About Pin to Screen
ShareX's Pin to Screen tool keeps images fixed on your desktop, always visible. It proves useful for various tasks, such as referencing a screenshot, comparing two display regions, maintaining visible instructions, or temporarily holding a window segment while focusing elsewhere.
An image that has been pinned acts like a small, floating reference window. You can move or resize it, adjust its transparency, copy its content, reset its position, minimize it, or close it without needing to launch a separate image viewer application.
Accessing Pin to Screen
There are several ways to activate Pin to Screen, depending on the image's origin:
- Tools menu: Open Tools -> Pin to screen.
- Tools menu from screen: Use Tools -> Pin to screen (From screen)to instantly choose an area and pin it.
- Tools menu from clipboard: Use Tools -> Pin to screen (From clipboard) to pin an image that has already been copied to the clipboard.
- Tools menu from file: Use Tools -> Pin to screen (From file)select an image file and then pin it.
- After capture tasks: Enable Pin to screen in the After capture tasksto automatically pin newly captured images.
- Main window task list: In the main window, right-click an image task and choosePin to screen.
- History windows: Open History or Image history, right-click an image and selectPin to screen.
- Task notification: Set up a notification click action to pin the image once it's complete.
- Hotkey: Create or modify a hotkey and assign its action toTools -> Pin to screen, Pin to screen (From screen), Pin to screen (From clipboard), or Pin to screen (From file).
Common uses
Pin to Screen functionality enhances various screenshot and productivity tasks:
- Keep a captured region in view while inputting data into another application.
- Compare the current screen layout against a previous screenshot.
- Display a reference image when editing, testing, designing, or creating documentation.
- Maintain visibility of a small instruction, code snippet, error message, QR code, or form value.
- Capture and pin menus, pop-ups, or other temporary user interface elements before they vanish.
- Adjust opacity controls so the pinned image remains visible without completely obstructing your workspace.
Managing Pinned Images
Once an image is pinned, use the left mouse button to reposition it. Alter its size using the mouse wheel, or the plus and minus keys. HoldCtrlwhile interacting with the mouse wheel or plus/minus keys to modify its transparency.
Pinned images can be dismissed with a right-click or by pressingEscape. A middle-click restores the pinned image to its original state, a double-click minimizes it, andCtrl + Cplaces a copy onto the clipboard.
Pinned images may display a toolbar providing actions like copy, scaling, settings, and closing. If the pinned area is too small for this toolbar, ShareX can automatically conceal it.
Pin to Screen settings let you customize how pinned images appear and behave:
- Placementdetermines the initial placement of the pinned image.
- Placement offsetmodifies the pinned image's exact location.
- Top mostensures the pinned image stays on top of other windows.
- Keep center locationmaintains the image's center point when resizing it.
- Shadowadds or removes a surrounding shadow for the pinned image.
- Border, Border size, and Border colormanages the image's outline.
- Minimize sizedefines the dimensions used when a pinned image is minimized.
- Scale stepregulates the increment of scale changes when using zoom shortcuts.
Tips
- Pin only the specific section needed when using the tool for quick reference.
- Decrease opacity when the pinned image covers content you still need to view.
- Use Pin to screen (From screen)Ideal for temporary user interface components such as menus, pop-ups, and tooltips.
- If you frequently pin screenshots, consider using a hotkey for efficiency.
- Once you're finished with pinned images, close them to maintain a tidy desktop.
Keybinds
| Keybind |
Description |
| Hold left click |
Move image |
| Right click / Escape |
Close image |
| Middle click |
Reset image |
| Double click |
Shrink image |
| Mouse wheel / + - |
Adjust image size |
| Ctrl + Mouse wheel / Ctrl + + - |
Modify image transparency |
| Ctrl + C |
Copy image |