Creating a screenshot on a Linux system is not a simple and straightforward process like on computers with a Windows, macOS or OS X operating system. The reason lies in the fact that there is no universal and integrated tool in Linux dedicated to this purpose. Each Linux distribution may or may not include such functionality. Fortunately, most include at least one tool that can take a screenshot, and if the version of Linux you're using doesn't even have one, there are several that you can install and try.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Using Gnome Screen Capture
The Stamp key cannot be used in any Linux distribution to automatically create a screenshot, but it works on most desktop systems that use the Gnome GUI, such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint. If the steps in this section don't produce any results, try one of the other methods in the article.
Step 1. Press the button
Stamp to take a screenshot of the entire screen.
Inside the image produced will be present everything that is displayed on the screen. You will be asked to choose where to save the generated screenshot.
The "Print" key is located at the top right of the keyboard, usually between the F12 function key and the Delete or Pause key. Depending on the type of keyboard in use, a different wording may be indicated, such as "Print Screen", "PrtScr", "Print Scrn", "Impr Pant" or a similar abbreviation
Step 2. Press the key combination
Alt + Stamp to take a screenshot of a window.
In this case a snapshot of the currently active window will be taken. The file will be automatically saved in the "Pictures" folder.
Step 3. Press the hotkey combination
⇧ Shift + Stamp to be able to select the subject with which to create the screenshot.
In this case you will be given the opportunity to draw a selection box, to delimit the area of the screen which will then be included in the screenshot. Also in this case the resulting file will be automatically saved in the "Images" folder.
Step 4. Launch the "Screen Capture" utility
Gnome's "Screenshot" program allows you to use some additional features to customize your screenshots. For example, insert a delay in image acquisition. The "Screenshot" program is stored in the "Accessories" folder of the "Applications" menu.
Step 5. Choose the type of screenshot you want to generate
You can choose to use one of the three capture modes described in the previous steps.
Step 6. Enter a delay
If the timing of taking the snapshot depends on a time factor, you can use the "Capture after a delay of [number] seconds" function of the "Screen Capture" program, to make sure that the image is captured afterwards. a specific time interval. This way you will have the opportunity to prepare the content on the screen before the screenshot is generated.
Step 7. Choose the effects to apply
You can choose whether or not to include both the mouse pointer and the edges of the screen in the screenshot.
Method 2 of 4: Using GIMP
Step 1. Install the GIMP software
It is a free and open source image editor that is already present within some Linux distributions. If the one you are using does not include it in the pre-installed software, you can download it for free using the "Software" tool. Start the latter program, search using the keyword "gimp", then install the "GIMP Image Editor" application.
Step 2. After starting GIMP, go to the "File" menu, choose the "Create" item and finally select the "Screen Image" option
A small dialog box will appear, through which you can take a screenshot of the screen. This is a software tool very similar to Gnome's "Screen Capture" utility.
Step 3. Choose the type of screenshot you want to capture
You can choose between three modes of use: single window, full screen or by custom selection. If you choose to take a screenshot of a single window, you will have the option to select the one of your interest.
Step 4. Enter a delay in taking the screenshot
In this case, the screen image will be captured after the specified time has elapsed, so that you can arrange the content on the screen correctly. If you have chosen the custom or single window capture mode, you will need to choose the subject of the screenshot once the time, set as a delay, has expired.
Step 5. Press the "Capture" button to take the screenshot
Depending on the settings you have chosen, the screenshot could be generated immediately. At the end of the procedure, the scanned image will automatically open within the GIMP window.
Step 6. Save the screenshot
If you don't need to make any changes to the scanned image, you can save it directly to your computer hard drive. Access the "File" menu and choose "Export". Choose a name for the file and select the folder where you want to save it. At the end of the selection press the "Export" button.
Method 3 of 4: Using ImageMagick
Step 1. Open a "Terminal" window
ImageMagick is a GUI-free program that can be used to take a screenshot via the command line. Many Linux distributions include ImageMagick in their pre-installed software, but in case you don't have it, you can install it for free without any hassle.
If you are using Ubuntu and want to open a "Terminal" window quickly and easily, press the key combination Ctrl + Alt + T (also works on many other Linux distributions)
Step 2. Install ImageMagick
Type the command sudo apt-get install imagemagick inside the "Terminal" window and press the Enter key. You will be asked to enter the system administrator account password. If ImageMagick is not present in the system, it will be downloaded from the web and installed. On the contrary, if it is already present inside the computer, you will be notified.
Step 3. Take a screenshot of the entire screen
Type the command import -window root Pictures / Filename-p.webp
Step 4. Take a screenshot of a specific window
Type the command import Pictures / Filename-p.webp
Step 5. Add a delay to taking the screenshot
Type the command import -window root -pause Number_Seconds Pictures / Filename-p.webp
Method 4 of 4: Using Shutter
Step 1. Install Shutter
It is a popular screenshot capture program that provides some advanced features for image editing and sharing. If for whatever reason you often need to create and share screenshots, you should most likely give this tool a try.
- You can install Shutter through the package managers of most Linux distributions. Perform a simple search using the keyword "Shutter", then install the program.
- If you want to install Shutter from the "Terminal" window, type the command sudo add-apt-repository ppa: shutter / ppa and press the Enter key. Update your distribution's repositories using the sudo apt-get update command, then proceed to install Shutter by typing the command sudo apt-get install shutter.
Step 2. Choose the type of screenshot you want to capture
At the top of the Shutter window there are three options to choose from: "Selection", "Desktop" and "Window". Choose the relevant button to select the desired creation mode.
Step 3. Take the screenshot
If you have chosen the "Desktop" mode, the screenshot will be generated automatically. If you have chosen the "Selection" mode, the screen brightness will be decreased and you will be given the option to select the area with which to create the screenshot. Anything enclosed in the selection area you have drawn will be included in the image. If you have chosen the "Window" mode, you will need to select the window you want to take the screenshot of.
The generated image will be automatically saved in the "Pictures" folder
Step 4. Edit the screenshot
After capturing it, a preview will be displayed in the Shutter window. Press the "Edit" button to open the program's image editor. You can use this Shutter tool to emphasize certain elements of the screenshot or to insert notes. At the end of the changes press the "Save" button.
Step 5. Export the screenshot
You can choose to upload it to an FTP server or a clouding service. Press the "Export" button to access the menu of the same name.
- By choosing the "Host" tab you can choose to post the screenshot to an online hosting service such as Dropbox. After selecting one of the services present, you will be asked to provide your account login credentials.
- The "FTP" tab allows you to enter the connection information to the FTP server on which you want to transfer the screenshot. This is a great option if you plan to use it on a blog or website.
- Using the "Paths" tab, you can choose to move the screenshot to another folder on the computer or LAN to which it is connected.
