# ScreenToGif — Record Screen Areas as GIF or Video

> A lightweight screen, webcam, and sketchboard recorder with a built-in editor that lets you trim, annotate, and export recordings as GIF, APNG, or video files.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# ScreenToGif — Record Screen Areas as GIF or Video

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install via winget (Windows)
winget install NickeManarin.ScreenToGif
# Or via Chocolatey
choco install screentogif
# Download portable version from https://www.screentogif.com
```

## Introduction
ScreenToGif is a free, open-source screen recording tool for Windows that captures any area of your screen and provides a frame-by-frame editor. It is widely used by developers for creating demo GIFs, bug reproduction recordings, and documentation assets.

## What ScreenToGif Does
- Records any selected region of the screen at configurable frame rates
- Captures webcam input and freehand sketchboard drawings
- Provides a powerful frame-by-frame editor with trimming, cropping, and annotation tools
- Exports to GIF, APNG, WebP, PSD, video (FFmpeg), and individual frame images
- Offers a portable mode requiring no installation

## Architecture Overview
ScreenToGif is a WPF desktop application written in C# targeting .NET. It uses a custom rendering pipeline to capture screen frames efficiently and stores them as in-memory bitmaps during recording. The built-in editor operates on the frame sequence directly, applying transformations non-destructively before final encoding via internal encoders or FFmpeg.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Download the installer or portable ZIP from the official website or GitHub releases
- No server component needed; runs entirely on the local machine
- Configure default save paths, frame rate, and hotkeys via Options > Application
- Integrate FFmpeg by placing the binary in the app folder for video export
- Customize the editor workflow by setting default transitions and watermarks

## Key Features
- Frame-by-frame editing with per-frame delay adjustment
- Built-in annotation tools: text, shapes, borders, shadows, obfuscation
- Multiple encoding options including quantization and dithering for GIF quality
- Keyboard shortcut customization for start, pause, stop recording
- Automatic update checking with delta downloads

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **ShareX** — More feature-rich for screenshots but GIF editing is less polished
- **LICEcap** — Simpler and lighter, but no frame editor or annotation capabilities
- **Peek** — Linux-focused with minimal editing; ScreenToGif is Windows-only but far more capable
- **Kap** — macOS screen recorder; ScreenToGif is the Windows equivalent with a richer editor
- **OBS Studio** — Better for long video recordings and streaming, but GIF workflow is manual

## FAQ
**Q: Is ScreenToGif available on macOS or Linux?**
A: No, it is Windows-only (requires .NET). Alternatives for other platforms include Kap (macOS) and Peek (Linux).

**Q: What is the maximum recording resolution?**
A: It can record up to the full screen resolution. Very large areas may reduce frame rate on low-end hardware.

**Q: Can I add text overlays after recording?**
A: Yes. The editor provides title frames, free text, and caption tools that can be applied to any frame range.

**Q: Does it require FFmpeg?**
A: FFmpeg is optional. It is only needed for video format exports (MP4, AVI, MKV). GIF export works without it.

## Sources
- https://github.com/NickeManarin/ScreenToGif
- https://www.screentogif.com

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-3195a795
Author: AI Open Source