---
name: "spectacle"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "spectacle"
version: "1:6.8.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/spectacle"
---

# spectacle(1)

screenshot capture Utility

## NAME

spectacle - screenshot capture Utility

## SYNOPSIS

**spectacle** \[*Spectacle options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**spectacle** is a simple application for capturing desktop screenshots. It can capture images of the entire desktop, a single monitor, the currently active window, the window currently under the mouse, or a rectangular region of the screen. The images can then be annotated, printed, sent to other applications for manipulation, or quickly be saved as-is.

## SPECTACLE OPTIONS

- **-h, --help**

  Displays help on commandline options.

- **--help-all**

  Displays help including Qt specific options.

- **-v, --version**

  Displays version information.

- **-f, --fullscreen**

  Capture the entire desktop (default).

- **--scaled**

  When used with **-f**/**--fullscreen**, capture all screens scaled to the same size. Has no effect without **-f**.

- **-m, --current**

  Capture the current monitor.

- **-a, --activewindow**

  Capture the active window.

- **-u, --windowundercursor**

  Capture the window currently under the cursor, including parents of pop-up menus.

- **-t, --transientonly**

  Capture the window currently under the cursor, excluding parents of pop-up menus.

- **-r, --region**

  Capture a rectangular region of the screen.

- **-l, --launchonly**

  Launch Spectacle without taking a screenshot.

- **-g, --gui**

  Start in GUI mode (default).

- **-b, --background**

  Take a screenshot and exit without showing the GUI.

- **-s, --dbus**

  Start in DBus-Activation mode.

- **-n, --nonotify**

  In background mode, do not pop up a notification when the screenshot is taken.

- **-o, --output** *fileName*

  In background mode, save image to specified file *fileName*.

- **-d, --delay** *delayMsec*

  In background mode, delay before taking the shot (in milliseconds).

- **-c, --copy-image**

  In background mode, copy screenshot only to clipboard, unless -o is also used.

- **-C, --copy-path**

  In background mode, copy screenshot file path to clipboard.

- **-w, --onclick**

  Wait for a click before taking screenshot. Invalidates delay..

- **-i, --new-instance**

  Starts a new GUI instance of spectacle without registering to DBus.

- **-p, --pointer**

  In background mode, include pointer in the screenshot.

- **-e, --no-decoration**

  In background mode, do not include window decorations in the screenshot.

- **-E, --edit-existing** *existingFileName*

  Open and edit existing screenshot file.

## FEEDBACK

On IRC, irc.libera.chat #kde or via email, kde-graphics-devel@kde.org or on the web, \<**https://apps.kde.org/spectacle**\>

## SEE ALSO

More detailed user documentation is available from **help:/spectacle** (either enter this URL into Konqueror, or run **khelpcenter** *help:/spectacle*).

[kf6options(7)](/kf6options/7.md)

[qt6options(7)](/qt6options/7.md)

There is also further information available at **https://apps.kde.org/spectacle**

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2015 Boudhayan Gupta

License: GNU General Public Version 2 \<**https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html**\>

## AUTHOR

**Yuri Chornoivan** \<yurchor@ukr.net\>

Spectacle man page.