Skill level: Beginner to IrfanView
Time: 15 minutes to set up, seconds per screenshot
Platform: Windows only
Cost: Free (donationware)
What is IrfanView?
IrfanView is a free, lightweight image viewer and editor for Windows that has been a quiet favourite among technical writers for over two decades. If you already use tools like Snagit or the Windows Snipping Tool, you will find IrfanView covers the core screenshot workflow (capture, crop, annotate, and save) without a subscription fee.
It’s not the most polished tool on the market. The interface is functional rather than beautiful. But once you know where things are, it is fast, reliable, and capable of handling bulk image work that paid tools charge a premium for.
This article covers the two tasks most technical writers need on day one: capturing a screenshot and annotating it before publishing.
Before You Start
Download and Install
- Go to irfanview.com and download the 64-bit installer (recommended for most modern systems).
- Run the installer. Accept the defaults unless you have a reason to change them.
- On the final screen, you will be offered the option to install IrfanView PlugIns. Install these. The plugins add format support and extend the annotation tools you will use in this article.
Tip: IrfanView is donationware. The developer, Irfan Škiljan, has kept it free for personal and non-commercial use for over 25 years. If your team ends up relying on it, a small donation via the website is a nice acknowledgement.
A Note on the Interface
When you open IrfanView for the first time, it may look sparse. This is intentional — it is a lightweight application. The menu bar at the top is where almost everything lives. Resist the urge to look for a sidebar or a toolbar full of icons. You will find what you need through Options, Edit, and View in the menu.
Part 1: Capturing a Screenshot
IrfanView has a built-in screen capture function that gives you more control than the standard Windows Print Screen key.
Step 1: Open the Capture Dialog
With IrfanView open, go to Options > Capture/Screenshot (or press C on your keyboard).
The Screen Capture Setup dialog box opens.
Step 2: Choose Your Capture Area
Under Capture area, select one of the following.
| Option | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Desktop | You need a full screenshot of everything on screen |
| Foreground window | You want only the active application window |
| Foreground window — client area | You want the window contents but not the title bar or chrome |
| Custom selected area | You want to draw a custom selection box around a specific region |
Step 3: Set the Hotkey
Under Start capture by, select Hotkey and choose a key combination. My setting is Ctrl + F11.
You can also choose to capture automatically after a time delay, which is useful if you need to capture a menu or tooltip that disappears when you click away.
Step 4: Decide What Happens After Capture
Under After capture, select Open captured image in Editor/Main window so the screenshot loads directly into IrfanView ready for annotation. You can also auto-save to a file.
Leave Include mouse cursor unchecked unless your documentation specifically requires showing cursor position.
Step 5: Take the Screenshot
- Click Start to arm the capture function. IrfanView will minimise.
- Switch to the application you want to screenshot.
- Press your hotkey.
- The screenshot opens automatically in IrfanView.
For Custom Selected Area captures: After pressing the hotkey, your cursor becomes a crosshair. Click and drag to draw your selection rectangle, then release and click again. The selection is captured immediately.
Part 2: Annotating the Screenshot
IrfanView’s annotation tools live inside the Edit menu, in a separate panel called the Drawing Toolbar. This is where technical writers often get confused because the toolbar is not visible by default.
Step 1: Open the Drawing Toolbar
With your screenshot open in IrfanView, go to Edit > Show Paint dialog (or hit F12).
A floating toolbar appears. This is the annotation panel. Keep it open. It does not close automatically.
Step 2: Understand the Core Tools
The toolbar contains more tools than you will use for standard tech writing. The ones that matter most are:
Arrow: Draws a directional arrow to point at UI elements. Essential for callouts in procedural docs.
Rectangle — Draws an outline box to highlight or frame an area. Useful for drawing attention to a specific region without obscuring it.
Text: Inserts a text label directly on the image. Use this for numbered callouts or short labels.
Filled Rectangle: Draws a solid box. Use this to redact or cover sensitive information such as email addresses, usernames, or internal data before publishing.
Line: A freehand line tool. Less useful for tech writing than arrows, but available.
Step 3: Configure Your Annotation Style
Before drawing anything, set your colours and line weight so your annotations are consistent across all screenshots.
