Capture what you want form your screen (Faststone capture)

Member Name: blissman70

Product:	Faststone capture
Date:	22/12/08 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy way to save web pages...and a lot more

Disadvantages: none

I have always been a fan of faststone and find that there products are quite good and very simple to use... I have used many of them, including 'Re-Sizer', 'Image Viewer' and 'Capture' and have never been disappointed by any of them...

This review is for Faststone Capture which, as the title suggests, is a simple program which helps 'capture' images with the click of a mouse.

Faststone capture is a marvellous tools which allows you to 'snatch' any picture from your computer screen, be it on line or from your personal collection, and save it somewhere else, without the need to download, thus eliminating the threat of viruses.

You can download the latest version from www.download.com

When I first downloaded this program it was completely free but as it seems to have become more popular faststone have decided to charge for the privileged, giving a thirty day trial for free then charging $19.95 for the actual program, (although version 5.4 and below are still free, but if all you want to do is 'capture' a picture from on-line and re-size it then 5.4 and below are what you need).

It is a simple program to use once you've grasped the basics.

When you open the program you are presented with a small rectangular box with nine symbols on it... All these can be accessed by left clicking on the symbol....


WHAT'S ON OFFER...??

* Capture active window... allows you to make a copy of the entire page you are looking at, saving it if necessary.

* Capture window/object... allows you to capture particular sections of a page, section by section, using the red bordered box to chose.

* Capture rectangle region... allows you to chose the size and section of the image you want to capture, then giving you the option to re-size it if necessary, saving it to your personal folder.

* Capture freehand... Allows you to 'capture' any part of a page by using free hand drawing technique, the giving you the option to re-size it if necessary, saving it to your personal folder. (This does need a steady hand).

* Capture full screen...allows you to capture the full screen you are looking at.

* Capture scrolling window... allows you to capture certain sections of a page, using the scroll system to save the entire thing.

* Screen magnifier... Allows you to see a close up of what ever page you are viewing, being able to 'drag' around the page.

* Screen colour picker... gives you the perfect colour match for any part of any page you are looking at... useful if you want to identify an exact colour for editing a picture.

* Setting section which allows you to edit the entire look and feel of the program to your personal specifications, like editing short cut keys and even having the program run on start-up... plus other choices.

* You can add text or even a water mark on your selected picture during the editing process, [which can be useful if you want to stop others copying your pictures], this is done at the 'saving image' section, simply go to edit, click on 'Text' and then look down the left side symbols to find the watermark link...[image looks like a scenic view]... it is then a matter of choosing a watermark to add to your image.

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I usually tend to use the 'Capture rectangle region' as it is safer than downloading an image from the web... and is so simple to use a child of three could do it...
You simply browse the web or even your own personal files, and when you come across something you like, be it an image or even text, you simply click on the 'Capture rectangle region' and, holding down the right button on your mouse, guide the cross-thread to create a square/rectangle... then simply release the button to capture the wanted screen...
Then, as the next page opens, you have the options of re-sizing, adding text, zooming in/out, or simply saving the page to a selected place on your PC... you even have the option of printing or even e-mailing the image...

Doing this is a lot quicker than trying to download anything from the web and is a lot faster than trying to write a large section of written information that you might need to know... simply faststone capture it and save it for later.


* IN CONCLUSION...

A brilliant little gem for those that want to be able to 'capture' pages from on-line without the hassle of downloading a virus.

The latest version is on a 30 day trial, being nearly $20 there after, but any version before 5.4 are completely free of charge and if all you want is to be able to 'snatch' an image or a slice of text from you computer screen then the free versions will be perfect for this.

It is a practical and very useful program which is easy to understand and so simple to use... giving the user so much control over 'snatching' what is showing on there screen...

What more can I say about this brilliant freebie..?
Give it a try and see for yourself.... You wont be disappointed...

If you are interested in the free version then forget going to www.download.com , as they are only offering the paid version, go here instead for version 5.4...
www.softbbc.com/software/Graphics/Screen-Capture/ faststone-capture-5.4.html
And download the free version in a jiffy.

I guarantee you wont be disappointed with the results, once you've used it you'll wonder why you waited so long..?

Summary: No image is safe from being 'snatched' by this little gem

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