Tips/Take screenshots faster with Spectacle using shortcuts: Difference between revisions
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==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
KDE Plasma offers a simple yet powerful screenshotting tool called Spectacle, and here you’ll learn how you can capture your screen using super convenient shortcuts. | |||
[[File:Take screenshots faster with spectacle using shortcuts thumb.png|800px|frameless|center]] | |||
==Taking screenshots with Spectacle== | |||
{{Note|While reading this tutorial, you might get confused when we mention the Meta key. In Plasma, the Meta Key is what you might know as the Super, Start, Windows, or Command key. If you have trouble finding it, it’s the key that sits between <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> and <keycap>Alt</keycap> on most keyboards.}} | {{Note|While reading this tutorial, you might get confused when we mention the Meta key. In Plasma, the Meta Key is what you might know as the Super, Start, Windows, or Command key. If you have trouble finding it, it’s the key that sits between <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> and <keycap>Alt</keycap> on most keyboards.}} | ||
===Capture a specific window=== | ===Capture a specific window=== | ||
[[File:Kde spectacle main window screenshot.png|frame|center|This is Spectacle's main window]] | [[File:Kde spectacle main window screenshot.png|frame|center|This is Spectacle's main window]] | ||
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Pressing <keycap>Meta+Shift+PrintScreen</keycap> will bring up the rectangular selection. You can then click and drag to select a rectangular region of the screen and press <keycap>Enter</keycap> to take the screenshot. If you want to cancel, you can also press <keycap>Esc</keycap>. | Pressing <keycap>Meta+Shift+PrintScreen</keycap> will bring up the rectangular selection. You can then click and drag to select a rectangular region of the screen and press <keycap>Enter</keycap> to take the screenshot. If you want to cancel, you can also press <keycap>Esc</keycap>. | ||
[[File:Rectangular selection spectacle.png|frame|center|The help tooltip also shows a lot more shortcuts you can use while in that mode | [[File:Rectangular selection spectacle.png|frame|center|The help tooltip also shows a lot more shortcuts you can use while in that mode]] | ||
===Capture the entire desktop=== | ===Capture the entire desktop=== | ||
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Finally, if you want to capture everything on your screen, press <keycap>Shift+PrintScreen</keycap>. | Finally, if you want to capture everything on your screen, press <keycap>Shift+PrintScreen</keycap>. | ||
[[File:Kde screenshot desktop.png|frame|center| | [[File:Kde screenshot desktop.png|frame|center|KDE Plasma Desktop]] | ||
===Take screenshots without a keyboard=== | ===Take screenshots without a keyboard=== | ||
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After you capture your screen, you can either take a new screenshot with different settings by clicking on the <menuchoice>Take a New Screenshot</menuchoice> button or save the one you made by clicking on the <menuchoice>Save As…</menuchoice> button and selecting where you want to save it to: | After you capture your screen, you can either take a new screenshot with different settings by clicking on the <menuchoice>Take a New Screenshot</menuchoice> button or save the one you made by clicking on the <menuchoice>Save As…</menuchoice> button and selecting where you want to save it to: | ||
[[File:Save screenshot spectacle kde.png|frame|center | [[File:Save screenshot spectacle kde.png|frame|center]] | ||
If you do happen to have a keyboard, you can press <keycap>PrintScreen</keycap> to open Spectacle as well. | If you do happen to have a keyboard, you can press <keycap>PrintScreen</keycap> to open Spectacle as well. | ||
Latest revision as of 21:54, 29 June 2022
Introduction
KDE Plasma offers a simple yet powerful screenshotting tool called Spectacle, and here you’ll learn how you can capture your screen using super convenient shortcuts.
Taking screenshots with Spectacle
Capture a specific window
If you want to take a screenshot of a specific window, there are two shortcuts you can use.
To capture the active window, just press Meta+PrintScreen.
If you want to capture the window under the cursor, press Meta+Ctrl+PrintScreen.
Doing any of those with Spectacle closed will automatically save your screen capture to your Pictures folder. With it open, it will update the picture in Spectacle’s window.
Screenshot with a rectangular selection
Pressing Meta+Shift+PrintScreen will bring up the rectangular selection. You can then click and drag to select a rectangular region of the screen and press Enter to take the screenshot. If you want to cancel, you can also press Esc.
Capture the entire desktop
Finally, if you want to capture everything on your screen, press Shift+PrintScreen.
Take screenshots without a keyboard
If you’re on a device without a keyboard, like a Steam Deck, you can still take screenshots without a keyboard. To take a screenshot, you can simply open Spectacle from the Application Launcher which is usually the icon at the bottom left corner of your screen. Spectacle will take a screenshot based on the last used settings.
After you capture your screen, you can either take a new screenshot with different settings by clicking on the button or save the one you made by clicking on the button and selecting where you want to save it to:
If you do happen to have a keyboard, you can press PrintScreen to open Spectacle as well.
See how fast you can capture your screen using keyboard shortcuts in KDE Plasma? That’s only the tip of the iceberg though. You can also customize the shortcuts, annotate over pictures, share, and even print.
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