Note: This article was originally written in August 2011 and is now over 13 years old.

One of the very first tools that I install on a rebuilt/new PC is Greenshot. From their website (emphasis mine):

Greenshot is a light-weight screenshot software tool for Windows with the following key features:

  • Create complete or partial screenshots quickly.
  • Easily annotate, highlight or obfuscate parts of the screenshot.
  • Send the screenshot to a file, the clipboard, a printer or as e-mail attachment.

I find it really handy for taking screenshots, annotating them, and then pasting them into an email. Mine’s configured to automatically save the capture to a folder, as well as open it in the image editor. I can then make changes and re-save over the top of the already-captured image.

A handy keyboard shortcut in the image editor is CTRL+SHIFT+C. This copies the modified screenshot with annotations, obfuscations, etc to the clipboard.

Where: https://getgreenshot.org/
License: GPL
Blog: https://getgreenshot.org/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/greenshot_tool

Update (2025): While Greenshot remains available, development has slowed significantly in recent years. Modern alternatives include ShareX (free, open-source), Flameshot (cross-platform), Snagit (commercial), and the built-in Windows Snipping Tool. Windows 10/11 users can also use the Win+Shift+S keyboard shortcut for quick screenshots.

Security Note: A significant vulnerability (CVE-2023-34634) was discovered in Greenshot versions 1.3.274 and earlier, allowing potential code execution when opening specially crafted .greenshot files. If using Greenshot, ensure you have the latest version and exercise caution when opening .greenshot files from unknown sources.