TechSmith Capture (Formerly Jing) for Mac

Snapshot of the app

Jing is a lightweight, no-cost screencasting utility from TechSmith that makes it quick to capture images or short videos and share them online. The standalone app itself is free to use, though creating a Screencast.com account is necessary to upload and host captures (you get 2 GB of storage and a shareable link).

Interface and where to find controls

When running Jing, a small translucent "sun" icon appears near the top edge of your display. You can move this icon anywhere on the screen or hide it in Preferences and still reach the tool from the system tray.

Hovering over the sun reveals three primary choices:

• More
• History
• Capture

Choosing an area to capture

Clicking Capture turns your cursor into a large orange crosshair so you can drag a rectangle around the content you want to record. While you drag, the tool shows the current selection’s dimensions in the bottom-right corner. After you confirm the region, the desktop darkens and the capture window offers four actions:

• Cancel
• Redo selection
• Capture video
• Capture image

Editing still images and sharing them

If you choose to capture an image, Jing opens a simple editor on the left side of the window with a handful of annotation tools. The editor includes:

• Color
• Highlight
• Frame
• Text
• Arrow

The bottom panel in the image editor provides options for handling the file:

• Cancel
• Copy
• Save
• Share via Screencast.com
• Use Snagit for further editing You can also rename the file before saving and adjust which program buttons appear.

Note: Uploading images to the web requires signing in to Screencast.com, which supplies 2 GB of free online storage and generates a link you can share.

Recording video and audio

Selecting video capture prompts you to pick an audio source the first time. You define the recording area, then a brief countdown runs before capture starts. During recording you’ll see basic controls:

• Pause
• Mute
• Restart
• Finish
• Cancel

Recordings are limited to five minutes in length. When you stop, the same save/share choices appear as with images; for more advanced editing you'll be directed to Camtasia Studio. Jing’s native video output is limited to the Flash/SWF format, but integrating with Camtasia allows a wider range of export formats.

What Jing does well and where it falls short

Pros:

• Extremely simple and fast to use
• Small, unobtrusive interface
• Built-in basic image annotation tools
• Direct upload to an online album with a shareable URL

Cons:

• Very few advanced settings or customization options
• Video captures are restricted to a single format (Flash/SWF) and capped at five minutes
• Lacks the richer editing and export features found in more full-featured tools

If you need more features

For users seeking a similarly straightforward experience but with expanded functionality, try Icecream Screen Recorder. It’s free, beginner-friendly, and offers additional recording/export options compared with Jing while preserving an easy workflow.