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Spectacle is KDE Plasma’s built-in screenshot application. It captures the entire desktop, one monitor, the active window, the window beneath your pointer, or a rectangular selection. You can then save or print the image, copy it, send it to another application, and annotate it.
The exact shortcuts and menu labels depend on your Plasma release, distribution package, and personal settings. The instructions below describe the common defaults and show where to verify or change them.
What is the screenshot app in KDE Plasma?
KDE calls its screenshot utility Spectacle. KDE describes it as an application for capturing and editing desktop screenshots. It is distributed as Linux software and is normally installed through Discover, another AppStream-compatible store, or your distribution’s package manager.
The KDE Applications listing showed Spectacle 6.7.5, released September 8, 2026, when checked on September 29, 2026. That does not mean every Plasma system has that build: distributions may ship an older or differently patched package.
Install or open Spectacle
Open an existing installation
- Open the application launcher.
- Type Spectacle.
- Select the result named Spectacle.
You can also press a configured screenshot shortcut; Spectacle may open a window, capture immediately, or show a selection interface depending on the binding.
Install it when it is missing
- Open Discover or your distribution’s AppStream software store.
- Search for Spectacle.
- Choose the KDE screenshot application and install it.
If your distribution does not use Discover, install the package named spectacle with its normal package manager. Package names, repositories, and available versions are distribution-specific, so use your distro’s documentation if that package is not found.
What can Spectacle capture?
| Capture target | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Entire desktop | Everything visible across your desktop setup. |
| Single monitor | One display in a multi-monitor arrangement. |
| Active window | The window currently receiving keyboard input. |
| Window under the pointer | A window beneath the mouse cursor, even when it is not the active window. |
| Rectangular region | A manually selected area of the screen. |
After a capture, Spectacle can save the image, print it, copy the image or its location to the clipboard, open it in the annotation editor, or send it to another installed application.
Keyboard shortcuts for KDE screenshots
These are the defaults documented by KDE’s shortcut guide:
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| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift + Print Screen | Capture the desktop. |
| Meta + Print Screen | Capture the active window. |
| Meta + Ctrl + Print Screen | Capture the window under the cursor. |
| Meta + Shift + Print Screen | Open rectangular selection mode. |
On different keyboards, the Meta key may be labeled Super, Start, Windows, or Command. Laptop firmware can also require holding Fn to produce Print Screen.
Select a region with the keyboard
- Press Meta + Shift + Print Screen, unless your binding has been changed.
- Drag from one corner of the required area to the opposite corner.
- Press Enter to capture the selection.
- Press Esc to cancel.
Change a shortcut
- Open System Settings.
- Go to Keyboard → Shortcuts.
- Find the Spectacle or screenshot actions.
- Assign a new key combination and apply the change.
Some releases also expose shortcut controls inside Spectacle. If a documented combination does nothing, check both places: an existing global shortcut, a desktop-environment change, or a distribution customization may have replaced the default.
Take a screenshot from Spectacle’s window
- Launch Spectacle.
- Choose the capture mode: desktop, monitor, active window, window under pointer, or rectangular region.
- For a region, drag the selection and confirm it. For a window or screen, start the capture from the displayed control.
- Review the result in Spectacle.
- Save, copy, print, annotate, or open it with another application.
For a window-under-pointer capture, position the pointer over the target before starting the action. The exact controls can move between releases, so use the mode names rather than relying on a particular button position.
Where are KDE screenshots saved?
Spectacle lets you configure the default save location and filename pattern. Because these settings can be changed by the user and may differ by release or distribution, there is no single path that is correct for every Plasma installation.
- Open Spectacle.
- Open its configuration or save settings.
- Inspect the configured default folder and filename template.
- Change the folder or naming pattern if required, then apply the setting.
When you save an individual capture, the save dialog also shows the current destination. If you cannot find a screenshot, search for the filename shown by Spectacle or check the configured folder rather than assuming it is in Pictures.
Copy, export, print, and annotate
Clipboard actions
Spectacle can copy the screenshot itself to the clipboard, which is useful for pasting into a chat, document, issue tracker, or graphics editor. It can also copy the screenshot’s location. These are separate actions: copying a file path does not put the image data on the clipboard.
Annotation editor
The annotation editor provides arrows, a pen, markers, text boxes, numbered callouts, smileys, and effects including shadow, grayscale, and border. Use it to mark a control, blur the visual focus with a border or effect, or add explanatory labels before saving.
Other applications and printing
The handbook documents printing and opening the image with installed applications associated with PNG through the Export menu. Spectacle’s Tools menu can also offer external screen-recording applications. That menu integration should not be confused with Spectacle itself being a complete screen recorder; recording depends on an installed external tool.
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Version and interface differences
The stable handbook page commonly referenced for Spectacle identifies itself as Applications 21.08, revised April 25, 2021. Current KDE Frameworks 6 and Plasma pages can have different controls, and trunk documentation may change. If a label in this article does not match your screen, consult the handbook matching your installed Spectacle build and inspect System Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts.
Troubleshooting KDE screenshots
A shortcut does nothing
- Verify that Spectacle is installed and can be opened from the application launcher.
- Check the shortcut in System Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts.
- Look for a conflicting global shortcut.
- On a laptop, try the Fn key with Print Screen.
- Use Spectacle’s own capture controls to separate a shortcut problem from a capture problem.
The wrong window is captured
- Use active-window mode when the target has keyboard focus.
- Use window-under-pointer mode when the target is beneath the mouse cursor.
- Move the pointer clearly over the intended window before invoking the capture.
The region selection is not saved
- Complete the drag operation and press Enter.
- Pressing Esc cancels the selection.
- Check Spectacle’s save destination and filename settings after the capture.
Menus or options differ
Check your installed version and distribution package. KDE’s stable handbook and current development documentation are not guaranteed to have identical labels, and local configuration can alter the available actions.
You expected video recording
Spectacle is the screenshot and annotation application. If Tools offers a screen recorder, that is an integration with an external installed application, not evidence that every Spectacle installation records video itself.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does KDE Spectacle work only on KDE hardware?
No. Spectacle is Linux software. Whether it is available and which version you receive depends on your distribution and software repositories.
Can I capture one monitor in a multi-monitor setup?
Yes. Spectacle includes a single-monitor capture target in addition to the entire desktop target.
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Meta is the logical name used by KDE for a modifier that may be labeled Super, Start, Windows, or Command on the physical keyboard.
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