Filed under: Software, Cool tools, Productivity, Internet Tools
Skitch private beta updates with major UI changes, more integration
Skitch became an instant hit around the TUAW offices when we first heard about it at Macworld, and a couple of recent updates to this well-integrated screenshot app have only made it better. As you can see, watermarking has made an appearance for eBay sellers and paranoid bloggers alike, and the overall UI has received quite an overhaul. Taking snapshots of app windows (the Mac OS X equivalent is cmd-shift-4) also now has the ability to place a white or transparent background behind the window, or simply your desktop wallpaper - no matter what you actually have running behind said window when you snap it. The History feature has also received a new coat of polish: not only can you drag and drop images straight out of the History, but you can search any text you have written on top of any picture in your History.
Plenty of other innovative new features have made their way into the latest builds, but plasq said something about 'sleeping with the fishes' if we published them, so they'll have to remain under wraps for now. As Skitch's teaser page says, a public beta is on its way, and a price is still forthcoming.
Until Skitch goes public, you can see it in action at blip.tv with a video of plasq's own Rachael demoing it at Macworld.
Plenty of other innovative new features have made their way into the latest builds, but plasq said something about 'sleeping with the fishes' if we published them, so they'll have to remain under wraps for now. As Skitch's teaser page says, a public beta is on its way, and a price is still forthcoming.
Until Skitch goes public, you can see it in action at blip.tv with a video of plasq's own Rachael demoing it at Macworld.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Albright said 8:35AM on 3-05-2007
Wow, that is *way* more screenshot program than I need. Does anyone know of a good simple replacement for FreeSnap? Or if FreeSnap is still available somewhere on the net? The site that hosted it has gone down…
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dylan said 8:38AM on 3-05-2007
I think you mean 'sleeping with the fishes'.
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umijin said 8:49AM on 3-05-2007
So... let me get this straight. You're getting all lathered about a program that let's you post pics directly to MySpace or other online photo sites?
Or is there something more to this app?
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KeynoteKen said 9:30AM on 3-05-2007
With all great programs for the mac, the idea is that they take something that, in many cases, is already being done, but enhance the experience by features built into OSX such as Quartz and CoreImage.
I see Skitch as an excellent companion to Comic Life as well, allowing some fun effects at a bitmapped level (using high quality vectors) that you can't currently do in Comic Life.
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Dave Chartier said 9:37AM on 3-05-2007
#2: Thanks Dylan - I was never very good at the gangster lingo. :)
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Dave Chartier said 9:43AM on 3-05-2007
#3: umijin, well that's part of it. Skitch lets you send pics up to Flickr and their own MySkitch online photo sharing service. It also does a lot of innovative stuff - you can snap pics from a built-in iSight, edit and write on top of them (like I did above), email them with a keyboard shortcut, and lots more. This app has a lot of really innovative and time-saving features for bloggers, hobbyists, screenshot enthusiasts and more. Heck, of of the minor features is one I love the best: when taking a manual screenshot (the OS X-like cmd-shift-4), you get a set of live crosshairs that help you snap exactly the right pic you need.
So #4 put it really well: Plasq took the screenshot experience and added a lot of really handy stuff to it for people who could really use it.
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Stimuli said 9:52AM on 3-05-2007
Command+Shift+4 to take a screenshot? Since when? I've always used Command+Shift+3.
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Quix said 10:16AM on 3-05-2007
"Wow, that is *way* more screenshot program than I need."
Wow, that is probably *way* less screenshot program than I need. The single app I miss from the Windows world is SnagIt. It looks like Skitch will include some of the functionality of SnagIt, so I'm happy about that. But SnagIt is likely still a FAR more powerful app. I wish TechSmith would port SnagIt to Mac. In fact, there's an online survey asking for feedback from Mac users who would like SnagIt. Please sign.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=493032743512
Dreams of SnagIt aside, at least Skitch will spank that lame, outdated and seemingly-abandoned app SnapzPro (at least for static screen captures). Shame on you for neglecting that app, Ambrosia. Fortunately, it looks like you're no longer the only game in town.
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wayne said 12:04PM on 3-05-2007
I want a beta invite
Thanks
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Chris Messina said 5:06PM on 5-30-2007
Personally I've been using Skitch nonstop since Cris Pearson first let me take a look at it. For someone like me who takes a ton of screenshots and uploads them to Flickr (http://flickr.com/photos/factoryjoe), this tool is indispensable.
The interface has come a long way since I first started testing it a few months ago and you'd be simply shocked at how easy they've made it to literally toss images around -- either to web services or to IM buddies or to email contacts.
While Skitch might be too much for some folks, I think it picks up from where Snapz Pro left off -- no video yet -- but the best tool of its kind for designers and user interface developers who need a simple tool for grabbing, annotating and sharing anything on their screen (or in front of their iSight).
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Dave Chartier said 10:31AM on 3-05-2007
#7: Stimuli, cmd-shift-4 gives you a bullseye that lets you drag a specific region to capture, instead of the entire screen. Skitch includes a feature like this with some very nice enhancements, such as live crosshairs that let you line up exactly what you want to capture.
Another nice enhancement of of the cmd-shift-4 command of Mac OS X is that if you then press spacebar (after getting into this mode), you can capture whatever window your mouse hovers over. It gives you this nice feedback of highlighting the window white. Just click and snap.
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KeynoteKen said 10:36AM on 3-05-2007
You use Command-Shift-3 to take a picture of the whole screen. Command-Shift-4 allows you to get just a section or, by pressing the spacebar after invoking it, choosing just a single window.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75459
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Colin said 11:00PM on 3-05-2007
My my my... While Skitch certainly seems to be a useful program, what is *up* with the UI? Is it a widget? An application? Did they bother to use any native controls? I don't even see the usual (x)(-)(+) buttons...
As useful as it may be, that interface is just atrocious.
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dave said 3:33PM on 4-18-2007
All I want is a simple screenshot app that will let me markup a screenshot (circle this, arrow to that) without having to fire up Photoshop.
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