Trying to take a screenshot is one of computer users' most common actions. Although the Windows operating system has different default methods to carry out this task, we may often feel that their options are insufficient. That is why there are so many good applications to generate a screenshot, and today we stop at one of them: FastStone Capture.

As we said, FastStone Capture is a paid program with a free trial version specifically designed for taking screenshots, also called screenshots, on our computers. To do this, it has not only the basic option but also a huge amount of complementary tools that allow us to ensure that we will not need other open software to create the desired image.

Operation

One of the best qualities of FastStone Capture is that it is a platform that goes completely unnoticed when we are not using it. We will only know that it is there because it becomes a small icon located in the Tray of the system, without losing sight of the fact that it is also able to integrate with the context menus of Windows, so it is always at hand.

From there, whenever we need to generate a screenshot of what we are seeing on our computer monitor, we can launch FastStone Capture to create a new image with the advantage that many formats are available. Which ones? For example, the following: TGA, TIFF, GIF, PNG, JPEG, BMP, and even PDF. As you can see, its compatibility with different formats is one of its strengths.

Of course, the thing that does not end there since, thanks to FastStone Capture, the editing of the image to capture is done at the same time, so we do not depend on the installation of other applications or loss of time. From this program, you can crop the screen space to be captured, rotate the image, adjust the colors of the capture, or make any other change that interests you.

In addition, FastStone Capture has additional options that improve the user experience, such as a magnifying glass, which is perfect for when we want to stop in some detail about what we are observing on the screen. We also have a Favorites folder from which we can often access the files we use.

What else does FastStone Capture offer us? Many other possibilities could be attractive, such as resizing the captured images and adding watermarks to protect them from thieves. You can also upload them directly via FTP, etc.

The user interface of FastStone Capture is, as in all similar utilities, almost nonexistent, except when we have already made the capture or if we access the different configuration options before running it. In any case, we have noticed that the organization of this service's different functions is very good, and as finding them does not take more than a second, we approve its design without doubts.

Keep in mind

As we explained initially, FastStone Capture is not a free program. Still, we can use it without paying for 30 days, which we consider sufficient, after which you must pay for its purchase to continue enjoying it. Our feeling is that there is so much screenshot software completely free. It is difficult for someone to pay for this one, although that will depend on your needs.

The best

Although we have previously mentioned many of FastStone Capture's strong points when it comes to summarizing them, we want to focus on those that other similar software may not be able to offer: the possibility of adding watermarks to images, resizing them, and uploading them directly through FTP. If these functions are essential to you, there are not many better options.

The worst

There is absolutely no doubt here, and that is that FastStone Capture has only one weak point, but it is too important: it is paid. As we said before, although it is not bad that you have to pay for an application that undoubtedly outperforms most of its competitors, we can not ignore those free ones that can stand up to it, and in that case, most will be left without the free option.

Rating

In conclusion, we recommend that you enjoy the FastStone Capture trial for 30 days to see that there are much more efficient methods of screenshots than those that Windows can offer by default. If you feel completely comfortable with this tool, you can pay to continue enjoying it, and in case you consider it's not worth it, try some other free alternatives we have analyzed right here.