Flameshot – Powerful Screenshot Tool for Linux

Capture and Annotate Screenshots Instantly with Flameshot

Flameshot has become the go-to screenshot tool for Linux users who need more than basic screen capture capabilities. This open-source application combines instant capture, in-editor annotation, and flexible saving options into a streamlined workflow that makes documenting, sharing, and communicating visually effortless.

Where basic screenshot tools simply save images, Flameshot provides an integrated editing environment that appears immediately after capture. Users can add arrows, boxes, text, blur sensitive information, and highlight important areas before saving or sharing, eliminating the need for separate image editing steps in most documentation workflows.

Installation

Linux

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install flameshot

Fedora:

sudo dnf install flameshot

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S flameshot

Flatpak:

flatpak install flathub org.flameshot.Flameshot

Snap:

sudo snap install flameshot

macOS

brew install --cask flameshot

Windows

winget install flameshot
# or
choco install flameshot

Basic Usage

Starting Flameshot

GUI Mode:

flameshot gui

Full Screen Capture:

flameshot full

Screen Selection:

flameshot screen

Tray Icon:

flameshot &
# Runs in system tray

Selection Controls

After running 'flameshot gui':
1. Click and drag to select area
2. Adjust selection with handles
3. Use toolbar for annotations
4. Press Enter or click checkmark to capture
5. Press Escape to cancel

Annotation Tools

Drawing Tools

Available in capture toolbar:

??  Pencil - Freehand drawing
?   Line - Straight lines
?   Arrow - Directional arrows
?   Rectangle - Boxes/frames
?   Circle - Ellipses
#   Marker - Highlighter effect
T   Text - Add text labels
N   Number - Numbered markers
?   Pixelate - Blur/censor areas

Color Selection

# Click color button in toolbar
# Choose from palette or custom color
# Applies to all drawing tools

Thickness

# Mouse scroll while tool selected
# Or use thickness slider in toolbar

Command Line Usage

Basic Commands

# Capture area and save
flameshot gui --path /home/user/Screenshots/

# Capture full screen
flameshot full --path /home/user/Screenshots/

# Capture with delay
flameshot gui --delay 3000  # 3 seconds

# Capture specific screen
flameshot screen --number 0

# Copy to clipboard only
flameshot gui --clipboard

# Raw capture (no GUI)
flameshot gui --raw > screenshot.png

Advanced Options

# Capture region (x,y,width,height)
flameshot gui --region 100,100,500,300

# Accept on selection (no editing)
flameshot gui --accept-on-select

# Pin screenshot to screen
flameshot gui --pin

# Upload to Imgur
flameshot gui --upload

Configuration

Open Configuration

flameshot config

# Or via system tray icon > Configuration

General Settings

Configuration options:
- Show help message on capture
- Show desktop notifications
- Show tray icon
- Launch at startup
- Close after capture

File settings:
- Save path
- Filename pattern
- Save after copy

Interface Settings

Button selection:
- Choose which tools appear
- Reorder tool buttons
- Show/hide specific tools

Colors:
- UI main color
- Contrast color

Filename Patterns

Pattern variables:
%Y - Year (4 digits)
%m - Month (2 digits)
%d - Day (2 digits)
%H - Hour (24-hour)
%M - Minute
%S - Second

Example: screenshot_%Y%m%d_%H%M%S
Result: screenshot_20241229_143052.png

Keyboard Shortcuts

During Capture

Enter/Double-click  Confirm capture
Escape/Right-click  Cancel
Ctrl+C              Copy to clipboard
Ctrl+S              Save to file
Ctrl+Z              Undo
Ctrl+Shift+Z        Redo
Space               Toggle side panel
Arrow keys          Move selection
Shift+Arrow         Resize selection

System Shortcuts

# Set in desktop environment settings

Common bindings:
Print Screen ? flameshot gui
Shift+Print  ? flameshot full
Ctrl+Print   ? flameshot screen

Desktop Integration

GNOME

# Set custom keyboard shortcut
Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Custom

Name: Flameshot
Command: flameshot gui
Shortcut: Print

KDE Plasma

# System Settings > Shortcuts > Custom Shortcuts
# Add new command: flameshot gui
# Assign to Print Screen

i3/Sway

# In config file
bindsym Print exec flameshot gui
bindsym Shift+Print exec flameshot full --path ~/Screenshots

Hyprland

# In hyprland.conf
bind = , Print, exec, flameshot gui

Wayland Support

Compatibility

# Flameshot works on Wayland but may need:
# - xdg-desktop-portal
# - Compositor-specific configuration

# For GNOME Wayland:
sudo apt install xdg-desktop-portal-gnome

Environment Variables

# For proper Wayland support
export XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=sway  # or gnome, kde, etc.
flameshot gui

Upload Integration

Imgur Upload

# Capture and upload
flameshot gui --upload

# Full screen upload
flameshot full --upload

# Returns URL in notification/clipboard

Custom Upload Scripts

# Configure in settings or use pipe
flameshot gui --raw | upload_script.sh

DBus Interface

Scripting with DBus

# List available methods
dbus-send --session --dest=org.flameshot.Flameshot \
  --type=method_call --print-reply \
  /org/freedesktop/DBus org.freedesktop.DBus.Introspectable.Introspect

# Capture via DBus
dbus-send --session --dest=org.flameshot.Flameshot \
  --type=method_call \
  /org/flameshot/Flameshot org.flameshot.Flameshot.graphicCapture

Tips and Workflows

Quick Documentation

1. Press Print Screen
2. Select area
3. Add arrows/numbers for steps
4. Press Ctrl+C to copy
5. Paste into documentation

Bug Reporting

1. Capture error/issue
2. Add text annotation describing problem
3. Pixelate sensitive info
4. Save with descriptive filename
5. Attach to bug report

Tutorial Creation

1. Capture each step
2. Add numbered markers (1, 2, 3...)
3. Use arrows to indicate flow
4. Add brief text labels
5. Save with sequential names

Flameshot exemplifies focused software design, providing exactly the screenshot capabilities Linux users need without unnecessary complexity. The combination of instant capture, inline annotation, and flexible output options creates a workflow that significantly accelerates visual communication tasks.