Desktop Capture

Seamless Desktop Screen Capture

Record your screen and create visual step-by-step guides for any process.

In a few clicks, you can capture your entire screen and document full screen activity across:

• Any desktop computer.
• Several systems including Mac and PC.
• Various proxy servers.
• Multiple monitor setups.

What is desktop capture?

Desktop capture (sometimes referred to as screen recording) is the process of recording your desktop computer, usually to outline a process.

The goal of a recording tool is to catch everything on the screen, including:

• Multiple sources or applications.
• Desktop menus or status bars.
• Cursor movements and keystrokes.

There are two main types of Desktop Capture tools:

1. Business video platforms
2. Screen capture tools

Here's a brief overview of both, and when to try which based on your specific needs.

Business video platforms

Video recording software (or capture cards) will record the screen to capture video and record your voice.

Tools like Loom or OBS are popular video recorders and video editors that focus on video quality, audio mixers, and various ways to record your screen and distribute video.


A video recorder and video editing solution is useful for teams looking to:

• Record webinars or Zoom inputs.
• Create screencasts.
• Record audio and record system sound.
• Conduct user interviews with power users.
• Include your voice in a product overview or demo.

Luckily, there's a much faster solution that lets you build powerful software tutorials in minutes.

While video platforms can be useful, they're also not easy. You can't just click the record button without several hours of editing, compiling and trying to figure out how to distribute video.

Screen capture software

A screen capture software (or screen recording software) lets you record your screen to create powerful, visual guides.

‎Instead of recording a webcam video with video recording software, screen capture software like Scribe will record the screen to capture:

• Ai-generated text with custom names and titles.
• High-quality annotated screenshots.
• A sharable link for every online site.

Scribe's screen capture software is the perfect alternative to complicated video platforms. This advanced recording tool captures screen activity so that you can quickly:

• Create a software tutorial.
• Identify and troubleshoot an issue or bug fix.
• Answer tickets with thorough device support.

Desktop capture is also an incredibly useful tool for communicating complex instructions and building procedures.

Why Choose Scribe as Your Desktop Capture Generator?

1. Automatically Capture Screen Activity

Scribe's online recorder offers a browser extension and full screen application for Pro and Teams Pro users.

‎Just click the record button to capture windows across multiple monitor setups or proxy servers. In seconds, you can document even the most complicated process.

There are two screen recorder options based on your specific needs.

1. Free screen recorder (browser only).
2. Advanced recording tool for your entire screen.

Let's dig into both screen recording options.

Free screen recorder

Sign up and log in to a free account to download the browser extension.


This online recorder lets users capture window activity on Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

This is an excellent solution for users looking to record screen processes on their browser. All users with a free account can:

• Capture a select area of online processes.
• Auto-generate visual guides with a custom name, steps and screenshots.
• Use the edit capability to update text, merge steps and more.
• Share via several export options, embed or a share link.
• Combine several guides with AI, capture cards and more with Pages.

While the free screen recorder does limit functionality and excludes desktop capture, it is still a viable solution and great way to get started.

Advanced recording tool for your entire screen

Scribe's desktop capture application is available to both Pro and Teams Pro users. It offers everything available on the free plan, plus advanced functionality, including:

• Capture select areas across multiple source inputs and devices.
• An expanded edit capability for screenshots, including highlights, adding icons and screenshot redaction.
• Additional export options to PDF.
• Additional customization including branding colors and logos.
• In-context guide walkthroughs with Scribe Sidekick.

Want to learn more about Pro and Pro Teams? Check out our buyer's guide.

2. 100+ Free Templates to Choose From

The Scribe gallery offers over 100 title templates that help you turn your guides into software tutorials, training manuals and so much more.

‎Each template was made with Scribe Pages, which lets you combine multiple guides, then use the power of AI to add additional sections and a table of contents.

Combine your visual guides with images and video to get the best of both worlds.

‎Use these step-by-step guide templates and AI-powered solutions to visually demonstrate processes for any industry, department or team.

3. Collaborate with Your Team

Scribe's advanced functionality offers several features designed especially for teams. This lets you create guides and get feedback and build and edit powerful documentation.

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Scribe's Team features support all kinds of users, whether you're creating guides, viewing them or managing teammates. This includes:

• Capturing and sharing guides in a few clicks.
• A native cloud-base gallery for all team documentation and activity.
• Monitoring Scribe completion with the status bar and activity metrics.
• A feedback function for comments and recommendations.
• An approval and verification process.
• In-context guide walkthroughs with Scribe Sidekick.

