"A picture is worth a thousand words", a phrase which emerged in the USA in the early part of the 20th century, refers to the notion that a single still image can present as much information as a large amount of descriptive text. Essentially, pictures convey information more effectively and efficiently than words can.
A screenshot (or screengrab) is a snapshot or picture captured by a computer to record the output of a visual device. Screen capture software enable screenshots to be taken on a computer. This type of software has lots of uses. As an image can illustrate the operation of computer software well, screenshots play an important role in software development and documentation. Alternatively, if you have a technical problem with your computer, a screenshot allows a technical support department to understand the problems you are facing. Writing computer-related articles, documentation and tutorials is nigh on impossible without a good tool for creating screenshots. Screenshots are also useful to save snippets of anything you have on your screen, particularly when it can not be easily printed.
Linux has a good selection of open source dedicated screenshot programs, both graphical and console based. For a feature-rich dedicated screenshot utility, look no further than Shutter. This tool is a superb example of a small open source tool. But there are some great alternatives too.
Screen capture functionality is not only provided by dedicated applications. GIMP and ImageMagick, two programs which are primarily image manipulation tools, also offer competent screen capturing functionality.
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### Shutter ###
Shutter is a feature-rich screenshot application. You can take a screenshot of a specific area, window, your whole screen, or even of a website - apply different effects to it, draw on it to highlight points, and then upload to an image hosting site, all within one window.
Features include:
- Take a screenshot of:
- a specific area
- window
- the complete desktop
- web pages from a script
- Apply different effects to the screenshot
- Hotkeys
- Print
- Take screenshot directly or with a specified delay time
- Save the screenshots to a specified directory and name them in a convenient way (using special wild-cards)
- Fully integrated into the GNOME Desktop (TrayIcon etc)
- Generate thumbnails directly when you are taking a screenshot and set a size level in %
- Shutter session collection:
- Keep track of all screenshots during session
- Copy screeners to clipboard
- Print screenshots
- Delete screenshots
- Rename your file
- Upload your files directly to Image-Hosters (e.g. http://ubuntu-pics.de), retrieve all the needed links and share them with others
- Edit screenshots directly using the embedded drawing tool
- Website: [shutter-project.org][1]
- Developer: Mario Kemper and Shutter Team
- License: GNU GPL v3
- Version Number: 0.93.1
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### HotShots ###
HotShots is an application for capturing screens and saving them in a variety of image formats as well as adding annotations and graphical data (arrows, lines, texts, ...).
You can also upload your creations to the web (FTP/some web services). HotShots is written with Qt.
HotShots is not available in Ubuntu's Software Center. But it's easy to install by typing at the command line:
ScreenCloud is an easy to use open source screenshot tool.
With this software, users can take a screenshot using one of the 3 hotkeys or simply click the ScreenCloud tray icon. Users can choose where you want to save the screenshot.
If you choose to upload your screenshot to the screencloud website, a link will automatically be copied to your clipboard. This can be shared with friends or colleagues via email or in an IM conversation. All they have to do is click the link and look at your screenshot.
Features include:
- Capture full screen, window or selection
- Fast and easy: Snap a photo, paste the link, done
- Plugin support, save to Dropbox, Imgur, and more
- Supports uploading to FTP and SFTP servers
- Website: [screencloud.net][3]
- Developer: Olav S Thoresen
- License: GNU GPL v2
- Version Number: 1.2.1
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### KSnapshot ###
KSnapshot is a simple utility for taking screenshots. It can capture images of the whole desktop, a single window, a section of a window or a selected region. Images can then be saved in a variety of different formats.
KSnapshot also allows users to use hotkeys to take a screenshot. Besides saving the screenshot, it can be copied to the clipboard or opened with any program that is associated with image files.
KSnapshot is part of the KDE 4 graphics module.
Features include:
- Save snapshot in multiple formats
- Snapshot delay
- Exclude window decorations
- Copy the snapshot to the clipboard
- Hotkeys
- Can be scripted using its D-Bus interface
- Website: [www.kde.org][4]
- Developer: KDE, Richard J. Moore, Aaron J. Seigo, Matthias Ettrich