- In the Drawing Toolbar, click the colour swatch at the top to set the foreground colour (the colour of lines, arrows, and text). Red (
#FF0000) is the most common choice for tech writing annotations because it stands out against most UI colours. - Click the second colour swatch to set the background/fill colour. For text labels, white with a red border is readable against most backgrounds.
- Use the width or size field to set your line thickness. A value of 2 or 3 pixels is visible without being heavy.
Consistency tip: IrfanView does not save annotation presets between sessions the way Snagit does. Before you start a documentation project, spend two minutes setting your colours and note them down (hex codes) so you can replicate them each time.
Step 4: Add an Arrow Callout
- Select the Arrow tool from the Drawing Toolbar.
- Click on the screenshot where you want the arrow tail to start.
- Drag toward the UI element you want to point to and release. The arrowhead appears at the end of your drag.
If the arrow direction is wrong, go to Edit > Undo (Ctrl+Z) and try again. IrfanView supports multiple undo steps.
Step 5: Add a Text Label
- Select the Text tool from the Drawing Toolbar.
- Click on the area of the screenshot where you want to place the label. A text entry dialog appears.
- Type your label text (e.g. “Click here to proceed” or “Step 1”).
- Select the font, size, and style in the dialog. Click OK.
- The text is placed on the image. It is now part of the flat image — you cannot double-click to edit it later. If you make a mistake, use Ctrl+Z immediately.
For numbered callouts: Use the Text tool to place numbers (1, 2, 3) inside small circles drawn with the Ellipse tool. This is the standard format for multi-step UI walkthroughs and keeps your images clean.
Step 6: Redact Sensitive Information
If your screenshot contains any personal data, internal URLs, usernames, or account numbers that should not be published:
- Select the Filled Rectangle tool.
- Set the foreground colour to black or a neutral grey.
- Click and drag over the sensitive area to cover it completely.
- Verify the redaction is complete before saving.
Important: This is a pixel-level redaction — the data underneath is overwritten in the exported file. Do not rely on transparent or semi-transparent boxes as redaction; always use a fully opaque fill.
Part 3: Saving the Annotated Screenshot
Step 1: Save As (Not Save)
Go to File > Save as (S). Do not use quick-save if you want to control the format and quality settings.
Step 2: Choose Your Format
| Format | When to use it |
|---|---|
| PNG | Default choice for UI screenshots. Lossless, sharp edges, transparent background support. |
| JPEG | Only if your CMS or style guide requires it. Introduces compression artifacts on sharp UI text. |
| WebP | If your WordPress site is configured to serve WebP images for performance. Check your media settings first. |
For WordPress documentation sites, PNG is the safest default.
Step 3: Set the Filename
Use a consistent naming convention from the start.
Step 4: Check the File Size
IrfanView shows file size information at the bottom of the window. For web publishing, aim for under 200KB per screenshot where possible. If your PNG is larger, go to Image > Resize/Resample to reduce the pixel dimensions before saving — 1200px wide is a good maximum for most documentation sites.
Quick Reference: Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open Capture dialog | C |
| Open Paint/Drawing toolbar | F12 |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z |
| Save as | S |
| Crop selection | Ctrl+Y |
| Resize image | Ctrl+R |
| Fit image to window | Ctrl+F |
Common Issues
The Drawing Toolbar disappears. IrfanView’s floating toolbar can be closed accidentally. Press F12 to reopen it.
Text is too small or too large after placement. The text size is set in the Text dialog before you click OK. Undo (Ctrl+Z) and try again with a different font size. There is no way to resize placed text after the fact.
My arrow is the wrong colour. The colour is set in the Drawing Toolbar before you draw. Undo, change the colour swatch, and redraw.
The screenshot is capturing IrfanView itself. You pressed the hotkey before switching away from IrfanView. Click on your target application first, then press the hotkey.
File size is unexpectedly large. Your screenshot resolution may be very high (common on HiDPI displays). Use Image > Resize/Resample to scale down to 1200–1600px width before saving.
IrfanView is free for personal and non-commercial use. Download at irfanview.com. Commercial use requires a licence for a modest fee. See the site for details.