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In Ubuntu GNOME, there is no documented system-wide “default screenshot app” selector. To make another program open when you press Print, change the keyboard shortcut: use Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts for built-in actions, or create a Custom Shortcut that runs your installed screenshot program.
What “default screenshot app” means in Ubuntu
Ubuntu treats screenshot behavior primarily as keyboard bindings rather than as a file-association-style default application. The official Ubuntu procedure lets you change which keys invoke the built-in screenshot actions and lets you add a custom shortcut that runs a valid system command. It does not document a separate, screenshot-specific selector where you choose an application from a list.
The steps below apply to Ubuntu using the GNOME desktop. Kubuntu and other desktop environments can use different settings panels, shortcut names and screenshot utilities.
Change the built-in screenshot shortcuts
- Open Settings.
- Select Keyboard.
- Under Keyboard Shortcuts, select View and Customize Shortcuts.
- Choose or search for Screenshots.
- Select the action you want to change, then press the new key combination.
Ubuntu’s documented screenshot entries are:
| Action | Default key | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Launch the screenshot tool | Opens the screenshot interface. | |
| Save a screenshot of the entire screen | Shift + Print | Saves a full-screen capture. |
| Save a screenshot of a window | Alt + Print | Saves a window capture. |
When editing a binding, Backspace resets it and Esc cancels the change. These labels can move slightly between Ubuntu releases, so use the closest matching entry if your wording differs.
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Make Print open another installed screenshot program
If you want Print to launch a different application, create a custom shortcut instead of looking for a default-app drop-down.
- Return to Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts.
- Scroll to Custom Shortcuts and choose Add Shortcut (the button may be shown as a plus sign).
- Enter a descriptive name, such as My screenshot tool.
- In the command field, enter the program’s valid system command.
- Save the shortcut, select its key field, and press Print or another combination.
Ubuntu custom shortcuts execute commands available to the system. The application’s own documentation is the authority for its command and options; do not guess the package name from the application’s display name.
Check the command before assigning it
Open Terminal and test the command supplied by your screenshot application. A basic availability check is:
command -v YOUR_SCREENSHOT_COMMANDReplace YOUR_SCREENSHOT_COMMAND with the executable name. If the command is found, run the application’s documented help or normal launch command and confirm that it opens. If it is not found, install the application or use the executable name provided by its instructions.
Example: the version-dependent gnome-screenshot command
Ubuntu’s Jammy manpage documents the standalone gnome-screenshot utility, version 41.0-2, including whole-screen, window, area, clipboard and interactive options. That manpage applies to that package and release; it does not prove that the command is installed on every current Ubuntu system.
A community answer updated in 2026 reports that Ubuntu 22.04 and later using GNOME generally rely on a screenshot tool integrated into GNOME Shell, while older GNOME-based Ubuntu installations used the standalone gnome-screenshot application. Treat that as release context, not as a universal rule. Check your Ubuntu version and the command actually installed on your machine before creating the shortcut.
If your installation does include the standalone utility, its documented command is:
gnome-screenshotFor the available options and behavior, consult the Ubuntu Jammy gnome-screenshot manpage.
Choose the shortcut that matches the capture you need
Before assigning a key, decide whether you need a complete desktop image, an active-window capture, a selected region or an interactive chooser. The built-in rows map directly to whole-screen, window and tool-launch behavior. A custom application may expose a different set of modes, so use its documented command or let its own interactive window handle the selection.
- Whole screen: use the full-screen action or an application command documented for a complete display capture.
- Active window: use the window action if it is available, or the application’s window-capture option.
- Selected area: launch the tool’s interactive mode or assign the application’s documented area-selection command.
- Interactive chooser: bind the program’s normal launch command so you can choose the mode after pressing the key.
Resolve a shortcut conflict
A key can remain attached to Ubuntu’s built-in screenshot action even after you create a custom shortcut. If pressing it starts the old behavior, return to the Screenshots section and inspect the binding for that key.
- Identify the built-in action using the conflicting key.
- Change that action to another combination, or clear it with Backspace.
- Open your custom shortcut and assign the key again.
- Test from the desktop, not only from the settings panel.
If nothing happens, verify the executable in Terminal, check that the application is installed for your user, and confirm that the custom shortcut contains a valid command rather than the program’s marketing name.
Common problems and fixes
Print still opens Ubuntu’s screenshot interface
The built-in Print binding is probably still active. Reassign or clear that row, then give the custom shortcut the key.
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The custom shortcut saves but does nothing
The command may not be on your executable path, may be misspelled, or may require options supplied by the application. Run command -v and then test the exact launch command in Terminal. Correct the command in the custom-shortcut editor.
You used gnome-screenshot, but Ubuntu cannot find it
gnome-screenshot is not guaranteed to be present on every Ubuntu release. The Jammy reference covers the 41.0-2 package, while newer GNOME-based systems may use an integrated Shell tool. Identify the command supplied by the screenshot program installed on your release instead of assuming this executable exists.
The shortcut works only after changing the key
Another binding may own the original key, or the desktop may have retained the old assignment. Clear the conflicting built-in row, save the custom shortcut, and test again. Esc cancels an edit; it does not save a new binding.
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The settings names do not exactly match
Ubuntu notes that interface labels can shift between releases. Look for the Keyboard Shortcuts editor, a Screenshots category and a Custom Shortcuts section. If you are using Kubuntu or another desktop environment, follow that environment’s shortcut settings rather than the GNOME path.
What changes—and what does not
Changing a shortcut changes the action launched by that key combination. It does not change image-file associations, alter screenshots started from an application menu, or replace every screenshot utility installed on the system. You are selecting a command for a keyboard event, not registering a universal screenshot provider.
Keep the built-in bindings if you still want Ubuntu’s standard whole-screen or window captures. You can assign a second key to your preferred application and leave the standard actions available on their original combinations.
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If your goal is to capture a website rather than change what the Ubuntu Print key launches, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API. It is separate from Ubuntu’s local keyboard shortcuts: one request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF for a URL.
See the parameter reference and complete API options in the ScreenshotNeo documentation. A cURL request is:
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpThe same request in Python is:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)And in Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);Replace the example URL with the page you need. ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie and consent banners like a visitor, then removes more than 60 known consent platforms along with newsletter popups and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and each response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Its MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.
Every plan includes the features. The current monthly options are:
| Plan | Included shots | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 | No card required |
| Starter | 3,000 | $5 |
| Growth | 15,000 | $15 |
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| Scale | 250,000 | $99 |
| Business | 1,000,000 | $249 |
Yearly billing gives two months free. If you need website captures without installing or binding a local browser tool, create a free ScreenshotNeo account for 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
Official references
- Ubuntu Documentation: Set keyboard shortcuts
- Ubuntu Jammy gnome-screenshot manpage
- Ask Ubuntu: What’s the terminal name of the “take a screenshot” app in Ubuntu?
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this make a screenshot program the default application for every Ubuntu feature?
No. The procedure assigns a command to a keyboard shortcut. Other applications and menu actions keep their own screenshot behavior unless you change them separately.
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Yes. Leave the documented built-in rows in place and assign your other program to an unused key combination through Custom Shortcuts.
Is the GNOME procedure the same in Kubuntu?
No. The documented path is for Ubuntu GNOME. Kubuntu and other desktop environments may provide different shortcut editors and utilities.
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