This Is the Best Screen Capture Tool for Windows.
Windows offers several ways to take screenshots , but if you take them often, the built-in tools are probably not enough – things like scrolling through screenshots, fixed time intervals, and uploading to the cloud.
While there are many alternative screen capture tools out there, ShareX is the best for Windows. ShareX is completely free and highly customizable, so you can set up workflows such as uploading screenshots to your own server (or any cloud storage) and copying the link automatically. However, the ShareX interface can be intimidating, so here’s the best way to set it up.
How to set up hotkeys in ShareX
The best way to use ShareX is to set up keyboard shortcuts. You’ll be prompted to do so when you install the app, but if you want to add more shortcuts (or change them), you can go to the hotkey settings… in the left pane.
This window will show various screenshot actions on the left side, such as “Capture the entire screen”, “Capture area”, etc. The keyboard shortcut is displayed on the same line on the right.
The most important thing is the color of the square rectangle on the right side. If it’s red, you’ll have to change the keyboard shortcut because it’s already assigned to another task in Windows. If it’s green, you’re good to go.
To add a new activity, click the Add button in the top left corner and select a task from the first drop-down menu on the right. For example, I chose Screen Capture > Last Area Capture and set up my own keyboard shortcut for it. The next time I take a screenshot of a custom region on my computer, I can use the Capture Last Region action to take a screenshot of the same region again.
How to set up a folder for screenshots in ShareX
The next thing you need to do is set up a folder for all your ShareX screenshots to keep your screenshots organized instead of storing them all in the default ShareX folder.
To do this, go to Application Settings… > Paths . Here you can select “Use custom screenshots folder” and click “Browse… ” to choose any folder you like.
You should also return to the main ShareX window and navigate to Post Capture Tasks > Save Image to File to ensure that each screenshot is sent to the correct folder. If instead you want to copy all screenshots to the clipboard, you can select Copy image to clipboard under After completing tasks .
Keep in mind that you can set up multiple actions in the Post Capture Tasks section and you should check all the options to create a workflow that suits your needs.
How to upload images to the cloud in ShareX
ShareX supports shared services like Google Drive and OneDrive, as well as more advanced options like Amazon S3 and Google Cloud. You can set it up by going to ShareX > Destinations > Destination Settings… . select the desired service and then connect it to your online account.
When you’re done, be sure to visit the hotkey settings in ShareX to set up a keyboard shortcut that directly uploads the image to your preferred cloud storage service. Once you’ve done this, you can go to ShareX > Once the tasks are uploaded and select Copy URL to Clipboard to instantly get the share link.
How to edit and annotate screenshots in ShareX
ShareX also allows you to edit screenshots and add annotations. The best way to do this is to go to Post Capture Tasks > Open in Image Editor and the captured screenshots will immediately open in the built-in image editor. You can hover over any tool to find its name, but the most important ones are:
- Step : This tool has an icon similar to 001. It adds numbered circles to your screenshot. If you’re trying to show multiple steps in the same image, select the Step tool and click in the correct order so that circles labeled 1, 2, 3, and so on appear on the image.
- Arrow : allows you to draw arrows on the image to indicate important areas in the screenshot.
- Shape tools: The rectangle and ellipse tools allow you to draw shapes on your screenshots. You can use the fill color tool on the right to fill these shapes with solid colors. This is a much better alternative to the blur tool if you want to hide sensitive information in your screenshots .
- Cursor : allows you to place the mouse cursor on the screen.
Other ShareX Features Worth Knowing About
Besides taking screenshots, ShareX can also make screen recordings by going to the Workflows tab and selecting the Start/Stop Screen Recording option. There is also an option to save the screen recording as a GIF.
If you want to do more with screenshots in ShareX, click the Capture menu in the left pane. You’ll find many useful options such as automatic screenshot capture, adding a screenshot timer, scrolling screenshots, taking screenshots of one or more monitors, and more.