How CleanShot X Transformed My Mac Screenshot Game

26Feb

Here’s a piece of wisdom that you only learn after years of writing tech content for the web:

Writing an engaging piece of tech tutorial is not only about lucid style and expertise. Your content would fail to do its job if you do not have the best screenshots.

I am talking about screenshots that offer as much value as the information you share.

A little backstory

Before we go further, I need to provide some context.

I have been working as a technical writer for more than a decade, for most of which I have used a Mac. In the past years, I have covered hundreds of tutorials and reviews for the Mac audience and the Apple user ecosystem in general. It means a random full-screen screenshot of the Mac does not cut it. It often fails to convey the point—a click, a process, or an idea.

For what it’s worth, macOS has had a decent screenshot utility for a few years. It lets you capture not only full-screen but also window-based screenshots. There is also an option to record screen videos. While it’s all great, I have, as a content creator, always needed more control over how a screenshot turns out. As I said earlier, it is about conveying an idea.

After years of testing free and paid screenshot tools, I came across CleanShot X. And it essentially changed how I capture great screenshots for the web. In this guide, I shall talk about how CleanShot X helped me master the Mac screenshots game.

About CleanShot X

CleanShot X is a feature-packed screen capture app for Mac. It is designed for professionals and enthusiasts alike, but I will be sharing my experience with CleanShot X as a technology writer. I came across CleanShot X as a part of the Setapp package, which also brought plenty of other apps onto the table. Since installing this screenshot app on my Macs, I have never had to use the built-in screenshot utility.

Likewise, It is impressive that the app has always been updated for the latest Mac ecosystem. Even during the transition to Apple Silicon, I never had to worry about how the screenshot features worked. In total, CleanShot X has always been a reliable option for taking screenshots on Mac.

But, as I said, reliability and integration with macOS take you only up to a point. You need powerful features to get the job done. And, here is where CleanShot X made all the difference.

Master Mac’s screenshot with CleanShot X

As a seasoned technical writer, I’ve discovered that CleanShot X is an indispensable tool for creating engaging and professional screenshots. Here are some expert tips to elevate your screenshot game:

UI and setup

As someone who checked hundreds of apps every year, I understand the crucial nature of intuitive UI. While I have a different idea about the learning curve for professional tools, I expect great apps to have an intuitive UI design. In this case, it was easy to depend on CleanShot X.

Once you have set up CleanShot X, the whole process of taking screenshots is overtaken by this application. Of course, you need to provide some accessibility settings and permissions, but that is part of the package. So, the next time you use one of the typical screenshot commands on your Mac, CleanShot X will do the job, and show an easy-to-access overlay on the left side of the screen.

For starters, I can simply copy the screenshot or delete it in a single click. Alternatively, I can double-click on the overlay to launch the built-in editor/annotation tool for screenshots. Now, this editor/annotation utility is one of the most optimized tools I have seen.

Edit and annotation

I have come across screenshot utilities that are either annoyingly heavy with features or too minimalistic. But CleanShot X makes the right cut out of both the worlds, offering a set of features that you most definitely need when you need to create engaging screenshots for your content. The selection of features is practical as well, from a content creator’s perspective.

Let’s say that you want to highlight a part of the screenshot or remove something sensitive from the screenshot. You can use the dedicated buttons to get this job done. There are also options to introduce steps, connectors and other elements that will make your content more engaging. At the end of the day, you also get the traditional editing features.

I use these features regularly because I mostly create content that is tutorial in nature. So, when I have to explain a particular task or a step in a more understanding way, these features of CleanShot X are beneficial.

I also use the built-in options for cropping the screenshot and adding a custom background. The second feature is great when you want to create a new form of screenshots that go in sync with the website where you’re publishing your content. For instance, you can choose from a variety of built-in gradients, solid colors, or even use your own wallpaper, you can also adjust the padding, inset, shadow, corners, and you can even use the auto-balance feature in which the app will do its best to align the screenshot according to the ratio.

It’s also time-saving that I can use presets to make tasks easier.

Customizations and settings

I said this earlier: you cannot have a great screenshot tool without room for customization. And I have always how CleanShot X brings a great balance in this aspect.

