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Screenshot Tool

The Clipboard Manager includes a powerful built-in screenshot tool that allows you to capture, annotate, and save screenshots with ease.

Quick Start​

  1. Trigger Screenshot: Use your configured shortcut (check Settings) or select "Take Screenshot" from the menu
  2. Select Area: Click and drag to select the area you want to capture
  3. Annotate (optional): Use the toolbar to add shapes, arrows, text, or drawings
  4. Save: Press Enter or click the checkmark to save to clipboard

Capturing Screenshots​

Selection Methods​

  • Click and Drag: Click at one corner and drag to the opposite corner to select a rectangular area
  • Double-Click: Double-click anywhere to capture the entire screen
  • Single Click (Small Area): If you click and release quickly (creating a very small selection), it will automatically expand to full screen

Adjusting the Selection​

After creating a selection, you can:

  • Resize: Drag the edges or corners of the selection box
  • Move: Click inside the selection and drag to reposition it (only works before adding annotations)

Annotation Tools​

Once you've selected an area, a toolbar appears at the bottom with various annotation tools:

Available Tools​

ToolIconDescriptionCustomizable Options
Rectangle□Draw rectangular shapesColor, Line Width
Ellipse○Draw circular or elliptical shapesColor, Line Width
Arrow→Draw arrows to point at specific areasColor, Line Width
Pen✎Free-hand drawingColor, Line Width
TextTAdd text annotationsColor, Font Size

Customization Options​

For each tool, you can customize:

  • Color: Click the color picker to choose from preset colors (red, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, gray, black)
  • Line Width: Click the size picker to choose from 3 preset sizes (thin, medium, thick)
  • Font Size (Text tool only): Automatically adjusts based on the text content

Using Annotation Tools​

  1. Select a Tool: Click on one of the tool buttons in the toolbar
  2. Customize (optional): Choose your preferred color and line width
  3. Draw: Click and drag on the screenshot to create your annotation
  4. Deselect Tool: Click the same tool button again to deselect it

Undo/Redo​

  • Undo: Click the undo button (↶) or press Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z
  • Redo: Click the redo button (↷) or press Ctrl+Y / Cmd+Shift+Z

Saving Screenshots​

You have multiple options for saving your screenshot:

Save to Clipboard​

  • Keyboard: Press Enter
  • Mouse: Click the checkmark (✓) button in the toolbar

The screenshot will be:

  1. Saved to your clipboard (ready to paste with Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)
  2. Added to your clipboard history
  3. Automatically saved to your captures folder

Download as File​

  • Click the download (⬇) button in the toolbar
  • The screenshot will be saved to your default downloads folder with a timestamp filename

Cancel​

  • Keyboard: Press Esc
  • Mouse: Click the X button in the toolbar

macOS Screen Recording Permission​

Why is Permission Needed?​

On macOS 10.15 (Catalina) and later, Apple requires apps to explicitly request permission to record the screen. This is a privacy protection measure to prevent unauthorized screen capture.

Without this permission, the screenshot tool can only capture:

  • ✅ Desktop background
  • ✅ The app's own windows
  • ❌ Other application windows (this is the problem!)

Granting Permission​

First-Time Setup​

When you first use the screenshot feature, macOS will automatically display a permission dialog:

"Clipboard Manager" would like to record your screen.

This allows the app to capture screenshots of your entire screen,
including other applications.

[Deny]  [Allow]
  1. Click "Allow"
  2. Restart the application (very important!)

Manual Setup​

If the dialog doesn't appear or you accidentally denied permission:

  1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
  2. Navigate to Privacy & Security > Screen Recording
  3. Look for "Clipboard Manager" in the list
  4. Check the checkbox next to it
  5. Restart the application

Troubleshooting​

Problem: Screenshots only show desktop background​

Solution: This means screen recording permission hasn't been granted. Follow the manual setup steps above.

Problem: Permission dialog doesn't appear​

Possible causes:

  • The app is already in the Screen Recording list (check manually)
  • You're running in development mode (build a release version to test)
  • The app isn't properly signed (expected in development)

Solution: Manually add the app in System Settings as described above.

Problem: Permission granted but still not working​

Solution:

  1. Uncheck the app in Screen Recording settings
  2. Check it again
  3. Restart the app
  4. If still not working, restart your Mac

Keyboard Shortcuts​

ActionShortcut
Confirm/SaveEnter
CancelEsc
UndoCtrl+Z / Cmd+Z
RedoCtrl+Y / Cmd+Shift+Z

Tips and Tricks​

  1. Quick Full Screen: Double-click anywhere to instantly capture the full screen
  2. Precise Selection: Hold Shift while dragging to create a perfect square selection (coming soon)
  3. Color Consistency: The tool remembers your last used color and line width
  4. Multiple Annotations: You can add as many annotations as you want before saving
  5. Preview Before Save: Take your time to review and annotate - nothing is saved until you press Enter

Technical Details​

  • Image Format: Screenshots are saved as PNG files for maximum quality
  • Storage Location:
    • Temporary files: ~/.clipboard-manager/cache/screenshots/
    • Saved captures: ~/.clipboard-manager/captures/
  • Cleanup: Temporary files are automatically cleaned up when you close the screenshot window
  • Multi-Monitor Support: The tool works seamlessly across multiple monitors

Known Limitations​

  • macOS Only: Screen recording permission is only required on macOS
  • Development Mode: Permission dialogs may not work correctly in development mode (cargo tauri dev). Use cargo tauri build to test the release version.
  • Wayland (Linux): Some Linux desktop environments using Wayland may have limited screenshot support