How to Take Screenshots on Ubuntu Linux

Taking screenshots is one of the most common tasks on any computer, whether you need to save an error message, share something with a colleague, or document a process. Ubuntu Linux includes several built-in tools for capturing screenshots, and there are also excellent third-party options available.

This guide covers every method for taking screenshots on Ubuntu, from simple keyboard shortcuts to advanced tools that let you annotate, delay, and customise your captures.

Use Keyboard Shortcuts for Quick Screenshots

Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop environment includes a built-in screenshot tool that responds to keyboard shortcuts. These work immediately without installing anything extra.

Capture the Entire Screen

Press the Print Screen key (sometimes labelled PrtSc or PrtScn) on your keyboard.

On Ubuntu 22.04 and later, this opens the GNOME Screenshot interface, which gives you three capture options at the top of the screen:

• Selection — Capture a specific area of the screen.
• Screen — Capture the entire screen.
• Window — Capture a specific application window.

Click the round capture button or press Enter to take the screenshot. The image is automatically saved to your Pictures/Screenshots folder and copied to your clipboard.

Capture a Specific Area

Press Print Screen to open the screenshot tool, then select the Selection option. Click and drag to select the area you want to capture, then press Enter or click the capture button.

This is particularly useful when you only need to capture a specific part of the screen, such as an error dialog or a section of a web page.

Capture a Single Window

Press Print Screen and select the Window option. Click on the window you want to capture. The screenshot will include only that window, without the desktop background or other applications.

Screenshot Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Here is a quick reference for the most useful screenshot shortcuts on Ubuntu:

Shortcut	Action
Print Screen	Open the screenshot tool (Ubuntu 22.04+)
Shift + Print Screen	Capture a selected area (older Ubuntu versions)
Alt + Print Screen	Capture the active window (older Ubuntu versions)
Ctrl + Print Screen	Copy screenshot to clipboard (older Ubuntu versions)

On Ubuntu 22.04 and later, the Print Screen key opens the unified screenshot tool, so the older shortcut variations may not apply. The unified tool handles all capture modes from a single interface.

Record Your Screen

The built-in GNOME Screenshot tool on Ubuntu 22.04 and later also supports screen recording. When you press Print Screen, you will see a toggle at the top of the screen to switch between Screenshot and Screencast mode.

In Screencast mode:

1. Select Screen or Selection to choose what to record.
2. Click the red record button to start recording.
3. A red indicator appears in the system tray while recording is active.
4. Click the red indicator or press Print Screen again to stop recording.

Recordings are saved as WebM video files in your Videos folder.

Use the GNOME Screenshot Application

If you are using an older version of Ubuntu (before 22.04) or prefer a dedicated application, the GNOME Screenshot app provides a simple graphical interface for taking screenshots.

To install it, open a terminal and run:

sudo apt install gnome-screenshot

Once installed, open it from the applications menu or by typing gnome-screenshot in the terminal.

The application offers options to:

• Capture the whole screen.
• Capture a specific window.
• Capture a selected area.
• Set a delay before taking the screenshot (useful for capturing menus or tooltips that disappear quickly).
• Include or exclude the window border and mouse pointer.

Take Screenshots from the Terminal

If you prefer working from the command line, or need to automate screenshots, the gnome-screenshot command provides several useful options.

Capture the Entire Screen

gnome-screenshot

Capture a Specific Window

gnome-screenshot -w

Capture a Selected Area

gnome-screenshot -a

Add a Delay

Use the -d flag followed by the number of seconds to delay:

gnome-screenshot -d 5

This gives you five seconds to arrange your screen before the screenshot is taken. This is particularly useful for capturing dropdown menus, context menus, or tooltips that close when you move your mouse.

Save to a Specific Location

gnome-screenshot -f ~/Desktop/my-screenshot.png

Use Flameshot for Advanced Screenshot Features

Flameshot is a popular, free screenshot tool for Linux that provides features not available in the built-in tools, including annotations, arrows, text, blurring, and more.

Install Flameshot

sudo apt install flameshot

Take a Screenshot with Flameshot

Launch Flameshot from the applications menu or by running:

flameshot gui

This opens an interactive selection tool. Select the area you want to capture, then use the toolbar that appears to:

• Draw arrows, lines, and shapes.
• Add text annotations.
• Blur or pixelate sensitive information.
• Highlight important areas.
• Copy to clipboard or save to a file.
• Upload directly to Imgur (optional).

Replace the Default Print Screen Shortcut with Flameshot

If you prefer Flameshot over the built-in tool, you can reassign the Print Screen key:

1. Open Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → View and Customise Shortcuts.
2. Search for Screenshots.
3. Disable the existing Print Screen binding.
4. Add a Custom Shortcut with the command flameshot gui and assign it to the Print Screen key.

Use Shutter for Editing and Organising Screenshots

Shutter is another powerful screenshot tool for Ubuntu that includes a built-in editor and screenshot organiser.

sudo apt install shutter

Shutter can capture the entire screen, specific windows, selected areas, or even individual menus. Its built-in editor lets you add annotations, highlight areas, and blur sensitive information.

It also keeps a history of all your screenshots within the application, making it easy to organise and find previous captures.

Where Ubuntu Saves Your Screenshots

By default, screenshots taken with the built-in GNOME tool are saved in:

~/Pictures/Screenshots/

If the Screenshots folder does not exist, Ubuntu creates it automatically the first time you take a screenshot.

Screenshots taken from the command line with gnome-screenshot without specifying a file path are also saved to this location.

Screenshots are saved in PNG format by default, which provides lossless quality suitable for most purposes.

Tips for Better Screenshots on Ubuntu

• Use a delay for menus — If you need to capture a dropdown menu or right-click context menu, use the delay feature so you have time to open the menu before the screenshot is taken.
• Use Flameshot for quick annotations — Adding arrows and highlights directly in the screenshot tool is much faster than editing in a separate image editor.
• Blur sensitive information — Before sharing screenshots, use Flameshot or Shutter to blur email addresses, account numbers, or other private information.
• Use the clipboard — Screenshots are automatically copied to your clipboard, so you can paste them directly into chat applications, documents, or image editors without opening the saved file.
• Keyboard shortcuts save time — Once you memorise the Print Screen shortcut, taking screenshots becomes almost instant.

Choose the Right Tool for Your Needs

Ubuntu gives you several excellent options for capturing screenshots. Here is a quick summary to help you choose:

Tool	Best For
Built-in GNOME Screenshot	Quick, simple captures with no setup required
gnome-screenshot (terminal)	Command-line captures, automation, and delayed screenshots
Flameshot	Annotated screenshots with arrows, text, and blurring
Shutter	Screenshot organisation and built-in editing

For most everyday users, the built-in GNOME screenshot tool is all you need. If you regularly share screenshots and need to add annotations, Flameshot is the best upgrade. It is free, lightweight, and integrates smoothly with the Ubuntu desktop.