We are pretty sure that you know what a screenshot is. There are plenty of screenshot apps and popular screenshot software like Snagit out there. However, taking screenshots on your Windows or Mac was never easier like using Lightshot for the purpose. A lightweight, quick, simple solution to easily capture any part of your screen irrespective of the window. In-built, quick, and effective editing tools provided just after the screenshot capture allows even further customizations without the help of a photo editing tool.
What is Lightshot?
Lightshot is a screen capture tool developed by Skillbrains which is extremely easy to use for capturing screenshots on your Mac, Linux, or Windows systems. It is extremely lightweight as well. Even if it has plenty of different functions to let you print your desktop, it doesn’t force you to use a separate UI! All you have to do is press the print screen button on your keyboard and select the area that you want to capture.
It will instantly show a number of tools to enhance the capture by adding text, shapes, colors, etc. After making the necessary changes, just save it right from the screen to whatever location you like. Unlike in many other screenshot software, you will not be able to organize and manage the taken screenshots unless you reach the saved location or create an account on their website. In other words, Lightshot doesn’t come with a separate image organizer or even a software window. All you get is a configuration window where you can control the screenshot configurations.
Lightshot Installation
Installing Lightshot is a very simple process. Just make sure that your system meets the minimum requirements, download the tool, and install it like you install any other software.
Lightshot system requirements
Before you begin the installation process, it’s essential to ensure that your computer meets the necessary system requirements for Lightshot:
- Operating System: Lightshot is compatible with Windows (XP/Vista/7/8/10) and macOS (10.9 or later).
- Hardware: A standard computer with at least 512MB of RAM and 20MB of free disk space.
Downloading Lightshot
To install Lightshot, you’ll first need to download the installer from the official website. Follow these steps to download Lightshot.
- Open your web browser: Launch your preferred web browser on your computer.
- Visit the Lightshot website: Go to the official Lightshot website.
- Download Lightshot: On the Lightshot homepage, you will find a prominent “Download” button or link. Click on it to initiate the download.
- Choose your platform: Depending on your operating system (Windows or macOS), you may be presented with different download options. Be sure to select the one that matches your system.
- Start the download: Click the download button for your specific platform to start downloading the Lightshot installer.
Installing Lightshot (Windows)
- Locate the downloaded “Lightshot-Setup.exe” file.
- Run the installer by double-clicking it.
- Follow the installation wizard’s instructions.
- Finish the installation.
Installing Lightshot (macOS)
- Locate the downloaded “Lightshot.dmg” file.
- Double-click the file to mount the disk image.
- Drag and drop the Lightshot icon into the “Applications” folder.
- Launch Lightshot from the “Applications” folder.
Lightshot Interface
Lightshot has a very simple interface represented on the screen capture screen itself. All the available tools and functionalities will be listed around the area of selection. You can find various tools such as adding text, shapes, highlight, colors, markers, arrows, etc. alongside some saving and sharing options like cloud upload, social media sharing, printing, etc. You can do everything from the screen capture window itself without having to access the screenshot folder.
The best thing we found in this tool is the easiness to capture, save, and upload screenshots. It allows taking screenshots very quickly one after another. Many other screenshot software doesn’t allow doing that. In addition, you will be able to access your screenshot history after creating an account on their website. It can be counted as a replacement for the missing screenshot organizing window.
All in all, the interface of the Lightshot screen capture tool is perfect, and nothing difficult is there in the usage. It is fast, reliable, and extremely efficient to take multiple screenshots continuously.
Lightshot Features
Lightshot is a lightweight application but has a number of useful features to let you take, manage, and upload your screenshots. It is one of the easiest applications to take screenshots on your Windows or Mac devices as well as on the browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. If you are interested in knowing more about the tool, have a look at the features of Lightshot listed below.
Easy screen capture
The screen capture using the Lightshot software is very easy. After installing the tool on your PC or Mac, all you have to do is pressing the prt scn button on your keyboard. A dark overlay will be displayed over the current screen. Clicking and dragging your mouse will select the area to be captured. Alongside that, a number of functions and tools will be displayed outside the selected area. You can edit the screenshot in real-time before saving them to your device. Or you could also share them directly from the screen itself.
It is very easy to use the application, even for beginners. From our testing procedure, we never felt a problem with the tool. However, one small con we found on this tool is the lack of different capture modes such as window mode, full-screen mode, scrolling capture, etc. If you can adjust to that, there is no point in avoiding this software to take screenshots on your computer or laptop.
Numerous editing options
Lightshot is coming with a built-in editor with some basic editing features like adding text, drawing rectangles, and changing colors. Instead of providing a separate editing screen to enhance the images, the software will let you edit the screenshots right after selecting the area to be captured. Then you can save to any location as you like. There are no advanced editing options in the tool. So, if you need a built-in advanced image editor with a lot of functionalities, you may go for any other tools of this kind.
Share the screenshots right from the Lightshot
You don’t have to depend on an extra application to share your screenshots with your friends or family. There are plenty of sharing options available on Lightshot which will help you to share your Lightshot screenshots with any person you like.
