Any screenshot capturing tool showing dimensions in cm when capturing?

tfwul · 03 Aug 2024

Up front...
I do not know if at all it would be possible. Maybe for some reason it simply isn't.

Currently I am using a screenshot capture tool that show the dimensions in -I suppose...- pixels
When pasting in, for instance, Word, or Outlook, the dimensions do not correspond with what I expected.
Too small, too large.

Again, I do not know if it possible: would there be an screencapturing tool that shows the dimensions in mm, or cm
based on the monitor size and the screen resolution (in settings) ?

Thanks.

dalchina · 03 Aug 2024

I doubt that's terribly meaningful- pasted images are often resized... so at best all you'd see is the size of what you're capturing.

tfwul · 03 Aug 2024

dalchina said:

I doubt that's terribly meaningful- pasted images are often resized... so at best all you'd see is the size of what you're capturing.

Whilst performing a screencapture - the dimensions (pixels I guess) are displayed.

So, as non-expert, I would assume that given the size of the monitor, the PPI, the resolution and whatever, maybe... it would then be possible to show the size in mm or cm.
When the screenshot is taken and lands up in an editor, then often the dimensions (cm/mm) are displayed.

Reason for asking.

Any screenshot capturing tool showing dimensions in cm when capturing?-snagit-03082024-102612.png

dalchina · 03 Aug 2024

Possible, but not really meaningful as the ABSOLUTE x,y dimensions are not fixed other than at the time of capturing or reproduction (on a display or printed).

That's basically what I said.

Example- somewhat similar to what you show, but more advanced, perhaps: Sharex (a capture tool) - but pixels.

Any screenshot capturing tool showing dimensions in cm when capturing?-1.png

So I remain puzzled as to how you'd hope to benefit from a measurement in cm etc.

Ghot · 03 Aug 2024

@tfwul

As @dalchina explained, the way an image is sized after pasting, is dependent on the program you're pasting into.
For example, these forums and Eleven Forum are controlled by the same people.

But... the resulting size of the images in a post in these forums depends on the forum software, not the capture tool.
On Ten Forums, all the posted images show at approximately the same size, unless the image is smaller than a certain threshold.

On Eleven Forum, the forum software is very different. A pasted image can be shown as full size, as thumbnail, or as an attachment. The image capture software can resize an image, but can't change the way the forum handles that image.

I assume you're seeing the same type of problem with Outlook and Word. Those softwares are handling images in their own way. The best you can do is figure out the method that Outlook or Word uses, and then just go with that.

matthewgeek · 15 Aug 2024

To my knowledge, the dimensions are in pixels. I use this screenshot API, it's really good and it offers these instructions regarding resizing:

"How the screenshot should be resized or cropped to fit the dimensions when using thumb_width and/or thumb_height options

The available values are:

- cover - Preserving aspect ratio, attempt to ensure the image covers both thumb_width and/or thumb_height by cropping/clipping to fit.
- contain - Preserving aspect ratio, contain within both thumb_width and/or thumb_height using letterboxing where necessary.
- fill - Ignore the aspect ratio and stretch to both thumb_width and/or thumb_height.
- inside - Preserving aspect ratio, resize the image to be as large as possible while ensuring its dimensions are less than or equal to thumb_width and/or thumb_height.
- outside - Preserving aspect ratio, resize the image to be as small as possible while ensuring its dimensions are greater than or equal to thumb_width and/or thumb_height."

I never needed anything more than this. I share the doubt that one would benefit from the measurement in cm.

tfwul · 15 Aug 2024

Let me give a practical example then, something that I am doing occasionally.
Say I wish to make a kind of tutorial, or I wish to make a series of (e.g.) screenshots of settings of whatever application.

When I have all the screenshots sorted out (added arrows, comments, blah blah) I'd like to create a PDF of it (or paste them all in Word).

Then I am bound to the paper size (e.g. A4 210x297).

Should the screenshots be too large (dimensions) then they won't fit and I need to resize them.
Which will result in a font that being too tiny to be readable.
Hence I should edit the screenshots, making cut-outs, or whatever, before pasting in Word or combining in Acrobat.

OTOH if the dimensions were displayed in cm, mm whilst taking the screenshot, then the screenshot is taken with the right dimensions in the first place.
This being the background of my question.
Apparently for some technical reasons, this seems not be possible.

Bad luck.

Thanks for replies.

dalchina · 15 Aug 2024

Try a free screen ruler utility:
Screen Ruler download | SourceForge.net

Did you know Snip and Sketch has a ruler?
- but only available after capture, and it's not clear what the gradations indicate- and no numbers either!

Any screenshot capturing tool showing dimensions in cm when capturing?-untitled.png

How to Screenshot on Windows - Xelplus - Leila Gharani