Capture and recording

Take screenshots, record your screen, and copy text or QR codes from a region.

Open Monarch Menu → Actions → Capture, or press SUPER + CTRL + C to jump straight to the Capture menu. It offers screenshots, screen recording, text extraction, QR decoding, and a color picker.

Take a screenshot

Action	Shortcut or menu	Result
Select a window or region and edit it	Print Screen	Saves a PNG and opens the image editor.
Select and copy an image	SUPER + SHIFT + S	Copies the PNG to the clipboard without saving a file.
Save and copy an image	Actions → Capture → Screenshot	Saves a PNG, copies it, and offers Edit in the notification.

Drag over a region in the picker. The command line also offers window and fullscreen modes. Screenshots are saved in your Pictures directory by default.

For a specific capture mode from a terminal:

monarch capture screenshot region copy
monarch capture screenshot windows edit
monarch capture screenshot fullscreen save

Record the screen

Press ALT + Print Screen or choose Actions → Capture → Screenrecord. Select no audio, desktop audio, desktop and microphone audio, or a webcam option if a webcam is available. Then choose a display or window in the desktop sharing dialog.

Press ALT + Print Screen again and choose Stop recording. Monarch saves an MP4 in your Videos directory and offers to open it from a notification. You can also record from a terminal:

monarch screenrecord --with-desktop-audio
monarch screenrecord --stop-recording

Screenrecord uses the desktop portal by default. The Settings → Security → Mask Chat Windows toggle controls chat masking in the saved video, and automatic DND silences notifications while recording. See Screen sharing privacy for limits and compatibility with older installations.

Extract text or a QR code

Choose Actions → Capture → Text Extraction, or press SUPER + CTRL + Print Screen, then select a region. Recognized text is copied to the clipboard.

Choose Actions → Capture → QR Code and select a region containing a QR code. Its decoded value is copied to the clipboard; Monarch does not open the link automatically. QR values are marked sensitive so they stay out of clipboard history.

Share your screen privately

Monarch can mask common chat windows in Niri captures and silence notifications while a screen share is active. See Screen sharing privacy for the controls and limits.

See Keybindings for the other capture shortcuts.