You can share your images on social media like Facebook, Twitter, VK, and Pinterest or can directly upload them to the cloud service provided by the prntscr.com. The uploading process is very fast and is enough for basic screenshot-saving needs.
Similar image search
Have you ever heard of the reverse image search which lists similar images on the Google search? If you don’t know, try a similar image search on Lightshot. It will let you find all the similar images to your screenshots by searching them on Google. It is a unique feature that we were not able to find in most of the previously tested screen capture software.
Available for browsers too
The usability of the Lightshot is not only limited using the software. The company has implemented screenshot browser extensions of the tool which is available on Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera browsers. You can download them from the respective extension stores. You may also take a look at the steps to download Lightshot.
Configurable Hotkeys
Lightshot can be configured to respond to certain Lightshot hotkeys for taking, saving, and uploading screenshots to the provider of your choice. If you are a gamer or someone frequently takes screenshots, hotkeys might be a lifesaver.
You can learn how to use Lightshot in games for that purpose. If you do not like the traditional way of taking a screenshot with the print screen button, or if your keyboard, for some reason, doesn’t come with a button like that, you can map it to something else.
Copy to Clipboard
Once you take a screenshot using Lightshot, You can directly copy it to your clipboard and paste it into any program, such as Photoshop or Microsoft Paint. This is an extremely useful feature that might save a lot of time for those who take a lot of screenshots. In addition to this functionality, the tool also provides a normal save feature.
Lightshot Pricing
Lightshot is a completely free tool, which doesn’t have pricing plans. It is very rare to see a completely free tool these days, and Lightshot is one of them. If you do not want to spend money on a screenshot tool, Lightshot is the perfect fit for you. It has everything for the basic screenshot and image editing needs.
Pros
- Very easy to use and lightweight
- Very fast screen capture
- Numerous editing options
- Can directly save to the cloud or social media
- Browser extensions
Cons
- No capture modes
- No separate editing screen with advanced tools
Customer Reviews of Lightshot
Here are some reviews collected from the Lightshot users. It will give you an idea about the tool and if it is useful or not.
Lightshot has made my life easier! It’s like a personal screenshot assistant. Capturing, editing, and sharing is a breeze. I can’t imagine working without it.
Sarah J.
Lightshot has streamlined my workflow. The keyboard shortcut makes capturing screenshots a breeze, and the intuitive interface for editing and sharing is fantastic. I can’t imagine working without it.
Jithendhra Raja.
Five stars for convenience! Lightshot’s speed in capturing screenshots and providing various annotation options is fantastic. It’s an essential tool for my job, and I’ve been using it for years without any complaints.
Lee yong.
Lightshot is simply fantastic! It’s so user-friendly. Whether I need a quick screenshot for work or want to annotate images for personal projects, it’s my go-to tool.
Mark Harris.
Easy to use, but occasional glitches. Lightshot is generally great, but I’ve encountered a few hiccups where it freezes while editing screenshots. Hopefully, future updates will address these issues.
Paula R.
Saves me time! I love how quickly I can capture and edit screenshots. It’s a valuable tool for work, and I appreciate its straightforward design.
Ben Michael.
Verdict of the Lightshot Review
Lightshot is a very useful tool for easily taking screenshots on your devices. It is lightweight, efficient, and usable by any person who has a basic knowledge of computers. If you are looking for a basic screenshot application without any advanced operations and functions, Lightshot will be the right choice.
FAQs about Lightshot
Yes, Lightshot is available for free. Lightshot doesn’t have a premium version.
Lightshot offers features like screenshot capture, basic editing tools, image annotation, instant sharing to the cloud, and a user-friendly interface.
After installation, you can use the keyboard shortcut (usually “PrtScn” or “Shift” + “PrtScn”) to initiate a screenshot. Then, you can select the area of the screen you want to capture.
Yes, Lightshot provides basic editing tools for cropping, adding text, arrows, shapes, and highlights to your screenshots.
Lightshot supports keyboard shortcuts for various functions, making it convenient for quick screen captures and edits. You can customize them from the Lightshot settings.
No. Lightshot is not available for mobile devices or tablets. Lightshot is primarily designed for desktop operating systems like Windows and macOS. There may be similar screenshot apps available for mobile devices, but Lightshot itself is not available for smartphones or tablets.
Lightshot requires an internet connection to upload and share screenshots through its cloud-based service. However, you can still capture and edit screenshots offline, which is the primary function of the tool.
Lightshot is generally considered safe to use. However, as with any software, it’s essential to download it from the official website to avoid potential security risks associated with unofficial sources. Do not use any unofficial websites to download the software.
To uninstall Lightshot, you can typically use the standard uninstallation process for your operating system. On Windows, simply go to “Control Panel” > “Programs” > “Uninstall a program” and select Lightshot to uninstall it. On macOS, you can drag the Lightshot application to the Trash.
Lightshot Review
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Summary of the Lightshot
Lightshot is a basic screen capture tool to perform lightweight screen capture operations.