Meet PixPin
Learn what PixPin can do, explore its main features, and see how people use it for design, development, office work, and study.
PixPin is a screenshot and pinning tool whose name comes from Pixel Pin. It lets you capture anything on your screen and pin the screenshot back to the screen, so you can keep reference material in view while working in other apps. Alongside screenshots and pins, PixPin offers long screenshots, annotation, text recognition, and screen recording, covering everyday capture needs in one tool.
PixPin supports Windows and macOS. You can use it without registering an account, and it is also free to use at work.
What PixPin can do
Taking a screenshot is often just the first step. You may then need to send it to a colleague, refer to it while working, mark important details, or copy text from the image. PixPin brings these follow-up tasks into the same workflow: a toolbar appears beside the selection while you take a screenshot, so you can choose what to do next.
- Capture it: Capture any area, an entire window, or a button or image within a window. Use long screenshots to capture web pages and chat histories that extend beyond one screen.
- Pin it: Keep screenshots, copied text, or color values above all other windows. Pins stay visible when you switch apps, so you can refer to them at any time.
- Mark it up: Use arrows, serial numbers, text, and mosaic to highlight important details and hide private information before copying or saving.
- Recognize it: Recognize text and QR codes in images and copy their contents directly.
- Record it: Record on-screen actions and save them as a video or animated GIF.
If you take screenshots often, this means you do not need separate apps for long screenshots, text recognition, and recording GIFs.
What is a pin?
Pinning is a core PixPin feature. A pin floats above all other windows like a sticky note, and you can freely drag and resize it. Keep a design, source material, or documentation in view while you work, without switching back and forth between windows.
Main features
- ScreenshotsRecognize windows and interface elements
- Long screenshotsStitch scrolling pages and chats
- PinsKeep content above all windows
- AnnotationHighlight details and hide private data
- Text recognitionCopy text and QR code contents from images
- Screen recordingExport videos or animated GIFs
Screenshots
Press the screenshot shortcut Ctrl+1⌃ Control+1 and PixPin automatically recognizes the window and interface elements under the pointer, such as buttons, input fields, and images. Move the pointer to select an element, then double-click to copy it. You can also drag to select any area.
Besides rectangle screenshots, you can capture irregular areas with freeform screenshots and polygon screenshots, capture several windows at once with multi-window screenshots, and use delayed screenshots to capture menus and prompts that appear after a wait. Captured images and selections are stored in screenshot history, so you can find them later, continue editing, or capture the same area again.
Long screenshots
When a web page, chat history, or document extends beyond one screen, select an area and use a long screenshot. As you scroll through the content, PixPin stitches the captured views into one complete image. Long screenshots support both vertical and horizontal scrolling, and PixPin can also scroll automatically.
Pins
Along with screenshots, you can pin images, text, color values, files, animated GIFs, and LaTeX formulas from the clipboard: copy the content, then press the pin shortcut Ctrl+2⌃ Control+2. With pins, you can:
- Drag, resize, and adjust opacity to create a semitransparent overlay above other content.
- Enable click-through so clicks reach the window underneath without the pin blocking your actions.
- Recognize text in a pin, select it, and copy it directly.
- Organize pins into groups and restore closed pins from history.
On Windows, you can also use a window pin to keep an area of a window on screen. The pin updates as the content in the source window changes.
Annotation
You can annotate both screenshots and pins directly: add rectangles, ellipses, arrows, lines, pencil strokes, highlighter marks, text, and serial numbers. Use the spotlight to emphasize an area, the magnifier to enlarge details, or add a watermark.
Before sharing a screenshot, use mosaic to hide phone numbers, account details, and other private information. With automatic mosaic, select one item to hide and PixPin finds matching items in the image and applies mosaic to them together.
Text recognition
Recognize text in screenshots or pins, then select and copy it instead of typing it out from the image. Text recognition can run locally and offline on your computer, without uploading images.
If a screenshot contains a QR code, PixPin can also recognize it and copy its contents, so you do not need to scan it with your phone.
Screen recording
Select an area to record the screen. After recording, preview the result and export it as an MP4 video or an animated GIF or WebP. Use it to demonstrate an action, reproduce a problem, or create an animation for a document.
More useful tools
- Color picker: Use the magnifier while taking a screenshot to locate a precise pixel and copy its color in HEX, RGB, or other formats.
- Floating ball: The floating ball on the desktop lets you take screenshots, create pins, and take delayed screenshots using only the mouse.
- Global mouse: In any app, hold a modifier key and drag to capture an area and pin it, copy it, or recognize its text. On Windows, the default modifier is the Win key: drag with the left button to capture and pin, the middle button to capture and copy, or the right button to copy recognized text. On macOS, configure gestures in settings first.
- Quick save and auto save: Save screenshots directly to a configured folder without opening a save dialog, or set them to save automatically after capture.
Who uses PixPin
PixPin users work in many fields. Here are some common groups and the features they use most, to help you find ways to use it in your own work.
- DesignersPin references to compare details and pick colors
- Developers and testersKeep logs beside code and capture issues
- Product and operationsCapture long pages and annotate workflows
- Office workersRecognize image text and hide private data
- Students and researchersPin sources while taking notes and extracting text
- Educators, support, and creatorsCreate tutorial images and record demos
Designers
Pin reference images, designs, or screenshots of requirements to the screen, then lower their opacity to compare details over your canvas. Use the color picker to copy color values or pin colors for reference. Mark areas that need changes in a screenshot and send it to a colleague for confirmation.
Developers and testers
Pin API documentation, error messages, and logs beside your editor so you do not need to switch windows. Capture a problem and mark its location, or record the steps to reproduce it. To search for an error shown in a screenshot, copy it directly with text recognition.
Product managers and operations teams
Use long screenshots to save complete web pages, campaign pages, and chat histories. Mark workflows with serial numbers and arrows to prepare requirements and issue reports. Recognize text in screenshots to organize it into documents.
Office workers
Recognize text in images and scans to edit it without retyping. Hide phone numbers, account details, and other information with mosaic before sharing screenshots. Recognize QR codes on your computer screen without reaching for your phone.
Students and researchers
Capture passages from slides and papers, recognize the text, and organize it into notes. Pin reference material while writing. Save complete online resources with long screenshots and mark important details with the highlighter.
Educators, support staff, and content creators
Create clear tutorial images with serial numbers, the spotlight, and the magnifier. Record demonstrations and export them as GIFs for documents or chats. Support staff can mark where users need to click in a screenshot or send them a short screen recording.