Capture screenshots and screencasts in elementary OS
elementary OS includes screenshot and screencast functions within its desktop, so users do not need to install a separate recording application for everyday visual documentation. A screenshot is ideal for showing a setting, error message or visual detail, while a screencast demonstrates a sequence of actions. Together, they can help with troubleshooting, software guides, online tutorials and community support.
Using elementary OS’s built-in capture tools is straightforward once their shortcuts and saving behaviour are familiar. The precise menu labels may differ slightly between releases, but the core workflow remains consistent: start the appropriate tool, choose what to capture, stop the recording and find the resulting file. This is especially useful in Australia, where a familiar request such as “Can you send a screenshot of that?” often carries more meaning than a lengthy written explanation.
Starting a screenshot with the keyboard
The usual shortcut in recent elementary OS releases is Super + Shift + S. The Super key is the one marked with the Windows logo. This opens the screenshot overlay rather than saving an immediate full-screen image, allowing the user to select the relevant area first. If the shortcut does not work, open Settings, select Keyboard and inspect the shortcut list for the screenshot action.
The overlay may offer full-screen, window and selection modes, depending on the installed release. Click or drag to choose a region, and move to another window if a specific application needs to be shown. Pressing Escape cancels the capture. On a multi-monitor desk, check the preview carefully because “full screen” can refer to the active display or the combined desktop arrangement.
Completed screenshots are normally saved automatically under the user’s Pictures directory, sometimes in a Screenshots subfolder. Some versions also place the image on the clipboard, allowing it to be pasted into a message, document or forum reply with Ctrl + V. If a shortcut is inconvenient, press Super, type “Screenshot” and launch the application from the search results instead.
Choosing the right part of the screen
A tightly cropped screenshot is usually more useful than an image of the entire workspace. It makes small text easier to read, reduces the file size and limits the amount of unrelated information visible to the recipient. For a troubleshooting report, capture the application name, the affected panel and the error message. For a configuration guide, show the menu and the chosen setting without including unrelated windows.
Window capture is preferable when the layout itself matters, such as demonstrating a sidebar, toolbar or panel arrangement. Selection mode offers finer control, but make sure the important content is not placed against the edge of the crop. Check for text cut off at the bottom, cursor arrows covering a control, or a notification that appeared just before the capture.
The built-in tool is intentionally simple and does not reproduce every feature found in advanced image editors. If annotations are required, save the original first and mark a separate copy. Keeping the untouched capture prevents a mistake in cropping or blurring from damaging evidence needed for support. It also gives the user a reliable fallback if a redaction is incomplete.
Recording a focused screencast
The common shortcut for beginning a screencast is Super + Shift + R. Depending on the release, this either opens the screen recording controls directly or displays the capture interface with a record option. Choose a selected area or the full screen, start the recording and perform the demonstration. A visible recording indicator should confirm that capture is active.
Use the same shortcut or the visible stop control to finish the recording. Elementary OS normally stores the resulting file in the Videos directory, often in a Screencasts or Screen Recordings subfolder. The notification or preview should confirm the destination and filename. Open the file before sharing it to verify that the intended region was recorded and that the video is not unexpectedly silent.
Audio support varies more than the basic picture capture. Look for Sound or Audio controls before recording, and select the required source if they are available. Some elementary OS versions provide picture-only screencasts through this interface. Make a short test recording and play it back before producing a long tutorial; otherwise a missing microphone or system-audio source may only become apparent after the demonstration is finished.
A focused recording is also kinder to Australian internet connections. A family member in regional Queensland viewing over a fixed-wireless or 4G connection may cope better with a short clip than a long, high-resolution video. Record the smallest useful area, avoid unnecessary waiting and close applications that might display private notifications during the recording.
Saving and naming capture files
Open the Files application and look in Pictures for screenshots and Videos for screencasts. Exact subfolder names can vary, so checking both locations after an unfamiliar release is worthwhile. The Files search function can also locate files containing words such as “Screenshot” or “Screencast”. Do not rely entirely on an automatic filename when maintaining a regular tutorial archive.
Give important captures descriptive names that explain their content. A filename such as network-panel-after-reconnect.png is more useful than a timestamp alone. Australian users coordinating material across states may also benefit from including the date and time zone, such as 2025-04-06-0930-AEST, particularly around daylight-saving changes. This avoids confusion between Australian Eastern Standard Time and Australian Eastern Daylight Time.
Screenshots are commonly saved as PNG files, which retain sharp text and are widely supported. Screencasts may use WebM or another video container, depending on the release and available codecs. Inspect the format through the file properties. Before sending a recording to a Windows or macOS colleague, test it in the messaging application they normally use; some corporate Microsoft 365 environments display MP4 previews more reliably than WebM files.
Large recordings are better shared through a cloud service or community post than as email attachments. Before uploading, check the size and remove any background material that is not needed. For a simple question, a still image may reach the intended audience faster and use far less mobile data than a short video.
Protecting private information in visual material
Screenshots can expose more than their visible centre suggests. A full desktop may include email addresses, document names, bank details, password-manager prompts or two-factor codes around the intended window. Australian organisations may also need to consider the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles when handling personal information, particularly in records related to clients, students, patients or employees.
Pause desktop notifications before capturing a busy screen and close irrelevant documents. Check the application switcher and taskbar for sensitive information, then crop the capture to the required area. Blur or replace customer names, addresses, account numbers and medical details before publication. Use an editor’s permanent redaction function where available rather than placing a coloured shape over text, and inspect the exported result rather than only the editing view.
Screencasts require extra care because movement and audio can reveal information outside the selected region. Recordings made while using Australian accounting, payroll or Microsoft 365 applications may contain business names, Australian Business Numbers, invoices or customer records. Check the recording’s sound track separately, restrict access to shared files and remove public links after recipients have downloaded them. A local recording is not automatically private merely because it remains on the computer.
Keeping the workflow reliable
Shortcut behaviour can be affected by keyboard layouts, remote desktop software and applications that reserve particular key combinations. If Super + Shift + S opens something unexpected, change the screenshot binding in Settings under Keyboard and Shortcuts. Record a similarly named shortcut for screencasting so the two actions are not confused. Checking the relevant shortcut after an elementary OS update is a sensible habit because key assignments can change between versions.
Multi-monitor setups and fractional display scaling can make the apparent capture area differ from the final image. Verify the monitor selection before recording and inspect the preview immediately afterwards. Close a sensitive second display if the full-screen recording includes it. Performance may also decline when capturing a high-resolution desktop while running demanding applications, so close unnecessary windows rather than accepting a recording with dropped frames.
Storage and upload speed deserve consideration as well. A standard NBN plan can have a much faster download speed than upload speed, while rural fixed wireless, 4G, 5G and satellite connections vary substantially by location and congestion. Shorter recordings, cropped regions and sensible filenames reduce the amount of data involved. Keep local copies in Pictures or Videos, then move only reviewed files into a synchronised folder if backups are required.
The useful habit is to capture the smallest informative view, confirm what was actually recorded and check it before it leaves the computer. A screenshot answers what the screen displays, while a screencast shows how a process unfolds. The lasting rule is to capture only what is needed, inspect the result and treat every shared file as a permanent record.
