PrtScr: stylish, "cool" screen capture program

PrtScr is a free screen capturing program that combines good functionality with an excellent user experience. It offers much of what you would expect out of a screen capture program within a stylish, visually appealing user interface.

This program is not the most feature-rich freeware screen capturing program out there, it isn’t the most powerful, and it doesn’t have the built-in editors/annotation tools that some other programs have; despite all of this, however, it manages to be an excellent screen capturing program, provides a very good range range of functions, and (most notably) delivers an excellent user experience.

If you’re wondering about “what could possibly be so stylish and cool about this program?”, the answer is in the way the interface is implemented, from the actual capturing process all the way to the (very pleasant) post-capture visual pyrotechnics where the captured image floats on screen and can be moved around and/or manipulated via right-click (check out the video below to see for yourself).

Here are more notes on this program:

• Capture modes: capture full screen (click “PrintScrn” twice), rectangular region, or freehand region of any shape. [Update Sep 14, 09] also supports capture topmost through Alt+PrntScrn hotkey.
• Hotkey: program is activated by clicking “PrintScrn”; you can optionally change it to any other hotkey combination.
• “Annotation”: will let you perform drawings with the mouse on screen right before you capture, which sounds like a great thing but in practice is of little use.
• Delays before capture: right click the PrtScr icon in the system tray to request delays of 5 or 30 seconds (not changeable).
• Editing: there is no internal editor; however, click “edit” and your captured image is opened using your PC’s default image editor. To find a good editing/annotation app and change the default image editor on your PC see this post.
• Multiple monitors: supported.
• Rescaling: (i.e.resizing the image) is possible before saving.
• Title and comment: you can add a title and/or a comment on-the-fly as you capture a screenshot

Wish list:

• More capture modes: specifically, (1) capture active window [supported], and (2) the ability to scroll through capture specific window elements, and (3) the ability to capture a fixed region.
• “Repeat last capture”: an option which I frequently use and need, which PtrScr does not currently offer.
• Magnifier glass: the kind that would pop-up when you’re capturing in order to help you select the area you want up to the exact pixel. Strangely absent.

The verdict: this is the kind of program that you might want to recommend to people who secretly want a Mac, or users who are not too technically savvy (not that I am equating these two groups in any way ). Or you may want to use it alongside a more powerful/sophisticated screen capture program (e.g. PicPick or Screenshot Captor) and set a different hotkey for each so they don’t conflict. Try it out for yourself you may like it!

Version Tested: 1.5

Compatibility: Windows XP ot Vista and a good graphic card.

Go to the program page to download the latest version (approx 2.35 megs).