The Settings panel of CleanShot X lets you customize all aspects to fine-tune every aspect of your screenshot and screen recording experience. Here’s how I’ve tailored the tool to suit my needs:

Screenshot & Video Settings: You can define how screenshots and screen videos are captured, including file formats (PNG, JPG, etc.), resolution, and dimensions. You can even adjust how keyboard shortcuts work to fit your workflow.
Quick Access Overlay: When capturing a screenshot, CleanShot X gives you a customizable overlay for quick access to actions like copying, deleting, or opening the built-in editor. You can adjust where this overlay appears on your screen and how it behaves, which makes for a smooth, distraction-free experience.
Retina Scaling: When working with Retina screenshots, CleanShot X provides an option to scale them down to 1x, reducing file size for web usage without sacrificing quality. This is particularly useful when sharing images online or in emails.
Text Recognition & Other Advanced Settings: CleanShot X can automatically detect and extract text from screenshots, making it easier to search through your captures. Additionally, you can choose how the tool behaves after a capture—whether it launches the editor, copies to clipboard, or saves to a specific folder.
File Naming Template: In particular, I love the option very much. It allows to create a file naming template using placeholders for elements like your current project, company name, or even the app you’re capturing. This level of customization is a huge time-saver, as it automatically generates organized, consistent filenames. Plus, you can enable an auto-increment feature to avoid file name duplication.

The level of customization here means you can adjust CleanShot X to fit any type of content creation, whether it’s for quick blog tutorials or detailed, multi-step guides.

Video recording and GIF creation

The video and GIF recording features in CleanShot X are some of the most useful for creating dynamic, engaging content. Here’s how I use these features on a regular basis:

Screen Recording: With CleanShot X, recording your screen is simple and customizable. You can record specific app windows, or the entire screen, with adjustable resolution settings. I typically set it to 720p to keep the file size manageable while still ensuring clear, high-quality footage for tutorials.
GIF Creation: CleanShot X makes creating GIFs effortless. When I need to demonstrate a quick action or create a short loop, switching to “Record GIF” mode is quick and easy. The best part is that you can adjust the quality and frame rate of the GIF to balance file size and clarity. This feature is perfect for embedding short, looped content directly into blog posts or tutorials.
Self-Timer: The 5-second countdown timer gives me just enough time to position myself before the recording begins, ensuring I’m always prepared.
Do Not Disturb Mode: Recording uninterrupted is crucial when creating professional content. CleanShot X’s “Do Not Disturb” feature automatically silences notifications, so you never have to worry about pop-ups ruining your video or GIF.
Capture History: A recently added feature I’ve found invaluable is Capture History, which lets you restore lost recordings. If you forget to save a recording or accidentally delete it, you can simply retrieve it from the history. This has saved me from re-recording entire videos!

After recording, the built-in editor allows me to trim videos, add annotations, or even edit GIFs before I share them. Once I’m happy with the final result, I can upload it to CleanShot Cloud with just one click and generate a shareable link to send to clients or collaborators.

CleanShot Cloud and share

I’ve grown to appreciate in CleanShot X is its seamless integration with CleanShot Cloud. This service not only helps declutter my desktop by storing screenshots and recordings in the cloud but also makes sharing them incredibly easy.

Here’s how I use it:

After capturing a screenshot or recording, I simply click the Cloud button on the overlay menu.
Then I will be prompted to log into CleanShot Cloud. From there, I can download files, tag them for organization, or copy sharing links directly from the app.

What I love most is the ability to generate instant shareable links. This feature has been a lifesaver when I need to share screenshots quickly, especially in situations where file uploads aren’t supported. For example, I once had to share screenshots with a support team via a chat window that didn’t allow attachments. CleanShot X’s cloud links saved the day!

Additionally, I can adjust the expiry time for my uploads, which is useful for sensitive information. The default is 7 days, but I can set it to expire sooner or never.

With CleanShot Cloud Pro, I can even protect my shared links with passwords, ensuring that sensitive captures remain private.

The final words

As a content creator, I proactively have to invest in tools that make things easier. So, from that perspective, CleanShot X is a meaningful investment for most content creators.

Moreover, because CleanShot X is included in the Setapp package which I already have, it feels nice to have this powerful screenshot tool at my disposal at all times.

As for the pricing, you can get the premium version and the basic cloud plan for $29. But I much recommend the subscription plan, which sets you back at $8 per month. It offers unlimited features and resources as well.

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How CleanShot X Transformed My Mac Screenshot Game

A little backstory

About CleanShot X