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Market overview of recommendable tools for creating screen captures (screenshots, screen dumps). Screen captures are required within all forms of software documentation, such as user manuals, online help files, interactive demos and tutorials, but also for web sites and brochures.
SnagIt
A true masterpiece of ease of use and usability. This alone should be a reason to try out the software. Although moderately priced, nothing serious is missing.
Advantages: several useful additional functions like basic video capture and text capture; very easy and efficient to use; integration with Microsoft Word and FrameMaker; added texts can be updated and translated
Disadvantages: not the cheapest one, but excellent price to performance ratio anyhow
Price: approx. $50
http://www.techsmith.com
FullShot
FullShot is available in different versions. In the Standard Edition some of the important functions for comments and post-editing are missing. A special feature of FullShot is the additional buttons that the tool adds to each window in runtime. Instead of a shortcut key you can simply activate the relevant button, for example, "W" for "Window" or "R" for "Region", and FullShot will create the desired image. On the final Screen Captures FullShot of course automatically removes the additional buttons.
Advantages: images can be updated later, added texts are retained and can be edited; highly efficient functions for capturing menus and command bars; wide range of settings for effects in detail; good documentation
Disadvantages: comparatively high price; not quite as intuitive to use as SnagIt
Price: approx. $90 (Professional Edition)
http://www.inbit.com
MadCap Capture
In contrast to the other screen capture tools, MadCap Capture focuses especially on the requirements of technical documentation and single source publishing. For example, it is the only tool that supports text variables. Users of the authoring system Flare (developed by the same company) can save images automatically in an online variant and in a print variant (for example in color online, in gray scales and at a higher resolution for print).
Advantages: images remain fully editable, irrespective of their format; elements can be saved to palettes and reused; the design of several elements can be standardized comfortably; stepwise undo list.
Disadvantages: takes very long to load (requires Microsoft .NET Framework); rather complex for infrequent users
Price: approx. $39
http://www.madcapsoftware.com
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H@rdcopy
Specifically powerful if you want to print screen shots on paper, but also has many options to save as file. User interface is a bit old-fashioned.
Price: approx. $15, free for non-commercial use
http://www.gen.hardcopy.de
TNT Screen Capture
Very simple to use. A unique feature: If you have made individual color settings in Windows, you can reset them to Windows default values on command, shoot your image and finally restore the individual settings automatically. Optionally saves images also as thumbnails of a defined size in a single step; can also produce excellent 3-dimensional images; good documentation; simple and efficient operation-
Price: approx. $30; free for private use
http://www.ec-software.com
SnapDraw
Screen capture tool with vector graphics annotation tools and visual effects.
Price: approx. $30
http://www.crossgl.com
WinSnap
Price: approx. $25
http://www.ntwind.com
Ashampoo Snap
Price: approx. €20
http://www.ashampoo.com
CaptureXT
Price: approx. $30
http://www.capturext.com
HyperSnap
Price: approx. $40
http://www.hyperionics.com
SPX Instant Screen Capture Bundle
Price: approx. $23
http://www.moodysoft.com
FastStone Capture
Price: approx. $20
http://www.faststone.org
PicPick
Basic screen capture tool, combined with image editor, color picker, color palette, pixel ruler, protractor, crosshair and whiteboard.
Price: approx., $20; free for personal use
http://picpick.wiziple.net
Screenshot Captor
Flexible screen capture program, most standard capture, editing and annotation options are available.
Price: up to you to decide (Donation Ware)
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/screenshotcaptor/index.html
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Shutter
Feature-rich screenshot program for Linux.
Price: free (Open Source)
http://shutter-project.org
KSnapshot
The screen capture tool of KDE.
Price: free (Open Source)
http://kde.org
GIMP
The "GNU Image Manipulation Program" comes with a built-in screen capture function to capture screen, windows or areas. Images can then directly be edited within GIMP before saving.
Price: free (Open Source)
http://www.gimp.org
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Finally, if you only need to take a limited number of screen captures, there is still the option to capture them manually. On Windows: Using the [PrintScreen] key, you can copy the currently displayed screen contents to the clipboard or, using the key-combination [Alt]+[PrintScreen], you can copy the contents of the active window. Then, you can directly paste the clipboard contents into any document or graphics application. You can also automate this process individually with the help of an automation tool like the Open Source tool AutoHotkey, for example (www.autohotkey.com).
Windows Vista and Windows 7 make the procedure even simpler. The build-in Snipping Tool allows you to instantly save basic screen captures as a file. However, if you want to apply any special effects such as a torn edge, or if you want to add some callouts, for example, you will have to use some general-purpose graphics software to do so manually.
On the Mac, OS X also provides a number of build-in options to capture both entire screens and specific regions. [CMD]+[Shift]+[3] saves the whole screen, [CMD]+[Shift]+[4] saves a selected region, and [CMD]+[Shift]+[4] then [Spacebar] saves a selected item to the desktop. Note: Holding down the [CTRL] key in addition saves to the clipboard instead of the desktop.
In addition, OS X also offers a basic Grab utility located in Applications > Utilities.
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This page was last updated 08/2010.
Keywords relating to this page: tools - software - programs - utilities - screen capture tools - screen capture - screen captures - screen dump - screen dumps - screenshot - screenshots - screen grabber - creation - creating - pros - cons - advantages - disadvantages - recommendation - recommend - recommendable - good - survey - overview - market overview - review - comparison - study - commercial - open source - price - prices - costs.
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