ShareX: Web Hosted Screenshot Sharing

[Guest Zephyr]

I'm posting this because:

• I used to use Lightshot and it sucks by comparison (it makes it nearly impossible to grab true direct image links).
• ShareX is software, so you're not tied to a specific image host service and many image hosts are compatible.
• Web hosted images can be more convenient than direct uploads in that your image host account will show all your hosted images chronologically, making it easier to review older uploads, and also easier to rescind access to images by deleting them. If you upload screenshots directly to Discord you will need to remember where they're located and still have access to those servers/channels/group chats in order to see them or remove them.
• I'd like a simple guide to link people to for help setting up and using ShareX after recommending it to them.

ShareX is a free open-source Windows program that facilitates quick and easy screen captures (images/GIFs) and editing, then sharing by uploading them to your favourite (image/file) host. For instance it works with Imgur, ImageShack, Flickr, Photobucket, Google Photos, VGY.me and more.

There are many settings that can be customised to achieve a process flow to your liking. For example my process looks like this:

1. I click the printscreen key on my keyboard.
2. The screen capture editor opens allowing me to crop/add text/arrows/add boxes or circles/highlight/etc the screen image.
3. I click the tick when I'm done editing.
4. The edited content is uploaded to my Imgur account and the direct image link to my upload is copied to my computer's clipboard.
5. I simply paste the link wherever it is I want to share the image.

Sounds complicated, but this generally takes 5 seconds or less if I'm not doing any elaborate edits.

Download and install ShareX

Image/File Host Settings
Destinations > Destination settings... (right click the ShareX icon in your system tray). The destination settings window opens; this is where you configure the settings to any image/file hosts you intend to use. The process can vary a little depending on your image/file host, but it's pretty straightforward using the buttons and/or fields provided.

Image Destinations
Destinations > Image uploader: <your host> (right click the ShareX icon in your system tray). If you've setup multiple image/file hosts, this is where you select the default one used for image uploads. You can easily change it later to any other host you've set up by selecting a different one.

Hotkey Settings
Hotkey settings... (right click the ShareX icon in your system tray). The hotkey settings window opens displaying the key combinations used to activate the ShareX functions. Click the key combinations boxes to change the key combinations for those functions. You can rename these by clicking the cog button and then giving/changing their description in the window that opens.

By default you should see one called Capture entire screen; this is the function I use mostly as it is quite flexible once configured with the editor. The one I've found best to use for GIFs is by default called Start/Stop screen recording (GIF) using custom region as the other recording ones seem to have compatibility issues uploading to some hosts.

After Capture Tasks
After capture tasks (right click the ShareX icon in your system tray). This is where you determine the default actions that occur after you activate a capture screen function using a key combination. I have configured mine to only have Open in image editor and Upload image to host enabled. This means the image editor opens allowing me to crop the screen, add text, add arrows, highlight areas, etc. before approving to then be uploaded to my default image/file host.

After Upload Tasks
After upload tasks (right click the ShareX icon in your system tray). This is where you determine the default actions that occur after an upload. I have configured mine to only have Copy URL to clipboard selected. This means once my screenshot is uploaded to my image host, the direct image link will be copied into my computer's clipboard and can be shared by simply pasting from the clipboard.

 

With the above configured you should be able to use ShareX for basic screenshot and GIF sharing (if you're using my suggested settings the direct image link should be in your clipboard, so just paste where you want to share it). Sometimes you might prefer to dump an image somewhere directly from your clipboard such as into Discord because maybe you hate image hosts or something; if that's the case you can set things up to give you that option too but we'll need to explore more advanced configurations if you want both options simultaneously otherwise the 'after capture tasks' will clash.

 

Advanced Settings
Hotkey settings... (right click the ShareX icon in your system tray). This is where we can configure one of our hotkey combos to do something outside the defaults we set up earlier, such as when we want a Capture entire screen function that uploads to our chosen host, but also another Capture entire screen function that simply copies the image to our clipboard. Select an existing function and then use the Duplicate button at the top to make a copy. Remember to give it a unique key combination for activation. Now click the cog button on the left. You will notice in the window that opens (and the first menu item already selected) a checkbox Override after capture settings, select it and the drop-down menu below it is enabled. In that menu select the After capture settings you'd like this function to use. Similarly you can change other behaviours from the defaults.

Capture (right click the ShareX icon in your system tray). Towards the bottom of the sub-menu you'll see Show cursor, this determines if your cursor will be visible in screen captures.

 

This just about exhausts my own limited use of ShareX, but hopefully it has been useful helping you set up and start using ShareX ?

[Alex]

Moved to the Tutorials and Knowledge subforum. Thanks @Zephyr!