Lightscreen is a free and open-source utility for PC devices created by an independent developer named Christian Kaiser, aka ckaiser. It’s a screen capture tool that takes a more minimalistic approach to its design and usability. It features a taskbar-like user interface, making all of its features easily accessible.

Compared to other screenshot tools, such as Snipping Tool++ and SnapShot, using Lightscreen is a much simpler process. All the tools you need are immediately displayed once you open the app so you can start using them right away. However, it still offers plenty of customization options if you need them.

How do I use Lightscreen?

Lightscreen features a compact and user-friendly UI with its floating taskbar-like window. It has three main functions to choose from depending on your needs. The first one from the left is your standard screenshot function, which captures your entire screen. The middle one allows you to select a specific portion of your screen to take. It even lets you make adjustments afterward by dragging the edges of the selection box.

The third option can be used to take a screenshot of a specific window, which will come in handy for capturing programs. All three functions of Lightscreen can be access from its system tray icon, as well as its upload options and folder directory, which by default, is located in Documents > Screenshots. You can also open additional options from this menu.

In your setting menu, you can configure various parameters such as custom filenames or enabling timestamps in your captures. Additionally, this is where you can set hotkeys to make using Lightscreen easier and faster. One thing that this tool is missing and would add to its overall usability is a built-in editor for making quick and simple changes to your screenshots before saving them.

Minimal and straightforward

In summary, Lightscreen will be a good option for those who prefer speed and simplicity over a large feature set in their screenshot tool. Using it is straightforward and it offers you plenty of ways to customize your captured shots. Best of all, it's free and open-source. This is a recommended app.