A Screenshot Tool That Captures Exactly What You Select
Press one key, drag over the part of the screen you need, and you have a screenshot ready to copy, save or mark up. QuickSnap freezes the screen first, so nothing moves while you choose.
How to take a screenshot of part of your screen
Four steps, and most screenshots take a few seconds.
Step 1: Press the capture key
Press Print Screen. If another program already uses that key, QuickSnap tells you and falls back to Ctrl+Shift+S, and you can pick any shortcut in Preferences.
Step 2: Drag over the area
The screen under your mouse pointer freezes and dims. Drag a rectangle over the part you want. Grab any of the eight round handles to resize it, or use the Move tool to reposition it.
Step 3: Check the size
A round badge shows the width and height of the selection in pixels, so you can match a size you need.
Step 4: Copy or save
Press Enter to copy the screenshot to the clipboard, or Ctrl+S to save it as a PNG or JPEG file. Press Esc to cancel and keep nothing.
Why QuickSnap freezes the screen first
Menus close, tooltips fade and video frames move on while you aim a selection. Most capture tools make you chase the moment. QuickSnap takes the snapshot the instant you press the key and lets you choose the area afterwards, so a dropdown, a tooltip or an error message is exactly as you saw it.
Because the selection is made on a still image, there is also no guessing about where the edges are: what you outline is what you get.
Capture options available today
| What you want | How | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Select an area | Print Screen, then drag | The selected rectangle, ready to copy, save or annotate |
| Save the whole screen instantly | Shift + Print Screen | A file in Pictures\QuickSnap, named with the date and time. Existing files are never overwritten |
| Include the mouse pointer | Option in Preferences | A simplified arrow drawn where your pointer was |
| Change the shortcut | Preferences from the tray icon | Any key combination that is not already taken |
Not available yet
Capturing a single window, scrolling capture, a delay timer, capturing several monitors in one image, and screen recording. QuickSnap captures the monitor under your mouse pointer.
Screenshot shortcuts already built into your computer
You do not need QuickSnap for a quick grab. These come with the operating system:
Windows
Win + Shift + S opens the Snipping Tool selection. Print Screen captures the whole screen to the clipboard.
Mac
Shift + Command + 4 selects an area, 3 captures the full screen, and 5 opens the screenshot toolbar.
Linux
It depends on the desktop. On GNOME, Print Screen opens a screenshot interface. Check your desktop's keyboard settings.
QuickSnap adds the part those shortcuts lack: drawing arrows, text, numbered markers and blur on the screenshot before you copy or save it.
PNG or JPEG: which should you save?
PNG
Lossless, so text and interface elements stay sharp. The right default for screenshots, bug reports and guides.
JPEG
Smaller files, useful for photos or when size matters more than crisp text. QuickSnap lets you set the quality from 1 to 100.
Your screenshots stay on your computer. Current builds have no upload feature and send nothing anywhere.
Try the QuickSnap screenshot tool
Preview builds are unsigned, so your system will show a security warning.