, type the letters, "Greenshot". When the program is found, other-mouse-click the icon and "Pin to Start"
C. Launch the program manually by "other-mouse-clicking" the Greenshot desktop tile, choose "More" and then "Run as Administrator". This will need to be done after each reboot. Greenshot's FAQ explains the reasoning behind this.
Cautions:
Download the utility from the Vendor's site (link at the top of this article); do not download from SourceForge or other sites because many have re-packaged it around banner ads and other nefarious stuff.
Other comments:
This is an open-source project and the source code is available for the curious. There is a good FAQ section on the website. Donate five or ten bucks to help the developers.
Related Links:
http://getgreenshot.org/downloads/
My favorite graphics/photo editor: Corel Paintshop Pro - used for all illustrations here.
I see on their website they are now offering a OS X version. It does cost $1.99. They say its different than Windows version. Might try it.
ReplyDeleteHave used some on my work PC.