Tutorials: Flameshot is an open-source screenshot utility on Linux, Windows and macOS

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Flameshot is an open-source, highly customizable screenshot utility that lets you capture, annotate, and save images entirely on-screen without needing a secondary editor like MS Paint or Photoshop. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS.

 

Here is a straightforward guide to getting it installed and a typical use-case scenario to see how it works in practice.

1. How to Install Flameshot

Depending on your operating system, choose one of the following methods:

Linux

Flameshot is native to Linux and available in almost every major distribution's repository.

• Ubuntu / Debian:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install flameshot

*   **Fedora:**
    ```bash
sudo dnf install flameshot

• Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S flameshot

### Windows
1. Go to the official website (**flameshot.org**) or their GitHub Releases page.
2. Download the `.msi` installer.
3. Run the installer and follow the standard "Next -> Install -> Finish" setup wizard.

### macOS
Install it easily via Homebrew package manager:
```bash
brew install --cask flameshot

2. Setting Up Your Hotkey (Crucial Step)

Flameshot works best when it replaces your system's default print screen action.

• On Windows: Once launched, it sits in your system tray. You can go to Windows Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and toggle off "Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping". Then, right-click the Flameshot tray icon, open its configuration, and bind it to your PrtScn key.

• On Linux (GNOME/Ubuntu): Go to Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts > Custom Shortcuts. Click +, set the name to "Flameshot", set the command to flameshot gui, and bind it to your Print Screen key.  

3. Real-World Usage Scenario: "Creating a Tutorial"

Imagine you are writing a software guide or sending a bug report to a coworker. You need to show them exactly where to click while blurring out sensitive personal information.

Step 1: Trigger the Tool

Press your mapped hotkey (or run flameshot gui in your terminal). Your screen will dimly freeze, signaling that it is ready for a capture.

Step 2: Select the Region

Click and drag your mouse across the section of the screen you want to capture. An editing overlay wrapper will instantly appear around your selection.

Step 3: Annotate on the Fly

Use the built-in dynamic toolbars surrounding your crop box to modify the image before it even saves:

• The Blur Tool (Droplet icon): Drag over API keys, emails, or private user data to pixelate/blur them instantly.

• The Arrow & Rectangle Tools: Draw a clean arrow pointing precisely to the button or error message you want to highlight.

• The Text Tool (T icon): Click anywhere inside the box to type quick instructions (e.g., "Click here first").

• The Counter Tool (① icon): Click on multiple spots sequentially to auto-generate ordered steps (1, 2, 3) for multi-step processes.

Step 4: Output and Share

Look at the bottom edge of your selection box for the final action icons:

• Save (Floppy Disk icon): Saves the image locally to your computer.

• Copy (Clipboard icon): Copies the edited image right to your clipboard so you can immediately Ctrl + V it directly into Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams, or an email.

• Upload (Cloud icon): Automatically uploads the image anonymously to Imgur and copies the shareable URL straight to your clipboard.

Using Flameshot’s Command-Line Interface (CLI) is perfect for automation scripts, triggering delayed captures (great for catching dropdown menus), or integrating it into custom desktop environment shortcuts.

Here is how to master Flameshot from the terminal.

1. Delayed Screenshots (The Delay Timer)

If you need a few seconds to open a dropdown menu, hover over a specific UI element, or move your cursor before the screenshot triggers, use the --delay flag.

Note: The delay time is measured in milliseconds ($1 \text{ second} = 1000 \text{ ms}$).

Delay with Graphical UI

To launch the interactive selection tool after a 3-second delay:

Bash

flameshot gui --delay 3000

This freezes the screen after the timer expires, giving you plenty of time to set up the scenario.

Delay with Fullscreen Auto-Save

To skip the manual crop box completely, take a full-screen screenshot after a 5-second delay, and immediately save it to your default path:

Bash

flameshot full --delay 5000

2. Useful CLI Flags for Scripting

When writing automation scripts, you usually want Flameshot to execute silently without waiting for user input. Here are the most useful commands:

Save Directly to a Specific Location

Skip the save dialog prompt and forcefully save the screenshot to a designated folder with a custom filename:

Bash

flameshot full -p ~/Pictures/Screenshots -n my_automated_shot

• -p or --path: Defines the save directory.

• -n or --filename: Sets a custom name (by default, it uses a timestamp).

Copy Directly to Clipboard

Take a full-screen capture and pipe it straight to your clipboard without saving a file to your hard drive:

Bash

flameshot full -c

• -c or --clipboard: Copies the image directly to your system clipboard.

Upload straight to Imgur

Take a quick capture of the main screen and get an anonymous sharing link back instantly:

Bash

flameshot full -u

• -u or --upload: Uploads the image and copies the resulting URL to your clipboard.

3. Practical Bash Script Example

Here is a practical script you can save as snap.sh. It creates a 3-second delay, captures your raw screen (no interactive GUI), saves it into a dedicated folder with a clean timestamp, and copies it to your clipboard all at once.

Bash

#!/bin/bash

# Ensure the directory exists
mkdir -p ~/Pictures/AutomatedSnaps

# Take a full screenshot after a 3-second delay, 
# save it to the folder, and copy it to the clipboard.
flameshot full --delay 3000 -p ~/Pictures/AutomatedSnaps -c

echo "Screenshot captured, saved, and copied to clipboard!"

To run it, make it executable first:

Bash

chmod +x snap.sh
./snap.sh