VELVIONIX SCREENSHOT TOOL 1.5.0
Guide for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge

Velvionix Screenshot Tool captures the visible part of a web page and opens it in an editor. There you measure distances, compare colors, mark up issues, cover confidential content, and share the result as a PNG. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Download page with the latest version and common questions:
https://qa.velvionix.com/en/tools/screenshot-tool/

Requirements: a Chromium-based desktop browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, version 109 or later. Firefox, Safari, and mobile browsers are not supported.


CONTENTS

1. Installation
2. Your first capture
3. Tools at a glance
4. Measure distances
5. Compare colors
6. Cover confidential content
7. Open your own images
8. View, language, and reset
9. Keyboard shortcuts
10. Updates
11. Privacy and local data
12. Troubleshooting
13. License


1. INSTALLATION

You do not need an account, a web store, or any coding skills.

1. Extract the whole ZIP file into a folder you will keep, for example in Documents.
2. Open the extensions page. Type chrome://extensions (Chrome) or edge://extensions (Edge) into the address bar and press Enter.
3. Turn on Developer mode.
4. Click "Load unpacked".
5. Select the folder that contains manifest.json directly. It is usually named like the ZIP file, so screenshot-werkzeug-1.5.0. If you only see another folder inside it, select that inner folder.
6. Pin the tool to your toolbar: open the extensions menu (puzzle icon) next to the address bar and click the pin next to Velvionix Screenshot Tool. In Edge, the option is called "Show in toolbar".

Important: do not move or delete the folder after installation. The browser loads the extension from that folder every time it starts.

Because the installation does not go through a web store, the browser may point out that Developer mode is on. That is normal for this kind of install. On managed work computers, policies can block the installation. In that case, contact your IT team.

Optional:
- Private windows: in the extension details, turn on "Allow in Incognito". In Edge, the setting is called "Allow in InPrivate".
- Local HTML files (file://): in the details, turn on "Allow access to file URLs".


2. YOUR FIRST CAPTURE

1. Open the website and scroll the area you need into view.
2. Click the tool's icon or press Alt+Shift+S.
3. The editor opens with the capture in a new tab.
4. Crop the image, mark the spot that matters, and measure if needed.
5. "Save PNG" downloads the file. "Copy image" puts it on the clipboard, for example to paste into a ticket.

The tool captures the visible area of the active tab, without browser toolbars and without automatic scrolling.


3. TOOLS AT A GLANCE

Choose a tool on the left. Color, size, and other settings for that tool appear above the image.

- Select (V): click an annotation to move it, change its color, or delete it with Delete. Double-click a text to edit it.
- Crop (C): drag a crop area, then click "Apply" or press Enter.
- Arrow (A), Rectangle (R), Ellipse (E), and Freehand (P): hold the mouse button and draw.
- Highlight (H): a transparent color area for emphasis. It does not hide anything.
- Number (N): sequential numbers for step-by-step notes.
- Text (T): click where you want the text and type.
- Ruler (M), Color picker (I), Pixelate (B), and Redact (X): see the sections below.


4. MEASURE DISTANCES

- Choose "Ruler" (M) and set the direction above the image: Horizontal, Vertical, or Free distance.
- Drag from edge to edge. When you release, the dimension line and the pixel value appear in the image. Both are included in the PNG export.
- Drag more lines to compare distances.
- With "Select", you can move the value on its own without moving the end points. Dragging the line moves the whole measurement. The start point is filled, the end point is hollow.
- The tool measures image pixels of the capture, regardless of the editor zoom. These are not CSS pixels: display scaling and browser zoom change the ratio. Edges are not detected automatically.


5. COMPARE COLORS

- Choose "Color picker" (I) and click point A, then point B in the image. The magnifier shows the exact pixel being sampled.
- HEX, RGB, the pixel coordinates, and the comparison appear on the right. To sample again, select A or B in the panel and click the image.
- "Place A in image", "Place B in image", or "Place comparison in image" shows a preview. Move it where you want it and click to place it. Esc cancels. Export is disabled while a placement is pending.
- Use "Select" to move a placed color label, change its font size, or delete it. New samples do not change labels you already placed.
- "Copy HEX" copies the active value. "Use as drawing color" applies it to your annotations.
- The sample is an sRGB pixel of the original capture, unaffected by annotations or zoom. It is not a CSS source value and not a measurement of your monitor. For solid colors, sample inside the area, not on smoothed edges, gradients, or shadows.


