Long screenshots
Capture scrolling pages, chats, and documents in PixPin. Use manual or auto scroll, preview and crop results, and recover from matching failures.
When a webpage, chat history, long document, or table extends beyond one screen, use a long screenshot to capture while scrolling. PixPin automatically stitches the content you scroll through into one complete image.
Start a long screenshot
Press Ctrl+1⌃ Control+1 to start a screenshot and select the region containing the content you want to scroll.
Click Long screenshot in the screenshot toolbar, or press LL.
PixPin enters long screenshot mode: the area outside the selection dims, the long screenshot toolbar appears beside the selection, and a stitching preview appears at one side of the screen.
You can also choose Long screenshot on the floating ball.
Choose the region: Select only content that scrolls. Exclude fixed elements, such as a webpage's top navigation bar or a chat window's input box and title bar. Fixed elements are the same in every frame and can cause stitching errors or appear repeatedly in the result.
Vertical and horizontal long screenshots
Choose a direction in the long screenshot toolbar:
- Vertical (default): Scroll up and down for webpages, chat histories, and documents.
- Horizontal: Scroll left and right for wide tables, timelines, and designs.
To change the default behavior when entering long screenshot mode, open the Screenshot page in settings and change After entering long screenshot: Vertical scrolling screenshot (default), Horizontal scrolling screenshot, Show start/stop button, or Do not start capture automatically.
Scroll the content
- Manual scrolling: Move the pointer inside the selection and slowly turn the scroll wheel. PixPin keeps capturing and stitching new frames as you scroll.
- Auto scroll: Click Auto scrolling screenshot in the toolbar, or press AA. PixPin scrolls the content inside the selection automatically. Auto scroll runs only while the pointer is inside the selection, and its speed adjusts to the selection's size. Press again to stop.
Cannot scroll horizontally?
Many mice have no wheel for horizontal scrolling, and horizontal auto scroll may not work in some applications. Slowly drag the target application's own horizontal scrollbar to the right instead. PixPin still stitches as you scroll. Keep the scrollbar outside the capture region so it does not appear in the long screenshot.
- Vertical long screenshotScroll up and down through pages, chats, and documents.
- Horizontal long screenshotScroll left and right through wide tables and timelines.
- Auto scrollPlace the pointer inside the selection and press A.
Start, stop, and capture again
By default, stitching starts as soon as you enter long screenshot mode. The Start/stop button in the toolbar (shortcut LL) controls stitching:
- If you chose Show start/stop button or Do not start capture automatically in settings, click it first to begin stitching.
- Clicking it while stitching makes PixPin ask whether to clear the current screenshot. Confirm to clear the stitched content, then click again to start capturing from the current view.
If the stitching looks wrong, such as when scrolling too quickly causes misalignment, clear it and capture again this way without leaving long screenshot mode.
Stitching preview
The preview window at one side of the screen shows the stitched image in real time, so you can check for missing content or misalignment.
The green frame in the preview marks the position of the current selection's content in the stitched image. It moves as you scroll. If it disappears, the current view is outside the stitched range. Scroll back a little and wait for the green frame to reappear before continuing.
Crop
The beginning or end of the stitched result often includes unwanted content. Click Crop in the toolbar to remove it at the boundary of the current view:
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Crop top / Crop left | JJ | Remove content before the current view: above it for vertical long screenshots, or to its left for horizontal ones. |
| Crop bottom / Crop right | KK | Remove content after the current view: below it for vertical long screenshots, or to its right for horizontal ones. |
For example, to keep only a section in the middle of a webpage, scroll to its beginning and press JJ to remove what is above. Then scroll to its end and press KK to remove what is below.
Auto crop when the scroll direction changes
If you scroll too far, you do not need to crop manually. Check Auto crop in the crop panel, then scroll back. PixPin removes the extra content automatically. You can also enable this on the Screenshot page in settings under Auto crop when scroll direction changes.
Actions after capturing
When you are satisfied with the stitching, click a button in the long screenshot toolbar:
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Edit | EE | Open the long screenshot in the image editor to add annotations. |
| Text recognition | Shift+C⇧ Shift+C | Recognize and copy all text in the long screenshot. |
| Pin | Ctrl+T⌘ Command+T | Pin the long screenshot to the screen. Use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out. |
| Copy and close | Ctrl+C⌘ Command+C | Copy to the clipboard and exit long screenshot mode. |
| Save | Ctrl+S⌘ Command+S | Choose a location and save as PNG or JPG. |
| Quick save | Ctrl+Shift+S⌘ Command+⇧ Shift+S | Save directly to the configured folder. |
| Close | EscEsc | Discard this long screenshot. |
During a long screenshot, PixPin uses single-key shortcuts such as AA, JJ, KK, LL, and EE. To type on the webpage being captured, turn off Respond to shortcuts for long screenshots on the Screenshot page in settings.
Super-long screenshots
When the stitched length exceeds 29,000 pixels, PixPin warns that the screenshot is about to enter super-long screenshot mode. This has the following limits:
- Save only: Editing, text recognition, pinning, and copying are unavailable.
- Save formats: PNG supports a maximum length of 2 million pixels; JPG supports 65,000 pixels.
- Compatibility: Some applications may not open or process extremely long images correctly.
If you do not need such a long screenshot, stop scrolling when the warning appears and finish the current capture. Stitching cannot continue beyond the maximum range, and PixPin also displays a message when that limit is reached.
Common questions
The Matching failed message
PixPin stitches by comparing overlapping areas in consecutive frames. If it cannot find an overlap, it displays Matching failed. Common causes include:
- Scrolling too quickly: A single scroll moves more than one screen, leaving no overlap between frames. Scroll more slowly or use auto scroll. Drag scrollbars slowly too.
- Switching windows: Switching to another window during capture changes the image.
- Dynamic content: Videos, animations, carousels, or backgrounds that change as you scroll prevent frames from aligning.
Recover: You do not need to start again. Scroll back to the last successfully stitched position, where the green frame reappears in the preview, then continue scrolling slowly.
Repeated or misaligned content
This usually happens because the selection includes fixed content, such as a floating navigation bar, a chat window's input box, or a floating button at the side of a webpage. Select a new region containing only scrolling content. You can also click Start/stop to clear and capture again.
Web content loads only when you scroll
Some webpages load images only when you reach them. Scroll through the whole page first to let everything load, then return to the top and start the long screenshot.
Related articles
Custom and delayed screenshots
Set a fixed screenshot size or position in PixPin, reuse your last capture region, add a delay, and create or manage presets for frequent captures.
Screen recording
Record your screen with audio and camera overlays in PixPin. Trim recordings, adjust sound and effects, and export MP4, GIF, or WebP files.