54

I have quite often the need to take screenshots and do the following:

  • Crop them
  • Add texts (where I want to be able to choose the color)
  • Add arrows (where I want to be able to choose the color)
  • Mark stuff with rectangles / ellipses (where I want to be able to choose the color)
  • Free-hand draw

Is something like this available for Linux Mint (which is Ubuntu based)?

I know I can do this with GIMP, but drawing arrows with GIMP is a pain. Also, GIMP has much more functions than I need.

Awesome Screenshot is quite nice for taking screenshots in Chrome, but sometimes I also need to take screenshots outside of the browser.

Improve this question
1

7 Answers 7

Reset to default
35

My first thought was "ok you need something like Greenshot" so, after some search, I found Shutter which offers the features you need (more info in this blog post).
You can download it from Launchpad. More details:

  • Capture options like capture a specific area or whole desktop

  • Share options like generating shared link and Ubuntu One(which has stopped I think)

  • Edit options like these screenshots: enter image description here enter image description here

Improve this answer
8
  • Do you have plugins installed? I don't see any possiblity to edit screenshots with shutter (except from cropping).
    – Martin Thoma
    Apr 8, 2014 at 19:16
  • 1
    @moose: The left sidebar (as shown in the screenshots) contains all editing tools (including cropping): freehand, marker, lines, arrows, etc. You can switch to the edit mode via a toolbar button (in the top right).
    – unor
    Apr 8, 2014 at 20:37
  • @unor for a matter of seconds :), isn't the edit button in the top right bringing the shutter drawing tool up front?
    – dimzak
    Apr 8, 2014 at 20:40
  • 3
    @dimzak I had to install libgoo-canvas-perl. You should probably add this to your answer. Without this package, you can't edit. That was the problem I had. (Besides this: Great answer :-) Shutter is very nice :-) )
    – Martin Thoma
    Apr 10, 2014 at 9:16
  • 1
    is it that easy to draw arrows in Gimp?
    – cipricus
    Mar 17, 2017 at 16:42
20

Flameshot

1

Super easy to use. I mapped it to my PrtSc.

Improve this answer
4
  • 3
    I just tried it. This app is awesome - and in the official package sources!
    – Martin Thoma
    Nov 10, 2018 at 8:12
  • it's great although it's currently missing to add a textbox
    – miguelfg
    Jun 24, 2020 at 12:34
  • 1
    I started to use shutter. Flameshot was not able to open for me (ubuntu 20) and for many other users for some reason, issue is still open: github.com/lupoDharkael/flameshot/issues/90
    – zkvarz
    Jul 18, 2020 at 14:10
  • Also great on Archlinux.
    – TNT
    Jun 30, 2021 at 10:52
7

HotShots

Hotshots is a screenshot tool with some editing features. It is particularly suitable for writing documentation, but you can use it to highlight some details on a map image or what ever you want.

Features

Some important features:

  • Free/libre software and gratis
  • Can take screenshots: all screens, full screen, window, region, free hand region
  • Can crop those screenshots or any image inside its editor
  • Can add texts (where you will be able to choose the color)
  • Can add arrows (where you will be able to choose the color)
  • Can mark stuff with rectangles / ellipses/ polygons/ curves (where you will be able to choose the color)
  • Can use “system” shortcuts to take a screenshot.

Platform support

  • Linux (needs compilation such as on Slackware Linux; Download) -- libXfixes and libqxt would be needed before compilation. Also, developer says that compiled packages are also available for Ubuntu and Arch Linux.
  • Windows XP/Vista/7/8

Usage

HotShots is pretty simple to use (similar to KolourPaint, MS Paint or GIMP, if you used any of them). I have put some of the asked features in a screenshot.

In the following screenshot, you would find:

  • the interface of the HotShots
  • zoom in on "Soft"
  • custom text written below website's title
  • a red colored arrow pointing to Questions
  • a rectangle bordering first line of your question's body
  • an image of a turtle added where question's stats were visible
  • blurred the fourth requirement of your question's body
  • made a free curve to make up for free hand requirement accompanied by a text box below it
  • highlighted with yellow color a line of the body
  • enclosed "Love this site?" by an ellipse
  • encircled kittens roaming on my desktop

IMG: HotShots features

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    links not valid. except one for download on sourceforge
    – Zam
    May 4, 2018 at 19:11
  • @Zam thank you for bringing this to my notice. I have removed them as such.
    – Firelord
    May 5, 2018 at 0:17
3

I suggest Libreoffice Draw (and Dia) be added to dimzak's handy recommandation.

Draw allows to insert vector based signs such as arrows, ellipses, block arrows or numbers, very easily. Being vector-based, signs can be moved and resized in a breeze. IMHO they look more 'professionnal' than pixel-based ones like in Shutter and GIMP.

References

Improve this answer
1
  • The problem with Draw is that it forces your screenshot in a page layout and you can’t conveniently edit your 1920x1080 image.
    – Philipp Ludwig
    Sep 5, 2021 at 15:52
1

In Ubuntu 18.04 and later, I recommend Deepin Screenshot (deepin-screenshot). Deepin Screenshot takes screenshots, allows annotations and is very handy to use.

It's the best advanced screenshot tool for me (under Xubuntu => available in the official repositories).

The project webpage is here: https://cr.deepin.io/#/admin/projects/deepin-screenshot

Improve this answer
2
0

I really like liked Pinta. Its feature set is surprisingly robust for such a small application.

Pinta is a free, open source drawing/editing program modeled after Paint.NET. Its goal is to provide users with a simple yet powerful way to draw and manipulate images on Linux, Mac, Windows, and *BSD.

Pinta's User Interface

Improve this answer
6
  • 1
    Pinta is terrible at annotations. Try moving some text you've added.
    – Dan Dascalescu
    Nov 1, 2016 at 0:32
  • 3
    That's pretty good spelling for a dog:)
    – John Forkosh
    Nov 1, 2016 at 4:33
  • 1
    @DanDascalescu use the layers!
    – Brandon Bertelsen
    Nov 1, 2016 at 16:03
  • I have a love/hate relationship with Pinta - it regularly crashes on Ubuntu 18.04. Installed with this instructions - wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Pinta
    – MadMike
    Dec 22, 2020 at 8:19
  • 1
    @MadMike I have to agree. It's been horrible this last year or so. I've started using gThumb.
    – Brandon Bertelsen
    Dec 22, 2020 at 17:09
0

Yet another choice: Drawings

https://maoschanz.github.io/drawing/

  • Arrows
  • Shapes
  • Texts
  • ...

enter image description here

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.