This article is part of our Operating Systems and System Software resource section
Windows users typically use Windows Snipping Tool or its new replacement called Snip & Sketch to take screenshots in Windows. Since screenshots are captured directly from the computer environment, understanding what an operating system does can help put Windows screenshot tools into context.
The physical components involved in capturing and displaying screenshots are part of a computer’s hardware.
Even though they are both decent screen capture tools, they don’t really make screenshots look beautiful and they don’t offer an easy way to share screenshots, either. This is where third-party tools such as the new freeware app called ScreenshotX can come in handy.
This article is part of our Computers, Components & Peripherals resource section
Table of Contents
Screenshots on Windows can look beautiful
What even is a beautiful screenshot, you may ask. Typically, screenshots are as interesting or as boring as the actual image content of the screenshot. As this is the norm how screenshots have always been, most people don’t really care about how their screenshots look like. Especially since making a screenshot look pretty is very difficult with the usual screenshot tools.
However, with the rise of social media usage and the need to produce aesthetically pleasing content faster and in high quantities, Windows built-in snipping tool apps might not be the perfect solution for everyone anymore. If you regularly work across different platforms, comparing Windows 10 and macOS can also help you understand how their built-in tools differ.
Users who create screenshots of games or desktop setups may also want to consider the display they use. This overview of gaming monitors discusses monitor options designed for gaming environments.
Take a quick look at these two screenshots:
Between these two, which one of those looks more interesting and better suited for posting to social media or a website?
The first picture was captured using Windows Snipping Tool, while the second picture was captured with ScreenshotX.
This is what beautiful screenshots mean.
The monitor used to view an image can also affect the viewing experience, particularly when reflections make the display difficult to see. Understanding what an anti-glare screen is can help when choosing a monitor for a workspace.
For readers comparing a particular display, this ASUS VE228H 21.5-inch HDMI LED monitor review provides an example of the specifications and features to consider.
ScreenshotX, a freeware app to take beautiful screenshots
ScreenshotX is a lightweight and free tool to snip beautiful screenshots on Windows quickly and easily. Because ScreenshotX is designed specifically for Windows, it helps to understand the basics of the Windows operating system and its built-in features. It’s not jam packed with advanced features, instead, its focus is on being lightweight, easy and fun to use.
The program automatically generates backgrounds you can use with the screenshot and chooses a best fitting style for it. Of course, you can also customize the screenshot’s details, such as the background area’s size, the drop shadow effect, corner rounding radius and so on.
Screenshots can also be useful when explaining what a computer monitoring application displays. This definition of computer monitoring software introduces the software category and its purpose.
The program’s simple approach may appeal to users who want to capture and share information without needing a complicated editing workflow. Readers looking for software options can also explore this overview of computer monitoring software.
For example, someone troubleshooting a computer may want to capture the readings displayed by a CPU temperature monitor and share the screenshot with a technician.
Not only pretty – Sharing screenshots is also now easy!
In addition to easily creating beautiful screenshots, ScreenshotX also provides one-click sharing of your screenshots.
After you have taken a screenshot, you can simply click the Share button, and your screenshot is uploaded to Screenshotx.com’s server and you are given a link that can be used to access the shared screenshot. These shareable screenshots can also be useful when creating technical documentation with Windows help authoring tools, especially when explaining software interfaces step by step.
You can simply give the link to anyone you want to share your screenshot with, only people who you give the link to can view the shared screenshot.
When sharing screenshots that contain system information, it is important to consider what information is visible and who can access it. This article about monitoring devices connecting to access your data discusses an aspect of device and data security.
The screenshot sharing feature doesn’t require registration or account creation. The shared screenshots are stored online by default for 30 days, or until you delete them. If your screenshots contain important information, it is also worth keeping local copies as part of a broader Windows computer backup strategy.
A portable display can be useful when you need additional screen space while working away from your usual desk. The DLAB monitor and its portable monitor features are worth exploring if you are comparing portable display options.
Key Features
- Take a free form snip or full window screenshot
- Quickly share the screenshot with just one click. ScreenshotX can also be considered alongside other essential Windows 11 apps that improve everyday productivity.
- A selection of beautiful backgrounds to be used with the screenshot
- Edit the screenshot with a brush or highlight tool
- Extract colors from the screenshot using the color picker tool
- Retract sensitive information from the screenshot with the blur tool
- The program’s user interface supports dark mode and light mode, and comes with 21 translations including English, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Finnish, German, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
- Save the result as PNG, BMP, JPG, and TIFF file format, and also in WEBP file format if you share the screenshot.
For users who want to compare display options for everyday work, this article explains how LG monitors elevate everyday life.
ScreenshotX was launched in early March 2023 and has been trending in theDesign Tools category in Product Hunt. The program has been downloaded over 50 000 times since its launch.
Screenshots can also be useful when documenting Windows error messages. For example, users dealing with a BitLocker recovery screen may find this guide on how to bypass the BitLocker recovery blue screen relevant to their troubleshooting process.
The program is available both as a normal Windows application as well as a Portable version. For users working with cloud-based Windows environments, it may also be useful to understand how Windows 365 provides access to a Windows desktop through the cloud. The Portable version is simply one executable file you can copy and run within any Windows system and it doesn’t modify the computer in any way. If you are also managing storage or partitions on a Windows computer, a disk management tool for Windows can help you organize and monitor your drives. After you are done using it, you can just delete the executable file as no other uninstallation process is required.
When troubleshooting performance problems, screenshots of system readings can help explain what is happening. This guide on how to monitor and control CPU temperature effectively covers one example of the information users may want to document.
ScreenshotX is very lightweight, with about 3 MB in size and it supports Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7. ScreenshotX is freeware. If you are upgrading your Windows 11 machine or replacing its storage, you can also follow this guide on migrating Windows 11 to a new SSD to move your system and data safely.
Users who spend long periods working with screenshots and other on-screen content may also want to read these tips for dealing with screen fatigue.
You can try and download version 1.1 of ScreenshotX from its website: https://screenshotx.com/
If you need to capture a screen on an Apple computer instead, this guide explains how to take a screenshot on Mac.
For users who need to capture movement and explain a process rather than save a still image, a screen recorder may be a more suitable option.
A screen recording can be useful for creating step-by-step demonstrations and professional tutorials. This guide explains how to use Movavi Screen Recorder for professional tutorials.
Those who are new to recording their desktop can start with this practical guide on how to use a screen recorder.
Another option for capturing desktop activity is iFun Screen Recorder, which users can consider when comparing screen recording software.
Readers interested in another recording product can also find more information in this article about the iTop Screen Recorder Pro license key giveaway.
If you are trying to capture a browser issue rather than a Windows desktop problem, this guide on solving screenshot issues in Google Chrome may be useful.
