Editing
Image adjustments
What each InnoShot image adjustment does, from brightness and contrast to sepia, vignette and color filter presets, and when to leave them alone.
Updated
Image adjustments change the look of the screenshot itself: how bright it is, how strong its colors are and how crisp it looks. Like everything in the editor they are non-destructive, so you can change or remove them at any time.
Adjustments apply to the screenshot only. Your annotations, background and frame keep their own colors, so an arrow stays the color you picked even if you turn the screenshot gray.
Apply an adjustment
- Open the adjustment tools in the editor.
- Drag a slider in the inspector. The canvas updates as you drag.
- To remove an adjustment, set it back to its neutral value, or undo.
Each slider drag counts as one undo step, however far you move it.
What each adjustment does
| Adjustment | What it does | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness | Makes the whole image lighter or darker | A capture of a dark interface that looks murky in a light document |
| Contrast | Increases or reduces the difference between light and dark areas | A screenshot that looks flat or washed out |
| Saturation | Makes colors stronger or more muted | Toning down very loud colors so your annotations stand out |
| Sharpness | Makes edges and text look crisper | An image that looks slightly soft after scaling |
| Hue | Shifts every color around the color wheel | Rarely needed for interface screenshots; mostly a creative effect |
| Grayscale | Removes color, leaving shades of gray | Showing a "before" state, or making colored annotations the only color in the image |
| Sepia | Gives the image a warm brown tone | Decorative or stylized images |
| Vignette | Darkens the edges of the image | Drawing the eye towards the middle |
Color filter presets
Color filter presets give the screenshot a ready-made look in one step. Try a few, then fine-tune with the sliders if needed.
Use adjustments sparingly
Screenshots are often used as a record of how something really looks: in bug reports, documentation, design reviews and support answers. Changing their colors can make them misleading. A designer reviewing your capture may judge a color that you shifted, or a reader may not recognize the screen they are looking at.
Some guidelines:
- For documentation and bug reports, leave colors as captured. If anything, a small brightness or contrast change is enough.
- To draw attention to one area, use a spotlight instead of a vignette. It can dim, blur or desaturate everything except the part you want people to look at.
- For marketing images and social posts, filters and stronger adjustments are fine, as long as the result still represents the product fairly.
- Hue shifts change brand colors, so avoid them on any screenshot of a real product.
Good to know
- Adjustments do not hide information. Darkening or desaturating an area does not make text unreadable in a reliable way. Use redaction for anything sensitive.
- Adjustments are saved with the project, so you can reopen it later and change them.
Related
Still stuck? See troubleshooting or contact us.