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High-level use case: Highlight parts in a screenshot

I don't care if gimp or another tool gets used to solve this.

Up to now, I do it like this:

  1. Super-key "screen..."
  2. choose application "Screenshot"
  3. take screenshot
  4. save it as foo.png
  5. open gimp
  6. select pencil
  7. set color to red
  8. set brush type to pixel
  9. set width of brush to 4
  10. mark the part
  11. overwrite foo.png

Unfortunately, gimp does not remember the settings.

I need to do step 6 to 9 over and over again.

What is the easiest way to take a screenshot and highlight a part?

Version: Ubuntu 18.04

cmak.fr
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guettli
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3 Answers3

23

There was Shutter but the edit (marking some parts) feature is a bit hard to enable under recent Ubuntu. Personaly familiar with Shutter, I did enable the edit feature by downloading missing debs. It works fine

sudo apt install shutter
wget https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+files/libgoocanvas-common_1.0.0-1_all.deb
wget https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+files/libgoocanvas3_1.0.0-1_amd64.deb
wget https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+files/libgoo-canvas-perl_0.06-2ubuntu3_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i libgoocanvas3_1.0.0-1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i libgoo-canvas-perl_0.06-2ubuntu3_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i libgoocanvas-common_1.0.0-1_all.deb
sudo apt --fix-broken install

enter image description here

If you prefer some out of box app, you can take a look to Flameshot (available in Ubuntu repositories via apt)
sudo apt install flameshot

flameshot demo

cmak.fr
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    Nice gif, top marks. I think Okular (KDE file viewer) does highlighting like that. – pbhj Mar 06 '19 at 13:25
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    You can install the full version of shutter with all dependencies from this ppa: https://launchpad.net/~linuxuprising/+archive/ubuntu/shutter – Organic Marble Mar 06 '19 at 14:49
  • Since when is shutter not complete on Ubuntu? Asking just out of curiosity as it works fine without any other side steps to do on 18.04 – Videonauth Mar 06 '19 at 16:04
  • @Videonauth : The Edit image function needs libgoocanvas old version, unavailable in official repos since 18.04. – cmak.fr Mar 06 '19 at 19:12
  • @cmak.fr Well then i have a very weird version of shutter :) on my 18.04 shutter install only recommends libgoo-canvas-perl, but not depends on it. and the edit function works. To be precise I installed it just fine without adding any libraries or other repositories to make that happen – Videonauth Mar 06 '19 at 20:59
  • Joined this site only to ask about Use this tool to add text, but I don't see any freehand circles that highlight the tool icon! Oh wait, it the wrong site for the joke?.. – lolbas Mar 07 '19 at 07:20
  • @Videonauth the libraries may have been installed as dependency by another PPA or such. Symply get info with apt-cache policy – cmak.fr Mar 07 '19 at 07:40
  • Flameshot capture needs to be initiated from the terminal with flameshot gui
    To make matters easier, you might want to define a keyboard shortcut, or replace the default PrtSc key assignment. I assigned the above command to Super + PrtSc.     – Sri Mar 13 '19 at 15:23
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    flameshot is the tool what I wanted, thank you. – Rafiq Jan 22 '21 at 06:08
  • flameshot is great! Any idea on how to have a shortcut key to screenshot the current screen image with flameshot? – João Pimentel Ferreira Feb 26 '21 at 11:55
  • flameshot rocks !!! – ScotchAndSoda Mar 09 '21 at 16:55
5

In Gimp you can save tool settings, using the icons at the bottom of the tool options:

enter image description here

(the icons are bit different in Gimp 2.8 but the functionality is the same)

If you use Gimp mostly for this, you can also make the whole setup your default when you start Gimp:

  • Activate the pencil tool
  • Set colors
  • Set brush and brush size
  • Set whatever you like as a default (font, gradient, pattern...)

Go to Edit>Preferences>Tools options

  • Uncheck Save tool options on exit
  • Click Save tool options now

In Gimp 2.10, also go to Edit>Preferences>Input devices

  • Uncheck Save input device settings on exit
  • Check Save input device settings now
xenoid
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  • For me "Save input device settings on exit" sounds good. I activated it. But the size of the brush gets reset to 20 after stopping and starting gimp again. Color and pencil type get saved. Thank you for this hint. – guettli Mar 11 '19 at 11:33
  • You maye to save both Input device and Tool settings (it may depend on what is checked in "Paint options shared between tools") – xenoid Mar 11 '19 at 13:18
1

I think you got better answers already providing specific tools for Ubuntu. Still I share my 50 cents here. This is how I do when I need to highlight a part of the image.

  1. Simply open it in GIMP
  2. Add a new layer
  3. Make a selection of the parts I want to Highlight.
  4. Fill with a colour
  5. Change the blending option with one that works for me.
  6. Export to your taste (image, copy/paste, and so on...)

In point 3: To make regular and clean results I often use guides to have a standard line height on text or precise selection overall. I often zoom to be pixel perfect. Them you can quickly get very precise selection using magnet selection.

In point 5: I use Multiply mostly. On white backgrounds Result : Text + coloured frame. Like a highlighter pen. On Black backgrounds Result : Coloured text.

There are tons of apps now that give such results quickly but often you have to draw the lines with mouse which to me give unclean results hence all the fuss with GIMP. Now I would go for Flameshot from what I see.

猫IT
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