FlameshotFlameshot is a powerful, open-source screenshot tool designed for speed, flexibility, and easy annotation. It’s popular among developers, designers, and regular users who want more control than built-in screenshot utilities provide. This article covers Flameshot’s features, installation, usage, customization, common workflows, tips, and troubleshooting.
What is Flameshot?
Flameshot is a cross-platform screenshot application (primarily used on Linux, but also available for Windows and macOS) that combines a simple selection-based capture flow with an integrated, feature-rich annotation editor. It focuses on quick keyboard-driven usage and offers configurable options for appearance, upload, and saving.
Key Features
- Custom selection and capture (region, full screen)
- Built-in annotation tools: pen, arrow, line, rectangle, circle, text, blur, and color picker
- Undo/redo while annotating
- Keyboard shortcuts for almost every action
- Configurable default save path and filename template
- Integration with image hosting/upload services (via custom scripts)
- Tray icon for quick access and persistent background mode
- Support for copying images directly to clipboard
Installation
Installation steps vary by platform.
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
sudo apt update sudo apt install flameshot Fedora:
sudo dnf install flameshot Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S flameshot Windows:
- Download the installer from the official Flameshot GitHub releases and run it.
macOS:
- Install via Homebrew:
brew install --cask flameshotOr download a prebuilt release from the project’s releases page.
Getting Started: Basic Usage
- Launch Flameshot (from Applications menu, system tray, or terminal by running
flameshot). - Activate capture: press the configured global shortcut (often Print Screen) or click the tray icon and choose “Take screenshot”.
- Click and drag to select an area. The annotation toolbar appears near the selection.
- Use tools to annotate: draw arrows, shapes, add text, blur sensitive info.
- Save, copy to clipboard, upload (if configured), or cancel.
Keyboard shortcuts speed up workflow: for example, press Enter to save, Ctrl+C to copy, Esc to cancel. You can press A to toggle annotation mode or S to toggle the ruler — shortcuts are configurable.
Customization
Flameshot allows many preferences to be tuned:
- Theme and colors for toolbar and annotations
- Default save directory and filename pattern
- Shortcut keys for capture and other actions
- Whether to show the tray icon or run in background
- Upload command: configure a custom script to send images to your preferred image-hosting service (e.g., imgur, private server via scp or an API)
Example: configure a script that uploads images to an S3 bucket or your own server and returns a URL to the clipboard. Flameshot can call this script after capturing.
Example Workflow Scenarios
Developer bug report:
- Capture the failing UI area, annotate the erroneous section with an arrow and short text, blur user IDs, copy the image link to the clipboard, paste into an issue tracker.
Design feedback:
- Capture a mockup, draw shapes to indicate alignment or spacing issues, add text notes directly on the image, save versioned filenames for review.
Quick sharing:
- Select area, press copy, paste image directly into Slack or email draft.
Advanced Tips
- Use a global keyboard shortcut to replace the default OS screenshot tool for seamless captures.
- Combine Flameshot with scripting: a post-capture upload script can automate sharing and return a public URL.
- For repeated tasks, set a predictable filename template (e.g., %Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S.png) and default folder to keep screenshots organized.
- If you need exact pixel measurements, enable the ruler and zoom features while annotating.
- Use the blur tool for GDPR/compliance-safe screenshots when sharing logs or personal data.
Troubleshooting
- Flameshot not starting: check that required libraries are installed; run
flameshot -vto get version and errors from terminal. - Global shortcut doesn’t work: ensure no other application (including desktop environment) claims the same key; configure Flameshot’s shortcut in system settings.
- Clipboard copy fails on Wayland: some Wayland compositors restrict clipboard access — use save-to-file or configure a Wayland-compatible clipboard utility.
- Upload script not executing: ensure the script is executable and returns the final URL to stdout; test it independently from terminal.
Alternatives and When to Use Flameshot
Flameshot is ideal when you need quick, annotated screenshots with moderate editing built-in. Alternatives include:
- Shutter (Linux) — more features but older and less maintained in some distros.
- Spectacle (KDE) / Gnome Screenshot — simpler, integrated with desktops but fewer annotation features.
- ShareX (Windows) — highly customizable with many automation features (Windows-focused).
| Tool | Strengths | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Flameshot | Fast annotation, cross-platform, simple | Developers, designers, review |
| ShareX | Powerful automation (Windows) | Power users on Windows |
| Spectacle | Desktop integration (KDE) | KDE users needing basics |
Conclusion
Flameshot is a reliable, efficient screenshot tool that balances speed and annotation capability. It’s particularly useful for technical users who want keyboard-driven workflows, quick edits, and simple integration with custom sharing pipelines. Install it, bind a global shortcut, and it’ll likely become your go-to for annotated screenshots.
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