Filed under: Macworld, Software
Skitch
As a blogger here on TUAW I probably take an unusually high number of screenshots. I always have Grab and ImageWell running, so I can snag some pics of websites or of apps in action. That is, I always had Grab/ImageWell running, until I visited Plasq's booth on the Macworld showfloor.Move over ImageWell: I have a new love, and its name is Skitch. Skitch is currently in a very private beta (we're talking single digit users at the moment), but the good folks at Plasq assure me that more info will be available next week. Skitch simplifies the way you take screenshots on your Mac. Think of it as a WYSIWYG screenshot taker (that's What You See Is What You Get) with the added bonus of making uploading those pics to a remote server (via FTP, SFTP, .Mac, or Flickr to name a few) dead simple. And it doesn't stop there; Skitch can also take pictures using your iSight and allows you to add text, doodles, and arrows to those images (and each of those elements is inserted onto its own layer, but Skitch handles all that... you need not interact directly with the layers).
Read on for a screenshot, though it really doesn't tell the whole story of this innovative UI.
As you can see, Skitch won't make you look any better, but it does have a great interface (and notice those very cool arrows). I'll be writing more about this clever app in the near future (when Plasq has more info for public consumption) but I can say this is the coolest thing I have seen at Macworld that isn't an iPhone.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kevin S. said 6:08PM on 1-10-2007
I like it... except that it tosses the interface guidelines WAY away.
weird window, no standard close minimize zoom.
they should ditch that top bar that says Skitch in the italics, make it a normal title bar.
make the side toolbars drawers. the bottom a drawer too. not necessarily a closable drawer, but a drawer.
seriously, i hate windows apps that are weird and their own UI (tons of shareware video converter apps come to mind) i don't want to see mac developers do this...
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Ian Silber said 6:58PM on 1-10-2007
Ever tried using the built in shortcuts?
Shift+Command+3 = Full screen shot (to desktop)
Shift+Command+3+Ctrl = Full screen shot (to clipboard)
Shift+Command+4 = Screen shot based on selection (to desktop)
Shift+Command+4+Ctrl = Screen shot based on selection (to clipboard)
So handy.
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soho said 7:08PM on 1-10-2007
I agree with Kevin here - why trash the design guidelines like the borders, when you can make great looking applications which fit in the good looks of OS X. Just have a look at CSSEdit, the new Shiira Beta, Newsfire, etc, which all have a stunning UI while staying in "OS X land".
Anyway, the features sure sound tempting.
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Nick said 12:25AM on 1-11-2007
I talked with the Plasq guys today at the stand, and apparently the interface is a very contentious subject.
They are all aware that it does not follow the HUD guidelines, but the HUD guidelines apparently don't cover apps that behave like Skitch. Skitch sits on top of other currently running apps, and allows you to see and draw on the app running bellow it. The frame that you see is really that - a frame that frames the content below. What makes Skitch so amazing is that you can draw in this window which is a transparent view of whatever is below it, then drag the contents of the window and drop it on another app - like mail to email your annotated screenshot. Its very Mac like in the way it uses drag and drop, and its incredible ease of use. Unfortunately all this is wrapped up in something that looks like a particularly bad Win XP app. Thankfully they are still in private beta, so the more people who make comments to their marketing guy, the more likely it is that things could change.
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Shunnabunich said 2:01AM on 1-11-2007
What I'd like to see is a screenshot app that can capture a single window *with alpha channel* — that means pixel-accurate window edges and shadows — and save it into an image format such as PNG which supports transparency. It'd eliminate the need to ever worry about your backdrop. I'm well aware that Snapz can provide "imitation" borders that simulate your window sitting on a white background (unless you're using ShapeShifter, then you're hosed), but this would be the real deal.
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elfrune said 10:05AM on 1-11-2007
Looks cool, I would download it so long as its free...
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Hagen Kaye said 11:29AM on 1-11-2007
Move over ImageWell for a new love? That just makes me sad - poor ImageWell :cry:
I often wondered when someone else would come up with an image editor with built in FTP, etc., I guess I no longer have to wonder when :)
Anyways competition is good, looks like we'll have to put out ImageWell 3.1 quicker then we thought :D
Hagen Kaye
XtraLean Software
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Chris Messina said 3:26PM on 1-11-2007
Hagen -- you should have added Flickr upload like I asked during your ImageWell beta! Plasq listened and now I'm using Skitch all the time!
I still
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Chris Messina said 3:56PM on 1-11-2007
... heart ImageWell, but it would have been great if you guys added Flickr uploading.
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Hagen Kaye said 4:54PM on 1-11-2007
Chris - It was unfortunate we ran out of time and couldn't add Flickr to ImageWell 3 before it got released. It's still right up there on the list of features to add.
Being a small developer and wearing multiple hats, it feels like we always have many pots heating on the stove and there are always 2 pots that are ready to boil over - looks like that flickr pot is about to go.. :)
(I was secretly hoping an enterprising *nix programmer would notice that all our export functions are written with tcl/expect scripts and email us out of the blue and say - hey here is a tcl/perl/python/ruby script to upload to flickr - I guess I can only dream :)
Hagen Kaye
XtraLean Software
Maker of ImageWell with Flickr support coming soon...
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Allan White said 8:05PM on 1-11-2007
I heart ImageWell, too. Flickr Uploading - nice I guess, but that's what Aperture 1.5 + plugin is for. I wouldn't use it on images I actually post to Flickr. I guess some people put up screen grabs, but then you'd need a place to enter metadata, etc. Feature bloat IMHO.
ImageWell is invaluable for blogging, though. It's focused, capable and simple. 3.1 is interesting but I'm starting to see a lot of bells & whistles creep in that aren't really needed.
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Jeem said 11:30AM on 1-12-2007
Wha?! Only people with one finger can beta it! Damn, leaves me out.
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King Fysel said 11:33AM on 1-12-2007
yo
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LKM said 12:09PM on 1-15-2007
haha. great one, jeem.
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