From first capture
to final file.

Install

Glint needs macOS 14 or later. Release downloads are universal: they include Apple silicon and Intel builds.

With Homebrew

If you already have Homebrew, run:

brew install --cask MrAshRhodes/tap/glint

This adds the tap if needed and installs Glint in Applications.

With a download

Open the latest release. Download the versioned ZIP, extract it and move Glint.app to Applications. Alternatively, open the DMG and drag the app into Applications. Each archive has a matching SHA-256 checksum.

For a manual download, consult Apple's guidance on opening apps safely. You can also build Glint yourself from the source below.

Update Glint

Glint does not automatically download or install updates. Choose Check for Updates… from the menu bar, or use the button in Preferences → About. This contacts GitHub to compare your installed version with the latest stable release.

If you installed with Homebrew

1. Save any open edits and quit Glint.
2. Run the command below.
3. Open Glint from Applications again. Check the version in About Glint.

brew update && brew upgrade --cask glint

brew update refreshes Homebrew and its taps; it does not install a newer Glint. The brew upgrade part does that. Keep using Homebrew for an app it manages rather than replacing the app manually.

If Glint reports a new release but Homebrew says it is already current, the tap may still be catching up. Try again after the release's tap update has finished. You can inspect the available version with brew info --cask glint.

If you installed from a ZIP or DMG

1. Save your edits and quit Glint.
2. Download the new release from GitHub.
3. Replace Glint.app in Applications with the new copy, then reopen it.

Replacing the app keeps your separately stored preferences, presets and image files. Do not delete those folders to update.

Permissions

Screen capture requires Screen Recording access. In System Settings → Privacy & Security, find Screen Recording (called Screen & System Audio Recording on some macOS versions), enable Glint, and relaunch if asked.

Open existing images with Open Image… or ⌘ O; screen access is not needed just to style an image file.

Capture

Use the menu bar icon to capture an area, a window or the full screen. Capture with Timer gives you 3, 5 or 10 seconds to get ready. Repeat Last Area captures the same region again.

Default shortcuts use Control + Option + Command:

Cancel a selection with Esc. Change the shortcuts in Preferences if another app uses the same combination.

Style your image

Start with a preset, then adjust the background, padding, inset, corner radius and shadow. Choose an aspect ratio for the destination, or keep the natural image proportions. You can also rotate, flip, add perspective, apply a window frame or add a watermark.

Auto-balance looks for uniform image borders and balances the margins. It works best on screenshots with clear, flat surrounding space.

The backgrounds include gradients, mesh gradients, patterns, solids and transparency. A custom image is also supported.

Use your desktop wallpaper

Check Use desktop wallpaper under Background. Glint reads the system wallpaper image directly, without a file picker. It never captures desktop icons, windows or other desktop content for the background. The image fills the canvas, cropping at the edges when needed; padding, shadows, rounded corners, frames and other styling still work.

Glint uses the wallpaper macOS reports for the main display (the display with the primary menu bar), in its current Space, even when the capture or editor is on another display. It keeps that image fixed in the editor so preview and export use the same wallpaper. Toggle the checkbox off and on to refresh after changing wallpapers or Spaces.

Dynamic wallpapers: Glint uses the image file's primary still, which may differ from the time-of-day or animated scene currently on your desktop. For rotating wallpapers, it uses the current image if macOS supplies an image file. If macOS supplies only a folder, no readable file, or an unsupported wallpaper, Glint explains the problem and uses your normal background instead.

Uncheck the option to restore your previous background, or choose any normal background control to switch away from wallpaper. The option is remembered in your editor settings and saved presets; a preset resolves the current wallpaper rather than storing a copy of it. Direct capture exports and command-line renders use the same rule and report a warning if they need to fall back.

Annotations

Use arrows and lines to point things out, rectangles and ellipses to frame an area, and pen or highlighter to draw freely. Add text and numbered counters for instructions.

Select an annotation to change its styling or layer order. Undo and redo let you revise without starting over. Use the redaction tool, rather than a translucent highlighter, for private information.

Redaction & privacy

Manual redaction can blur, pixelate or cover a region with solid color. Exporting renders those changes into the output image.

Optional Auto-redact uses on-device text recognition to find patterns such as email addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, IP addresses and common API tokens. It is off by default.

Glint does not upload your screenshots. The manual update check contacts GitHub; opening web links or sharing an image uses the destination you select.

Presets

Glint starts with Default, Clean, Social 16:9 and Transparent. Apply one, adjust the look, then save your own preset for reuse. Set a default in Preferences → Presets.

The homepage light table shows actual output from these presets using original terminal and dashboard artwork. Choose a subject and finish, or switch to Original to compare the untouched image. It is a renderer demonstration, not the app's editor, and does not upload or edit your images in the browser.

Export & folders

Save PNG, JPEG, HEIC or TIFF at 1× or 2× scale. PNG is a good choice for crisp text and transparent backgrounds. You can also copy to the clipboard, use the share sheet, or drag the result into another app.

Preferences → Output controls the save folder, naming and history. The default save folder is Desktop; capture history uses ~/Documents/Glint, with Raw and Output subfolders. These locations are configurable.

The default filename template is Glint-{datetime}. The menu's Show Output Folder and Show Raw Folder actions take you to the history folders.

Copying normally closes the editor. Disable Close editor after copying in Preferences if you want to keep adjusting the image.

Preferences

Open Preferences with ⌘ ,. General controls launch at login, menu bar and Dock visibility, sounds and notifications. Capture controls cursor visibility, remembering the last area and hiding Glint windows during capture.

Output controls capture actions and files. Editor controls auto-balance and auto-redact. Presets manages your default look. About shows the version, permissions and manual update check.

Automation

URL scheme

With Glint installed, another app or script can open these URLs:

glint://capture-area
glint://capture-window
glint://capture-fullscreen
glint://capture-text
glint://repeat-last
glint://preferences
glint://preset?name=Clean
glint://open?file=%2FUsers%2Fyou%2FDesktop%2Fimage.png

Percent-encode spaces and other special characters in query values. From Terminal, use open 'glint://capture-area'. Capture actions still require screen permission.

Command-line rendering

/Applications/Glint.app/Contents/MacOS/Glint \
  --render input.png output.png \
  --preset "Social 16:9" --scale 2

/Applications/Glint.app/Contents/MacOS/Glint --list-presets
/Applications/Glint.app/Contents/MacOS/Glint --version
/Applications/Glint.app/Contents/MacOS/Glint --diagnose

Use --help for the command reference. The output extension selects the file format. These commands operate on local files; they do not upload an image.

Troubleshooting

Capture is blocked or stopped after an update

Check Screen Recording permission for Glint and relaunch. An ad-hoc signing change can mean you need to remove the old Glint entry in that permission list and add the current app again.

I cannot find the app window

Glint is a menu bar app. Look for its icon near the clock. Capture a region or choose Open Image… to open an editor.

Homebrew does not offer the release yet

Run brew update, then brew info --cask glint. The cask must be updated after the release publishes. Check the tap if the displayed version is behind.

Something else is wrong

Check existing issues or report the problem with the steps, macOS version and Glint version. Review --diagnose output for private information before including it.

Build from source

Install Xcode or the Apple Command Line Tools with a compatible Swift toolchain, then:

git clone https://github.com/MrAshRhodes/glint.git
cd glint
make test
make app

The app is written to dist/Glint.app. Use make universal for both architectures. Read the contributor guide for toolchain details and release instructions.

Glint is an independent project under the MIT license. This site uses original sample artwork and self-hosted OFL-licensed fonts.