Posting on social media before hosting a livestream event lets your fans know what to expect and entices them to join. Marketing experts say that social media posts with media content tend to garner more impressions and interaction than text-only posts. Put down your phone, we're not taking selfies with it today.
Instead, I'm going to teach you how to utilize OBS hotkeys to screenshot your camera source. Taking a screenshot of your camera source can be easier than taking a traditional selfie in certain scenarios, particularly when it comes to promoting your stream. Capture stream highlights with the click of a button and integrate stream overlays into your photos.
Taking a screenshot within OBS provides immediate access to the captured image. You can save the screenshot directly to your computer or use OBS's integration with social media platforms to instantly share it across your desired channels. This saves time and effort compared to taking a selfie, transferring it to your device, and then sharing it separately.
To screenshot a source in OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), you can follow these step-by-step instructions:
Step 1: Launch OBS on your computer and make sure you have the desired source visible in the preview window.
Step 2: Select the source you want to screenshot by clicking on it in the Sources section of the OBS interface. This will highlight the selected source.
Step 3: Go to the main OBS menu at the top and click on Settings. The settings menu will open.
Step 4: Navigate to the Output tab on the left side of the window and click to open more options.
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Step 5: Find the Recording section in the Output window and check your Recording Path destination. A recording path specifies the location on your computer where files will be saved. If you're satisfied with the destination you don't need to change anything. If you want to change the destination you can click Browse to select a new location and then click Apply to save these settings.
Step 6: Next, navigate to the Hotkeys tab in the lefthand menu. Scroll down the Hotkeys menu until you find Screenshot Selected Source. Click the input field and it will have a blue highlight that indicates you can now input a Hotkey. Choose and press any key on your keyboard to assign a Hotkey to this command. Click Apply and then Ok to save and exit the settings window.
Step 7: Select the Source you want to screenshot from the Scenes menu. A source is selected when it's highlighted in blue. Press the Hotkey you previously chose. If all of the steps were followed correctly, a notice will appear in the bottom left corner of OBS. It will show that your screenshot was saved to your chosen recording path destination.
Step 8: Open File Explorer and find your screenshot.
Hotkeys, or keyboard shortcuts, are combinations of keys that perform a specific action or command in a software application or operating system. They allow you to quickly execute tasks without having to navigate through menus or use a mouse.
Tip #1: DO NOT accidentally choose Screenshot Output as this will take a screenshot of your entire OBS application. Screenshot Selected Source will save a clean image of any source selected.
Tip #2: DO NOT choose a Hotkey that could be a key you frequently use or a key that already executes another function while OBS is running. DO choose a key such as the ` or *.
Tip #3: If you want to include your watermark or any other overlay you will need to right-click the preview window and then click on Screenshot (Preview). If you don't want an overlay to show, simply click on the eye button in the source panel to hide it.