New Tips And Triks For You

Looking for an easy way to share screenshots from your Dropbox account? This free app for Windows has you covered.

(Credit: Photo by Nicole Cozma/CNET)

Since I started writing content for the How To blog, screenshots have become a staple of my work. Usually their purpose is to show the reader how to perform an action in a more precise way than words can express.

As you may imagine, I have tried a lot of different ways to take and save screenshots. The most basic method, PrtScr (Print Screen), still requires pasting the copied image into an editor and then saving it. While this is great because it is built-in, it makes the process more complex than necessary. Even though none of the screenshot utilities I've used are perfect, I'd say this one at least gets credit for uploading somewhere useful. Here's how to get started with CloudShot, a screenshot utility for Dropbox:

Note: You will need to have the desktop version of Dropbox installed for this screenshot utility to save directly to your account.

Step 1: Install a copy of CloudShot on your computer.

You may need to authorize the installation, depending on your computer's security settings when dealing with downloads.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)

Step 2: Once the installation completes, you should see the cloud icon representing the application in your system tray. Right-click the icon and choose Settings to configure the app.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)

Step 3: Click on the Storage tab along the top, and then choose Dropbox from the drop-down menu. You'll need to sign-in to Dropbox to store your images there.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)

Step 4: CloudShot will ask for permission to create a new folder where it will save screenshots within your Dropbox account.

Step 5: When you're ready to take a screenshot, just press PrtScr. When you finish, the link will be copied to your clipboard automatically for easy sharing.

How about you? How do you handle taking and sharing screenshots? Share your methods in the comments.