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Screenshot Plus and iWork: the poor man's screenshot editing suite

by Sang Tang Mar 25th 2010 at 12:00AM

Despite their office productivity leanings, the iWork suite of apps (Pages, Keynote and Numbers) also serve as good image editors. With each app, you can crop and mask an image, as well as create alpha channels.

While a handful of useful paid-for screen capture apps are available for Mac OS X -- and many with very useful advanced features -- the one-two combination of the Screenshot Plus Dashboard widget and iWork can serve as an adequate pseudo screen capturing app.

While you can use Command-Shift-3 (or 4) as well as Control-Command-Shift-3 (or 4) to accomplish similar tasks, Screen Capture Plus also includes niceties, such as timed screen grabs and image file type options that, in addition to its straightforward functions, don't require much fiddling with.



After downloading and installing Screenshot Plus, make sure that it's configured to save files to the clipboard. As with many widgets, getting to Screenshot Plus's preferences requires a click on the little "i" on the bottom right-hand corner of the widget.

Saving your snaps to the clipboard will allow you to easily paste them into iWork to edit and annotate. Keynote is the iWork app used in the examples here, but these apply across all the iWork apps as well. And in the example, I've pasted a screenshot of iTunes with accompanying annotations noting album art, arrow links, and the Genius Sidebar.

While you can easily use Keynote's (or Pages and Numbers) tools to annotate your screen capture, I find that having them readily available on the side of your document better facilitates the workflow.

Using the "Shapes" tool, you can place bubbles and lines of all sorts onto your document. And to edit a shape's appearance, just click on it -- or highlight a group of shapes, if you want to do it en masse -- and click on "Inspector" (Command-Option-I). There, you can customize the shape's background, stroke, opacity, and much more.

After you've completed annotating and editing your screen capture, select all of its elements (minus the readily available template of shapes) and copy (Command-C) them.

Now, launch Preview.app, click on "File" and select "New from Clipboard" (Command-N). Your annotated and edited image capture is now ready for you to save. PDF, PNG, GIF and JPEG are a few of the many file types that you can use when you save your image.



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Despite their office productivity leanings, the iWork suite of apps (Pages, Keynote and Numbers) also serve as good image editors. With...
 

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Ting

For all you who are plugging favourite applications, can anyone recommend a good general paint and vector programme?

Something like SuperPaint from back in the days of System 7?

It was a great cross between MacPaint and MacDraw... and I miss it lots!

BTW, I am not a graphic designer, hence this plea for help...

March 27 2010 at 5:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Doug

All the screenshot programs mentioned above by other commenters are good for just simple screenshots, but for a real solution to do software documentation, I highly recommend ScreenSteps. (http://www.bluemangolearning.com/screensteps/) It is well worth the $39 for the Standard edition or $79 for the Pro version. It will literally change the way you do your documentation. It makes documenting things fast and easy and then has a number of export options including PDF, HTML and integration with Wordpress etc. Great program. Check it out. I have no links to the company beyond being a very happy customer.

March 25 2010 at 4:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
maxmontreal

I love screen shot plus, it sends to a folder i have on the right of my finder, which is sorted by date, so i snap, open finder, open that folder and what i just snapped is always at the top. So easy to send ideas to people and yes, import things into iWork

March 25 2010 at 10:55 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jay

I use InstantShot! for screenshots. Free, easy and nice options. Use it many times per day and love it.

http://projects.digitalwaters.net/index.php?q=instantshot

March 25 2010 at 9:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
genenphotos

A problem with pasting graphics into Keynote is that there may be a color shift, due probably to a color profile for Keynote. I've measured pre- and post-pastes using Digital Color Meter and it is real.

March 25 2010 at 8:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
gs_a

MacOSX has had 'Grab' since 10.0 (I think).

It allows you to do Timed grabs. It makes tiffs which you can either convert in Preview or use one of the Finder Services, to change format (http://www.macosxautomation.com/services/download/index.html)


As for MacOSX not shipping with an image Editor :

Well ... every Mac ships with iPhoto, which is capable enough for most people.

MacOSX itself ships with Preview.app, which allows you to adjust :

Levels, Exposure, Contrast, Saturation, Temperature, Tint, Sepia, Sharpness and Size.

You can also Assign a colour profile, or convert to a colour profile.

You can also make an Alpha channel.

You can also use all the PDF style annotation tools and add security.

Sheesh.

March 25 2010 at 8:16 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
House of Mirth

The expression 'For The Poor Man' is often used to describe something affordable, or a cheaper alternative to something costly. It doesn't necessarily mean free.

March 25 2010 at 4:55 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eric Summers

I own several programs. I prefer Little Snapper. It is much less expense then some of the others too.

March 25 2010 at 1:18 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hagen Kaye

I'm thinking while I'm plugging my own product here - I'll do 25 giveaway licenses here at tuaw if they plug my product ImageWell on how easy it is to do screen shots with talking clouds, labels, borders, etc. etc.

Hagen Kaye
XtraLean Software

March 25 2010 at 12:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hagen Kaye

Heh, I'll do a shameless plug for our product:

ImageWell

Hagen Kaye
XtraLean Software

ps - read tuaw everyday, enjoy the articles and information

March 25 2010 at 12:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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