Just when you want to quickly show someone something on your screen, it can be beneficial to just click on a button to take a screenshot.
If you can also add something directly to the created screenshot such as text, arrows, squares, lines or other markings, you have the perfect tool to quickly and easily draw attention to specific areas in the screenshot.
Lightshot is a free all-in-one screenshot tool with that you can do this with just a few mouse clicks. It’s available as Chrome extension and as software for Windows and Mac.
Lightshot
Personally, I use the Chrome extension because I have a Chromebook with the operating system Chrome OS. The Chrome extension can also be installed just as well on a Windows PC, provided you use the Chrome browser.
Lightshot usage
After the free installation of the Extension you have a new icon in the Chrome browser:
If you have opened a website and click on this icon, then a new tab will open in the Chrome browser and you will be prompted to select an area for creating the screenshot. This is done by drag & drop. For demonstration purposes I have chosen a part of my own website and as you can see several icons appear at the edges of the selected area:
Explanation of the icons to the right of the marked area from top to bottom:
- Pen
- Line
- Arrow
- Rectangle
- Marker
- Text
- Colour
- Undo
Explanation of the icons below the marked area from left to right:
- Upload to prntscr.com
- Share on social media
- Search for similar images on Google
- Copy
- Save
- Close
For demonstration purposes, I have simply provided various places in the selected area with texts, arrows, lines, a square and a marker. Then I saved the edited screenshot on my laptop and uploaded it to my website. This is how the finished screenshot looks like:
Of course, this created and edited screenshot does not make much sense, it should only show what’s possible with the tool. Incidentally, the size of the elements can be changed using the mouse wheel.
How I use the tool Lightshot
I mainly use Lightshot to show my new GDI or SFI affiliates with the help of arrows, where and which buttons they should click in the appropriate members area, so that they find their way around better. This saves me a lot of time and work, because pictures often explain more than 1000 words.
It is much easier to show with an arrow on a button than to write a long text where this button is located.
Conclusion
Lightshot is an easy-to-use, full-featured screenshot creation and editing tool. The Google Chrome extension Lightshot is installed with one click and the Windows/Mac software Lightshot can be installed quickly and easily.
I’m glad to have found this tool!