Getting Started with Scribe's Desktop Capture

If you're looking to capture your full screen, sign up for Pro or Pro teams and download the screen capture tool to your desktop.

Here's how you can use Scribe's screen capture software.

Step 1: Capture Your Desktop or Browser Processes

When you're ready to capture your screen activity, click the record button that says "Start Capture," then go through your process as usual.

Scribe will capture your screen in the background while you work.

Step 2: Stop Capture and Let Scribe Do the Work

Once you've completed your tasks, click the "Stop Capture" button at the top of your screen to stop the recording.

Scribe will record screen activity to generate a visual how-to guide that includes:

• Your name and the process length.
• An AI-generated title template and steps.
• Links to any site you visited.
• Any new shortcut added with your keyboard.
• A high-quality annotated screenshot.

Step 3: Edit & Enhance Your Guide

Scribe Pro and Teams Pro offers you the tools to perfect your content:

• Trim unnecessary steps or sections.
• Highlight key steps.
• Incorporate additional context.
• Add text overlays or callouts to emphasize important details.

Ask AI to add titles, descriptions, additional context and redact sensitive info.

Use Scribe Pages' AI to combine your guides with video, images and more.

Step 4: Share With Your Team or Clients

Share the documentation you built with Scribe's screen capture software in several ways.

• Share a quick link for easy access.
• Export your guide in multiple formats, including video files.
• Utilize the Scribe platform to distribute your guide via links.
• Embed your guide into preferred platforms for seamless integration. Scribe integrates with thousands of third-party apps.

What Can I Do With My Desktop Capture?

Desktop capture, or a screen recorder, has a range of applications that make it a versatile tool. Here are a few things you can do with your desktop capture:

1. Creating Tutorials: Desktop capture is an excellent way to create tutorials for software applications, websites, or other digital tools. By recording your whole desktop and showing the steps involved, users can easily follow along and learn how to use the software or tool effectively.
2. Documenting Software: Use desktop capture to document software development processes, troubleshooting procedures, or bug reports. Developers and support teams can communicate issues and solutions effectively by capturing screen actions and adding annotations.
3. Creating Demos: Use desktop capture to create engaging demos for marketing, sales or training purposes. You can also create visual presentations by using Scribe Pages to combine screen recordings with other multimedia elements.
4. Documenting Troubleshooting Steps: Desktop capture can be used to document the troubleshooting steps taken to resolve an issue. This can be helpful for personal reference, sharing with others encountering the same problem, or providing a detailed record to technical support.
5. Creating Troubleshooting Guides: Create step-by-step troubleshooting guides for common computer issues. By combining screen captures with clear explanations and annotations, you can create helpful tutorials for others to follow.

Scribe Desktop Capture FAQs

1. How do I capture my desktop screen?

There are several ways to capture your desktop based on your needs. One easy way is to use keyboard shortcuts:

• Windows: Windows key+Alt+R
• Mac: Shift + Command + 4

Learn more about how to capture screenshots on Mac.

To use Scribe to capture your desktop screen click the start record button, going through your process and then stop the recording.

2. How do I capture an entire desktop in Windows?

Windows offers the snipping tool and takes screenshots of your full screen via the Print Screen button.

Use Scribe to capture your entire Windows desktop by downloading the screen capture software for Windows.

3. Is screen capture free?

You can use Scribe's free screen recorder to capture any browser activity for free. If you want to record your entire desktop, you will need to sign up for Scribe Pro or Pro Teams.

4. Does Scribe record video?

While Scribe is an advanced screen recording software, it is not a video recorder or video platform. Scribe does not:

• Record video or capture video.
• Provide video editing tools.
• Record audio.

Instead, Scribe is a good screen recorder for capturing and sharing processes, without the fuss of having to include your voice or work with video editing tools.

You can easily record Scribes at the same time as you record camera input, and combine your guides with quick video clips using Scribe Pages.

Want to learn more? Check out these related resources:

• What is a Desktop Procedure & How to Create Them
• ‎‎Best Google Chrome Screenshot Extensions
• Free Documentation Generator
• Free Manual Creator
• Free SOP Generator
• 15+ Step-by-Step Guide Templates & How to Create One
• How to Create a How-to Guide + 8 How-to Tips
• 100+ Free SOP Templates: How to Write Standard Operating Procedures

Advanced Desktop Capture For Teams

Scribe's desktop capture turns any process into a powerful guide. Download the screen capture tool to elevate your screen recordings today.

Capture your desktop, now.