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Screenshot guidelines and best practices

When you set up and take screenshots, keep the following guidelines and best practices in mind.

Tooling​

To take a screenshot, use a screen capture tool such as SnagIt, PhotoShop, or Snipping Tool. If you are taking a screenshot of the Unity Editor, then you also have the option to use Unity’s In-Editor Screenshot tool.

Preparation and setup​

  • Before you take a screenshot, make sure that your application is set up as described in Screenshot setup.
  • Whenever possible, be consistent in which operating system you use for screenshots. For example, take all screenshots for a specific page or topic on macOS or on Windows.
  • If possible, use the latest OS version when taking new screenshots or updating existing ones, because OS version updates usually result in minor aesthetic changes. Don't update screenshots only for OS version changes.

Third-party assets​

Whenever possible, avoid using third-party assets. If you decide to use a third-party asset or image to showcase a specific feature, check with legal to make sure you have the rights to use the asset or image. After you get legal approval, make sure to provide adequate attribution. For more information, refer to Image attribution.

Format, size, and resolution​

  • Depending on the type of image, use one of the following formats:
    • PNG: For images with defined lines and large areas of monotone colors.
    • JPG: For photorealistic images with many colors and gradients.
      Note: If you are unsure, take a screenshot using both file types and then compare the quality and file size of the screenshot.
  • Screenshot resolution depends on the target platform or site:
    • Core platform: Maximum image size is 849 x 900 pixels in landscape orientation. Screenshots larger than the maximum are automatically resized during the build process.
    • Packages: No restriction on pixel width or height, but larger screenshots are downscaled to fit within the content area of the package docs site.
      To learn more about image size restrictions, refer to Screenshot size and resolution.
  • Keep the file size as small as possible. For packages, the file size must be below 1MB.

Edges and borders​

  • Use only straight edges. Don't use fade-outs or jagged edges.
  • Don't use borders.

Exclusions​

Delete or crop the following from the screenshot:

  • Personal information such as name, IP address, physical address, phone number, credit card number.
  • Functionality that is not available to users.

Annotations​

Use callout boxes and labels to help users identify relevant UI elements, features, and actions. For more information about creating effective and consistent annotations, refer to Annotations.

Accessibility​

  • Include a text alternative to the image for people who use screen readers or text-only browsers, or who have a low-bandwidth internet connection. For more information, refer to Alt text
  • Don’t use image maps to create multiple clickable areas or "hotspots" within a single image.
  • Don't use screenshots of text, code samples, or terminal output. Use actual text.

File naming​

Use meaningful, unique names and format them in kebab-case, as follows:
Feature-name-specific-thing-name.png.

Example: animation-select-imported-clip.png
Example: scene-room-avatars.png

Testing​

Verify the size of all screenshots by building a local or staged version of the documentation. To build a local or staged version of the documentation, refer to the following resources:

Maintenance and future-proofing​

  • Develop and implement a plan to review your screenshots regularly to make sure they are up to date.
  • Crop screenshots to show only relevant information. For example, don't include the full window if you only want to show a single button or menu item. Cropping helps the reader focus on the information that you want to convey in the screenshot, and it can help future-proof the screenshot if other parts of the UI change. Keep the original screenshot intact if it's a complex scene or illustration, or includes several screens.
  • If your screenshot has annotations, keep the screenshot in a format that can be edited or translated (SVG, PSD, PPT, SNAG, or AI). For more information on annotations, refer to Annotations.
  • Save the Unity project that you used to create the screenshot, especially if you created a complex scene to get the screenshot. Give the project a meaningful name, so that you can easily find the project, if you need to update the screenshot at a later time.