My i3 shortcuts to take screenshots

i3-shortcuts-screenshot.md

Requirements

• maim
• xclip

Set-up

Set this on your i3 config file ~/.i3/config

# Screenshots
bindsym Print exec --no-startup-id maim "/home/$USER/Pictures/$(date)"
bindsym $mod+Print exec --no-startup-id maim --window $(xdotool getactivewindow) "/home/$USER/Pictures/$(date)"
bindsym Shift+Print exec --no-startup-id maim --select "/home/$USER/Pictures/$(date)"

## Clipboard Screenshots
bindsym Ctrl+Print exec --no-startup-id maim | xclip -selection clipboard -t image/png
bindsym Ctrl+$mod+Print exec --no-startup-id maim --window $(xdotool getactivewindow) | xclip -selection clipboard -t image/png
bindsym Ctrl+Shift+Print exec --no-startup-id maim --select | xclip -selection clipboard -t image/png

You may remove the default screenshot shortcuts to prevent error

What it does

Feature	Shortcut
Full Screen	PrtScrn
Selection	Shift + PrtScrn
Active Window	Super + PrtScrn
Clipboard Full Screen	Ctrl + PrtScrn
Clipboard Selection	Ctrl + Shift + PrtScrn
Clipboard Active Window	Ctrl + Super + PrtScrn

All the screen shots are saved on ~/Pictures/CURRENT_DATE

super key is the windows key

Brilliance, dude

Thank you, very cool

Very good. I just changed the generated file names to mimic the ones produced by the gnome-screenshot command.

Simple and the best configuration, thanks.

thanks broooooooooooooooooooooo

I was looking for exactly that!

Thanks Good Sir for this code :)

Finally, something that works. Thank you.

Simple and fast, thx :- )

Thank you. Very good

EXACTLY what I needed, I love you.

Thank you for this ! Quick and easy, just as I need :)

Great job, thanks! it works perfect!

I post this information in an article, i3wm-screenshot-shortcuts

Hey it normal screenshots (not the clipboard ones) don't seem to be working for me.
Or at least they don't properly save to /home/$USER/Pictures/, it just doesn't create the file.
I was wondering if there was something wrong with the variables so I replaced them with a normal path without variables, eg: /home/noa/Pictures/test1
but it still didn't create single screenshot file

Awesome! Thanks a lot for the configs!

when I change my hard drive for a new one, I always forget to copy my I3 config .. this is the kind of thing that I love about Github. thanks

Thank you so much!!! Helped alot :-)

Thank you :)

Nice bro, thanks

Hey it normal screenshots (not the clipboard ones) don't seem to be working for me. Or at least they don't properly save to /home/$USER/Pictures/, it just doesn't create the file. I was wondering if there was something wrong with the variables so I replaced them with a normal path without variables, eg: /home/noa/Pictures/test1 but it still didn't create single screenshot file

the same issue...
I'm using ubuntu

Hey it normal screenshots (not the clipboard ones) don't seem to be working for me. Or at least they don't properly save to /home/$USER/Pictures/, it just doesn't create the file. I was wondering if there was something wrong with the variables so I replaced them with a normal path without variables, eg: /home/noa/Pictures/test1 but it still didn't create single screenshot file

the same issue... I'm using ubuntu

Seems not working with Ubuntu 22.04 for me too

I think this is a better file name (with extension and ordered dates):
exec --no-startup-id maim "/$HOME/Pictures/screenshot_$(date +'%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S').png"

EDIT: @eivindbergem thanks for the $HOME tip

The home directory might not be /home/$USER. It's better to use $HOME.

It's great. Thank you.

Super thanks bro!

Thanks!

Ubuntu 22.04

bindsym $mod+Print exec --no-startup-id maim --window $(xdotool getactivewindow) "/home/$USER/Pictures/screenshots/$(date)"

The above line was causing a duplication error, although that didn't seem obvious at first. Changing $mod to Mod1 dealt with the error, however the command does not capture the active window. I can live it with it for now, as I really just wanted the select feature. So if anything, this comment is more of just a "fyi".

Thanks bro

Thanks!