6. COVER CONFIDENTIAL CONTENT

- Redact (X): covers an area with solid black. Use it for confidential text.
- Pixelate (B): drag an area and set the block size above the image. Pixelated content can remain recognizable. Pixelation is not secure redaction.
- Highlight (H) is transparent and does not hide anything.
- The editor keeps the original locally for Undo and the color picker. Share only the exported PNG, and check it before you do.


7. OPEN YOUR OWN IMAGES

- In the editor, choose "Open image" at the top and select a PNG, JPEG, or WebP file. It opens in a new editor tab. Your current capture stays as it is.
- Without a capture: right-click the tool's icon and choose "Options", or "Extension options" in the extension details. Then choose "Open image".
- Limits: 25 MB, 24 million pixels, and 16,384 pixels per side. Unsuitable files are rejected with a message.
- The original file stays unchanged, and nothing is uploaded. You save the result as a PNG.


8. VIEW, LANGUAGE, AND RESET

- "Tools" at the top left collapses the toolbar to a narrow icon bar and expands it again. The setting is remembered.
- Switch between Deutsch and English at the top right. On first start, the tool uses your browser language, otherwise English. Color labels you already placed keep their language. Your own text is never translated.
- "Reset all" asks for confirmation, then removes all annotations, measurements, color samples, pixelation, redactions, and the crop. The original image is kept. Undo restores everything in one step.
- Your edits are saved locally as you work. They survive a reload of the editor tab, but the undo history does not.


9. KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Alt+Shift+S   Start a capture
V   Select
C   Crop
A   Arrow
R   Rectangle
E   Ellipse
H   Highlight
N   Number
T   Text
P   Freehand
M   Ruler
I   Color picker
B   Pixelate
X   Redact
Ctrl+Z   Undo
Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y   Redo
Ctrl+S   Save PNG
Ctrl+C   Copy image
Esc   Cancel the current action
Delete   Delete the selection

Letter keys do nothing while you type in a text field. To change the capture shortcut, open chrome://extensions/shortcuts or edge://extensions/shortcuts.


10. UPDATES

- Click "Check for updates" at the bottom of the toolbar. Without that click, the tool never checks for updates.
- If a new version exists, a link to the download page appears. Updates are not installed automatically.
- To update: export any captures you still need. Download the new ZIP file and replace the files in your existing folder. Click "Reload" on the extensions page and close old editor tabs.
- If the connection fails, you see a message. Try again later. Editing images works regardless.


11. PRIVACY AND LOCAL DATA

- No screenshot uploads, no account, no usage analytics, no external fonts or scripts.
- Only "Check for updates" connects to qa.velvionix.com. The hosting provider receives your IP address and connection data, because that is how any web request works. No cookies, image content, visited addresses, identifiers, or installed version are sent. The version comparison happens on your device.
- The capture, page title, and editing state are stored in the extension's local storage. When you close the editor tab, its capture is deleted. After a browser crash, leftover data is cleaned up the next time the browser starts.
- Exported files and clipboard contents are not deleted automatically.


12. TROUBLESHOOTING

- The browser says the manifest file is missing: you selected a folder one level too high. Select the folder that contains manifest.json directly.
- Copying does not work: click into the editor and try again. Or save the PNG and insert the file in the target program.
- The capture is incomplete: protected content, such as some videos, and browser policies can limit a capture.
- Alt+Shift+S does nothing: another program or extension probably uses that shortcut. Set a different one at chrome://extensions/shortcuts or edge://extensions/shortcuts.

Questions or found a bug? Write to info[at]velvionix.com.


13. LICENSE

Use is free of charge, for private and commercial purposes. You may share the unchanged ZIP file within your company. The tool is publicly available only from the official download page. Modifying the software, distributing it publicly anywhere else, and offering it under another name are not allowed. The license terms in LICENSE.txt apply.

© 2026 Velvionix GmbH, Dresden, Germany
