How to Capture Images With Paint Shop Pro

Sometimes, you'll want to modify an image already on your computer screen; to do so, you can import this image or a portion of it into Paint Shop Pro by making a screen capture. Paint Shop Pro not only lets you choose what you want to capture, but also the means to make the capture and how many screen shots you want to make at one time.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Setting Capture Options

1. Choose "Import" from the "File" menu, then "Screen Capture" from the "Import" submenu and "Setup" from the "Screen Capture" submenu. You may instead click the Capture Setup button on the Standard toolbar. Either will display the Capture Setup dialog.

2. Pick one of the "Capture" group box options. Pick "Area" to capture an area of the screen you define. Pick "Full screen" to capture the entire computer screen. Pick "Client area" to capture the displayed contents of an active program. Pick "Window" to capture a dialog if one is open; if not, this captures the main window of an active program. Pick "Object" to capture a highlighted portion of an active program.

3. Select the means to trigger the capture from the "Activate capture using" options: "Right mouse click" to trigger the capture by clicking the right mouse button, "Hot key" to trigger the capture with a key or key combination you define, or "Delay timer" to trigger the capture a specified number of seconds after setting up what is to be captured.

4. Check "Include cursor" to include the cursor in the captured image (this option is not available if you chose "Area" as the Capture option).

5. Mark the "Multiple captures" check box if you want to make more than one capture at a time.

Performing the Capture

6. Click "Capture Now" from the Capture Setup dialog if you are ready to perform the capture right after setting up the capture options. If not, click "OK" to just save the capture settings.

7. Choose "Import" from the "File" menu, then "Screen Capture" from the "Import" submenu" and "Start" from the "Screen Capture" submenu. You also may press the "Shift" and "C" keys on your keyboard or click the Start Capture button on the Standard toolbar. Paint Shop Pro minimizes to the Windows task bar.

8. Open or display the window, image or object you wish to capture.

9. Activate the capture by right-clicking your mouse or pressing the hot key you chose from the "Activate capture using" options. If you chose to capture a full screen, a client area or a window, your capture is completed. If you chose to capture an area, your cursor will change to a cross-hair. If you chose to capture an object, an object on the screen will be surrounded by a rectangular border.

10. Capture an area by left-clicking at a corner of the area you want to capture. Your cursor will display a set of dimensions in pixels. Move the cursor over the area you wish to capture; a rectangle appears to encompass it as the dimensions increase. Left-click again to capture the enclosed area.

11. Move the object selection border to the object on the screen you wish to capture and click your left mouse button to capture it.

12. Edit or save the captured image when the Paint Shop Pro screen is restored.

Tips & Warnings

• If you chose to make multiple captures, repeat Steps 1 through 6 in this section until you have made all the screen captures you want, then click the "Paint Shop Pro" button on the Windows toolbar to restore the Paint Shop Pro screen.
• If neither the Capture Setup nor the Start Capture buttons appear on your Standard toolbar, see the related eHow "How to Customize the Paint Shop Pro Toolbar" for instructions on how to add them.
• To copy from the Paint Shop Pro screen itself, run two copies of Paint Shop Pro. Set up your capture options in one copy, display the other and perform the capture.