CaptureScreen is easy to use:
Right-click for contextual menu access. Move and size the window to the desired location, and select the "Capture" command for a region capture of the screen, or the "Full Screen" command for a full capture of the screen. Save the capture with the "Save" command; png format (by default) gives a perfect result. The "Clear" command erases the capture.

You can easily capture and manipulate a screen portion, e.g., compare two texts or two images.
The "Show All" command shows the full menu and all commands.

CaptureScreen includes advanced options:
The "Thumbnail..." command allows you to save a thumbnail (or a enlargement) of the capture (with 2 methods). Image effects (Lighten, Darken, GrayScale, Invert, Contrast, Color, RGB ...) and special effects (Selective GrayScale, Color To Transparent, Psychedelic, B/W Sketch, Color Emboss...) are available with the "Effects" menu. Multi-level Undo and Redo are also available.

By double-click, if CaptureScreen is your image editor by default, you can open and edit images and saved captures. In "More Commands" menu, you can use the "Open and Mix" or the "Capture and Mix" commands, to mix and merge images and captures.

The "Transparent Mode" command preserves the window and the image in transparency: you can use the capture like a tracing paper. The "No Border Mode" command allows you to hide window's border; you can open by example several instances of CaptureScreen to make a photomontage. All image effects are available in a selection rectangle with the "Selection Mode".

The "CaptureScreen Options" allows you to set and save user settings (Hotkeys for menus commands, Run in "No Border Mode", Transparency, Delay Time, JPG Quality...). The "JPG Quality" Options allows you to reduce the file size of the image (saved in JPG/JPEG format). Settings and are also automatically saved to a text file, when closing the application.


CaptureScreen Tips:

- Use the "Top" command or the "Top" option ("Options..." >> "Top") to show or not show CaptureScreen above all windows.

- Dialog box: move the mouse cursor over the controls (button, checkbox...) to display a tooltip.

- For easy use of CaptureScreen, set your hotkeys for each command ("Options..." >> "Hotkeys"). The Hotkeys list (Hotkeys_List.html) is located in the application directory.

- To save user settings: "Options..." menu >> "Save Settings". The settings file (CS_UserSettings.txt) is located in the application directory.

- To move CaptureScreen window: Click and drag the window; by hotkeys "Ctrl+Arrow Keys" (10 pixel increments) or by hotkeys "Arrow Keys" (1 pixel increments).

- To resize CaptureScreen window: normal window resize; use "Image Size" menu (see also below); by hotkeys "Alt+Arrow Keys" (10 pixel increments) or by hotkeys "Shift+Arrow Keys" (1 pixel increments). The Size commands are inactive with a maximized window.

- The "Clear" command erases the capture and enables the commands to set the size of the capture ("Image Size" menu).

- "Transparent Mode": you can define transparency in Options dialog box (10 to 90%). The saved image is identical in the two modes ("Normal" and "Transparent Mode").

- "No Border Mode": To access menus commands (by mouse and keyboard), click on CaptureScreen Main Window or click on CaptureScreen Main Button in Task Bar. Back to "Normal Mode": Ctrl+F12; Exit CaptureScreen: Alt+F4.
If you open several instances of CaptureScreen, use the "Set Window Title..." command to change window title.

- To show the entire captured image: "Image Size" menu >> "Show Entire Image" or Ctrl+A.

- To show the size of the captured image: "Image Size" menu >> "Show Size" or Ctrl+W.

- All image effects: Multi-level Undo (Ctrl+Z) and Redo (Ctrl+Y) are available; Ctrl+N cancels all image effects. All image effects are done with one mouse click or by hotkey (except for the three following effects).

- "Selective GrayScale", "Color To Transparent" and "Selective Transparent" effects: select a color by double-clicking on the captured image. These effects are inactive with a stretched image (large image or full screen captured). For the "Color To Transparent" and "Selective Transparent effects", you need to open an image of the same size that the capture to fill transparent areas.

- The "Effects Settings..." menu allows you to set parameters for most of the images effects. Under category "Convolution Effects", you will find predefined effects (Emboss, Sharpening, Edge Detect, Blur...). You can also create and save your own effects using a "Convolution Matrix" (see "B/W...Emboss" tab).

- To open a image with CaptureScreen, use the "Open" menu (Ctrl+O), or right-click on the image file(ex: .jpg file), use the classic "Open With" Dialog Box (Open With / Choose default program...), browse and select "CaptureScreen.exe". To always open this image file with CaptureScreen, check "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file".

- For a easy use of the "Capture and Mix" commands, enable the "Transparent Mode".

- In "Selection Mode" you can move CaptureScreen window with the right button (click and drag).


CaptureScreen by Example:

- Capture and effects with one click:
Lion Invert Effect GrayScale Effect Red null Effect



- Special effects with one click:
Old House Color Emboss Effect UniColor Sketch Effect B/W Sketch Effect

Emboss Effect Sharpening Effect Blur Effect Edge Detect Effect


Swans Psychedelic1 Effect Psychedelic2 Effect Psychedelic3 Effect



- Special effects with a few clicks:
Golden Gate Selective GrayScale Effect Colors Selective GrayScale Effect

Original1 Background1 Selective Transparent Effect

Original2 Background2 Color To Transparent Effect



- "Transparent Mode" and "No Border Mode":
Background1 Text1 Text2 "Transparent Mode" and "No Border Mode"




- Open/Capture and Mix:
Bay Logo Bay + Logo (Mix1 or Mix2)


Image1 Image2 Dissolving Mix1




- "Selection Mode":
Selection and GrayScale Effect Selection and Invert Effect Selection and Selective GrayScale Effect




CaptureScreen Hotkeys (by default):

Main menu:
Capture Ctrl+Ins
Save Ctrl+S
Clear Ctrl+Del
Full Screen Ctrl+F
Open... Ctrl+O
Thumbnail... Ctrl+T
Transparent Mode Ctrl+E
No Border Mode Ctrl+F12
Options... Ctrl+Q
Exit Alt+F4
More Commands menu:
Copy to Clipboard Ctrl+C
Print Ctrl+P
Help F1
Size menu:
Show Size Ctrl+W
Size1 Alt+1
Size2 Alt+2
Size3 Alt+3
Size4 Alt+4
Size5 Alt+5
Set Size... Ctrl+I
Show Entire Image Ctrl+A
Effects menu:
None Ctrl+N
Lighten Ctrl+L
Darken Ctrl+D
Contrast + Ctrl+F5
Contrast - Ctrl+F6
Color + Ctrl+F7
Color - Ctrl+F8
GrayScale Ctrl+G
Invert Ctrl+V
Undo Ctrl+Z
Redo Ctrl+Y
Special Effects menu:
Selective GrayScale F2
Color To Transparent F3
Selective Transparent F4
Psychedelic1 Ctrl+F1
Psychedelic2 Ctrl+F2
Psychedelic3 Ctrl+F3
B/W max. F5
UniColor max. F6
B/W Sketch F7
UniColor Sketch F8
GrayScale Emboss F9
Color Emboss + Predef. Effects F10
RGB menu:
Red + Ctrl+1
Red - Ctrl+2
Green + Ctrl+3
Green - Ctrl+4
Blue + Ctrl+5
Blue - Ctrl+6
Moving window:
10 pixel increments Ctrl+Arrow Keys
1 pixel increments Arrow Keys
Sizing window:
10 pixel increments Alt+Arrow Keys
1 pixel increments Shift+Arrow Keys