Install DXcam with pip install dxcam, create a camera with dxcam.create(), then call camera.grab(). The result is a NumPy array containing a captured screen frame. DXcam is designed for Windows, not a cross-platform screenshot workflow.
Install DXcam and capture one screenshot
Use a Windows Python environment and install the package:
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python -m pip install dxcamThen capture a frame. A context manager releases capture resources when the block ends:
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import dxcam
with dxcam.create() as camera:
frame = camera.grab()
if frame is None:
print("No new desktop frame was available.")
else:
print(type(frame), frame.shape, frame.dtype)DXcam documents grab() as returning a NumPy array, or None if no new frame has appeared since the previous capture. To request the current frame even when it has not changed, pass new_frame_only=False:
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frame = camera.grab(new_frame_only=False)The project describes DXcam as a high-performance Python screenshot and capture library for Windows based on the Desktop Duplication API. Windows’ Desktop Duplication API provides applications access to desktop contents, including across monitor boundaries; see Microsoft Learn’s Desktop Duplication documentation.
Capture only part of the screen
Pass region=(left, top, right, bottom) to grab(). The coordinates describe a rectangle in desktop coordinates, and the returned array contains that crop:
import dxcam
left, top, right, bottom = 100, 100, 900, 700
with dxcam.create() as camera:
frame = camera.grab(region=(left, top, right, bottom))Choose coordinates using the actual display layout and dimensions. A crop outside the intended display area may not represent the region you expect; do not assume every desktop is 1920×1080.
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For repeated capture, start DXcam’s polling thread, read frames from its in-memory ring buffer, and stop capture when finished. Use try/finally so an exception does not leave capture running:
import dxcam
camera = dxcam.create()
camera.start(target_fps=60)
try:
while True:
frame = camera.get_latest_frame()
if frame is not None:
# Process or copy the frame before the next iteration as needed.
pass
finally:
camera.stop()
camera.release()get_latest_frame(with_timestamp=True) returns the frame together with a timestamp:
frame, timestamp = camera.get_latest_frame(with_timestamp=True)The documented ring buffer defaults to 8 frames. Set max_buffer_len when creating the camera if your consumer needs a different buffer capacity. Frames are held in memory; once the buffer fills, newer frames overwrite older ones, so a slow consumer should not expect to process every frame.
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For a video-oriented loop, video_mode=True makes the buffer fill at the requested target FPS by repeating the previous frame when the desktop has not rendered a new one. That can provide a regular frame cadence, but repeated frames are not new screen changes; choose based on whether your pipeline needs a fixed-rate sequence or only genuinely updated desktop frames.
Choose a capture backend
DXcam documents two backends. DXGI is its default Desktop Duplication path and the project’s recommended starting point for most workloads, especially one-shot captures. WinRT uses Windows Graphics Capture and is worth trying when cursor rendering is needed or its application constraints or observed performance better fit your use case. The documentation does not establish a universal performance winner across machines.
Select a backend when creating the camera, for example dxcam.create(backend="winrt"); otherwise the default is DXGI. Compare the result in the actual application and display setup you intend to capture.
Select the frame color format
DXcam obtains BGRA frames and can process them into RGB, RGBA, BGR, BGRA, or GRAY output. The README recommends the OpenCV processor when OpenCV is installed and NumPy otherwise. BGRA is the leanest dependency path and avoids requiring OpenCV for conversion. If writing video with OpenCV, the project’s example uses BGR output.
camera = dxcam.create(output_color="BGR")Use the format expected by the next step in your pipeline; otherwise colors may be interpreted in the wrong channel order. Check the project README for the current processor and output configuration details: DXcam on GitHub.
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Python and Windows compatibility
The DXcam README lists official Windows wheels for CPython 3.10 through 3.14. Package availability changes over time, so if installation fails, check the current DXcam files on PyPI and the project’s installation notes for your Python version and Windows architecture.
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Performance and reliability considerations
The DXcam README promotes capture throughput of “240+fps on 1080p.” This is a project-published capability claim, not an independently verified benchmark or a guarantee for a particular PC. Actual throughput depends on hardware, display configuration, backend, processing, and what the consuming loop does. Start with the simplest backend and output format that fit your task, then measure in your own workload.
- For a single capture, use
grab(); do not start a continuous polling thread unless you need a stream. - For sustained capture, keep processing fast enough to avoid falling behind the finite ring buffer.
- Increase
max_buffer_lenonly when a larger in-memory queue helps your consumer; it cannot make processing faster. - Use
video_mode=Trueonly when repeated frames at the target cadence are suitable for the downstream task.
Troubleshoot common problems
grab() returns None
By default, DXcam returns None when no new frame has appeared since the last capture. If you need the latest frame regardless of whether it changed, call camera.grab(new_frame_only=False). In a continuous loop, check for None before processing a result.
DXcam will not install
Confirm you are using Windows and a supported CPython version and architecture, then compare them with the current wheel list on PyPI. The official README’s wheel compatibility can change as releases are published.
The crop is wrong or empty
Verify the order is (left, top, right, bottom) and that the values are desktop coordinates within the display area you mean to capture. Use the actual monitor arrangement and resolution rather than copying example dimensions.
The frame colors look incorrect
Check the selected output color against the consumer’s expected channel ordering. For example, the DXcam README uses BGR for OpenCV video writing; using RGB data where BGR is expected can swap red and blue.
Frames are skipped during continuous capture
The ring buffer holds a finite number of frames and newer ones overwrite older frames after it fills. Reduce the time spent processing each frame, consume frames more promptly, or adjust max_buffer_len to accommodate short delays. A larger buffer uses more memory and does not prevent loss if processing remains slower than capture indefinitely.
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The cursor is missing
Try the WinRT backend, which the project identifies as an option when cursor rendering is needed. Confirm the behavior in the specific Windows application and setup you are capturing.
Or skip the browser setup
DXcam captures the Windows desktop locally. If instead you need screenshots of web pages, ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request website screenshot API and an MCP server for AI agents. It is a different workflow from DXcam: no local desktop capture setup is needed for the API call.
Install the Python HTTP client with python -m pip install requests, then run:
import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for setup and options. Cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed. AI agents can take screenshots through its MCP server. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use DXcam on macOS or Linux?
No. DXcam is a Windows-focused screen-capture library; this documented workflow is not cross-platform.
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Does DXcam save the screenshot as a PNG file automatically?
No. The documented capture operation returns a NumPy array. Saving or encoding that array is a separate step.
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