Many people prefer the simplicity of Windows Snipping Tool to take screenshots, while others opt for third-party apps, like ShareX, for more features. I value both simplicity and functionality, which is why I use Greenshot. The following are the reasons Greenshot is my go-to screenshot tool on Windows.
Content
- Fast, Lightweight, and Works From the System Tray
- Comprehensive Screenshot Options That Are Easy to Access
- Has a Reliable Image Editor
- Many Screenshot Saving Methods
- Highly Customizable
- Completely Free and Open Source
Fast, Lightweight, and Works From the System Tray
What drew me to the Greenshot screenshot tool was its minimalist design that doesn’t compromise on functionality. The setup file is only 1.7 MB, and once installed, it barely takes up 3 MB of space.
The app doesn’t even have a dedicated interface; it functions completely from the system tray. You just have to right-click on the Greenshot icon to use most of the functions. Although its settings have a dedicated UI, most settings can be adjusted from the system tray via the Quick preferences section.
As it’s so minimal, Greenshot runs fast, and stays out of the way, never cluttering up your space or slowing you down.
Comprehensive Screenshot Options That Are Easy to Access
Similar to ShareX, the Greenshot screenshot tool offers multiple screenshot modes like region, last region, window, full screen, and window from a list. You can set keyboard shortcuts for each or access them from the system tray icon.
I mainly like and use its region screenshot function, which displays a magnified view around the mouse pointer, allowing you to take screenshots of a selected region with start and end points. Furthermore, the tool shows the region’s vertical and horizontal resolution, which is very important for me, as I usually follow specific screenshot size guidelines.
Similarly, when capturing a window, it shows the window’s resolution, which helps to ensure accurate screenshots. The only thing missing is a reliable scrolling screenshot function, as this feature in Greenshot is limited to Internet Explorer.
Has a Reliable Image Editor
For such a small tool, you probably wouldn’t expect it to have an image editor as well, but Greenshot does. It’s quite good as well – at least as good as Snipping Tool’s editor.
You can add shapes, text, speech bubbles, and counter. You can also draw freely. For more advanced functions, you can highlight, blur, extract text from images, and add effects.
Open the screenshot directly in the editor, or skip it. The additional save options are also accessible from the image editor.
Many Screenshot Saving Methods
The Greenshot screenshot tool also supports powerful screenshot-saving methods, both locally and online. In the Output tab in Settings, you can select storage location, image format, and image name pattern. By default, it will save the screenshot according to these details in your preferred folder.
Using external commands settings, you can configure any app to open the screenshot in its interface when you take a screenshot. To save online, download the required plugins at the time of installation. These plugins offer dedicated options for each service, like Flickr, Imgur, Jira, Dropbox, etc.
You can select multiple saving methods to store the screenshot, or send it to multiple locations. For most saving methods, it won’t disrupt your workflow with notifications or prompts. Just keep taking screenshots, and in the end, you’ll find all of them in the selected location.
Highly Customizable
On top of the powerful features in such a simple app, the Greenshot screenshot tool is also highly customizable. You can go into Preferences to access all the settings: configure capture notifications, remove the mouse pointer from screenshots, add a delay before capturing, adjust the image quality, and much more.
There is also a dedicated tab for printer settings with many options to make printing easier: make the image fit on paper, add print time, adjust print color, rotate images, and more.
As mentioned earlier, most of these customization options are also available from the Quick preferences section in the system tray icon menu.
Completely Free and Open Source
Similar to ShareX, the Greenshot screenshot tool is also an open-source app that is completely free. You can view the Greenshot source code on GitHub, and report bugs or request new features on Jira.
The app is free for both personal and commercial use. However, donations are accepted if you want to support it.
I have tried many Windows screenshot tools before, including PicPick and ShareX. However, the Greenshot screenshot tool is what I settled on, as it offers all the features I need without affecting my workflow. This is why it’s one of the few startup programs I allow to start with my PC.
Image credit: Freepik. All screenshots by Karrar Haider.
Karrar Haider –
Staff Writer
Karrar is drenched in technology and always fiddles with new tech opportunities. He has a bad habit of calling technology “Killer”, and doesn’t feel bad about spending too much time in front of the PC. If he is not writing about technology, you will find him spending quality time with his little family.
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