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Voila for Mac is a full-featured screenshot app
Yes, OSX's Grab tool is a good starting point, but I like to be able to crop, edit, add arrows and callouts, and perform other similar chores without having to launch something like Photoshop or GIMP.
Voila provides all the features I'm after. Apart from full screen, window, region, and menu capturing, it also offers an array of editing and notation functions. Arrows, callouts, shapes, and text are easy to add - and text can be edited after it's placed unlike a lot of similar applications. It also supports one-click exporting to iPhoto and Mail.
One glaring omission is resizing. It's something I use all the time, so its absence is a bit of an inconvenience.
The beta version is currently free, though the FAQ states that Voila will indeed become a commercial app. I'm just getting started on my Mac, so if you've got a better free alternative share it in the comments!
Comments
17
Subscribe to commentsTomDec 22nd 2008 10:39AM
So you missed Skitch and LittleSnapper?
Lee MathewsDec 22nd 2008 10:39AM
Is Little Snapper actually free? Looks like it's $39 on their website.
Will have to check out Skitch, though...Thanks!
MichaelDec 22nd 2008 10:41AM
Skitch is where it's at, my friend. Other screen-snappers need not apply.
AJ CannDec 22nd 2008 10:50AM
Skitch.
EvenioDec 22nd 2008 10:58AM
As nice as the third-party screenshot apps out there are, I find I have trouble liking them any more than the Cmd-Shift-4-then-Spacebar trick that gets you a screenshot of a single window or screen element (i.e. you can also capture the Dock, a menu, even the notification area of the menubar or a single desktop icon), by itself, with a fully transparent background. That last bit gives you an incredible amount of flexibility in what you can do with it. Granted, you'd still need another app to draw arrows on it, but for simple tasks like resizing, Preview does the job handily. For me, at least, the only screen capture apps worth getting separately from OS X are the ones that do video.
rickDec 22nd 2008 11:37AM
well isn't this a dream come true, just what we needed another screenshot apps that just runs on a mac.
MaxDec 22nd 2008 11:42AM
You Windows guys have SnagIt, and have had it for ages. It's the most full-featured screenshot app on any platform IMO. It's about time we've been getting more on the Mac. For years it was just low-end solutions like the built-in ones or a higher-end SnapzProX.
However, at last all the newcomers offer easy screenshots and annotation, and some offer built-in web sharing. At this point, I give the edge to Skitch, mostly because I can resize screen shots there and it seems to have more integration with the Finder and other apps.
nparik1Dec 22nd 2008 12:04PM
Skitch is defn. comparable however Jing is also pretty good for Video and Image capture.
Voila seems to have some desparately needed edge effects for Mac screen capture tools. I have been looking all over for a "paper tear" effect that is readily available in SnagIt.
Nick
DeAndreaDec 22nd 2008 12:38PM
There is a great screen capture tool for from techsmith called Jing.. check that out... no resize option, but you can use another photo editing software for resizing if you wish. Jing takes the shot as a png and then places it in a designated folder on either your harddrive, or via ftp to a specified folder on your server.
Wolfman K 42Dec 22nd 2008 12:58PM
Another vote for Skitch... amazing, free, and includes online storage and sharing.
Jeff SchillerDec 22nd 2008 3:50PM
One word (repeated many times above): skitch
Nathan MylottDec 22nd 2008 8:01PM
Skitch also handles the resizing problem you mentioned and it's free. You don't have to win a license. It hosts the images for you and gives you your own web page to give out with all your public clippings. And it's just a fun interface. I find myself looking for things to clip with it. Everything is done by drag and drop. Drag the window to your email client to send it, drag to an IM, drag to Finder to save the file, etc. You can save in a variety of formats and you resize the image just by resizing the Skitch window. I love Skitch. There's nothing else like it.
ON WINDOWS: Wisdom Screen Hunter is just as good as Snagit and it's free. Snagit is a 30 day trial. You can also use another free app called Windows Media Encoder to take video screen grabs, or broadcast your screen. Go to this URL for a tutorial I made for it, which includes a download link: http://tinyurl.com/videoscreenshots
I have found a Mac app that will let me take video of my screen. Anybody know of one?
Voila FanDec 22nd 2008 11:23PM
I definitely vote for Voila over Skitch. Skitch is good no doubt, but Voila offers me options that skitch doesnt provide me yet. Voila is more like SnagIT, and being a switcher from Windows to Mac, I seem to be more comfortable with this one!!!
GreeneoDec 22nd 2008 11:39PM
Wow!! Thanks for the post Lee!!
Voila seems to be a full featured Screen Capture solution for Mac that I have been waiting for... Its got powerful Capturing options and wonderful set of Annotations.
Hey Lee, I just figured out they do have resize options... Check this out.
1. After Capture click on the image, it gets selected and you can resize it. This resizes the canvas
2. I figured out that the image is locked to the canvas by default. Go to the Layers menu and click on "Unlock Image". The image gets unlocked. Now on clicking the image only the image gets selected and can be resized.
From the Developers of VoilaDec 23rd 2008 12:44AM
Hi Lee
Thanks for the post. We also appreciate all the user comments. As you rightly pointed that Voila is in beta and undergoing a lot of polishing. We have been receiving umpteen feedback and suggestions to improve Voila (both in terms of features and usability). We are sincerely looking into each of them to make sure we don't miss out on user expectations and making Voila exceptional Capture, Annotating and Sharing application on the Mac platform.
For complete features of Voila please visit
http://www.globaldelight.com/voila/voila_features.html
For Getting Started please visit
http://www.globaldelight.com/voila/voila_tutorials.html
Waiting for your suggestions and feedback at voila@globaldelight.com
Thanks
Team Voila
PS: Hi Greeneo, Thanks for posting the details on resizing :)
MacAddictionDec 23rd 2008 2:32AM
Posting this after using both Voila and Skitch, and trust me, Voila definitely wins the race not only in terms of features but in terms of usability as well!
Me being a graphic designer , Voila has been truly 'The Perfect Christmas Gift' for me.
UbuntuGuyDec 24th 2008 11:33AM
Jing is great because of the video capture ability. Unfortunately, it only captures 5 minutes worth. Any chance Voila or any other vendors will support video capture?