Edit Screenshots With Lightshot: Part 2

In part 1 of this article, we told you about Lightshot, a free application helps you create, edit, and share screenshots much faster than “Print Screen” does and gave step-by-step instructions for downloading and installing the program. If you haven’t read that article yet, make sure to check it out first.

Now let’s look at how to use Lightshot. 

Creating the Screenshot

 To try out the application, hit the  “Print Screen” key on your keyboard.

You’ll capture a shot of your current screen.

 

Hold down your left mouse button, and drag it around the area you want to select.

You’ll notice two trays of editing tools on the bottom-right corner of the selected area (boxed in red below).

From there, you can do whatever you want with your screenshot—a few options are listed below.

Copy-Paste Screenshot into another Application

 To copy your screenshot into another application (e.g. Microsoft Word): Hit “Ctrl+C” after creating the screenshot, open the application where you wish to copy-paste, and hit “Ctrl+V”. The result will be as follows:

No need to save the screenshot as a separate file. Just paste!

Save the Screenshot

 If you do want to save the screenshot as a separate file, click “Save” (boxed in red below) after creating the screenshot. Alternatively, you can hit “Ctrl+S”.

When the dialog box below opens, click “Save” to save the screenshot into the “Lightshot” folder. You can also rename the file, change the image format, or create another folder for your screenshot.

Create an Online Link to the Screenshot

 Sometimes, you’d rather share a link of the screenshot online than create a separate file for it. To do that, click the “Upload to prntscr.com” button (boxed in red below) after creating the screenshot. You can also hit “Ctrl+D” for the same purpose.

Afterwards, the box below will appear, prompting you to either “Open” or “Copy” the link. Click “Open” if you want to see the screenshot for yourself; click “Copy” if you want to share it via e-mail, social media, etc. right off the bat.

Edit the Screenshot

 Maybe you want to spruce up your screenshot. Maybe you want to crop it, color it, or add other elements to it. In that case, hit “Ctrl+E” after creating your screenshot, and wait for this window to appear.

As you can see, it’s a cruder version of Photoshop. You’ll probably get better results with the real thing, but for basic edits (e.g. cropping, lighting, layers), this one does a good job. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the tools; you never know what trick you’ll learn!

Final Thoughts

 If your work involves taking a lot of screenshots, Lightshot is a handy tool to have. It’s free, efficient, and—above all—user-friendly. Try it today, and see for yourself whether it makes a difference in your productivity.

~ Issa