---
type: reference
title: Screenshot Matrix
description: Which screenshot binds work on blankpad as a function of output count — flameshot full is dead on 2+ outputs (niri D-Bus screencopy single-output limit, upstream niri#4313); Mod+Shift+S runs scripts/screenshot-desk.sh, the niri-native all-monitor capture.
tags:
  - niri
  - flameshot
  - screenshots
  - multi-monitor
  - portal
verified: 2026-10-14
---

# Screenshot Matrix

Three capture stacks coexist on blankpad: **flameshot** (portal → niri
D-Bus screenshot API), niri's built-in **screenshot UI**, and
**scripts/screenshot-desk.sh** (drives niri per-output actions). The
flameshot full-screen path breaks the moment the laptop docks to a
second output.

## Bind matrix by output count

| Bind | Tool | 1 output (portable) | 2+ outputs (docked home) |
|------|------|---------------------|--------------------------|
| `Print` / `Ctrl+Shift+1` | `flameshot full` | ✅ | ❌ error bubbles |
| `Alt+Print` / `Ctrl+Shift+2` | `flameshot screen` (focused) | ✅ | ✅ single-output request |
| `Ctrl+Print` / `Ctrl+Shift+3` | `flameshot gui` (region) | ✅ | ✅ (watch scaling on mixed-res, [flameshot#4449](https://github.com/flameshot-org/flameshot/issues/4449)) |
| `Mod+Shift+S` | `screenshot-desk.sh` — one PNG **per monitor** | ✅ | ✅ the docked full-desk path |

`Mod+Shift+S` used to open noctalia settings; noctalia settings moved to
**`Mod+Shift+O`**.

## Why `flameshot full` dies docked

- Flameshot 14 full-screen capture → xdg-desktop-portal →
  `xdg-desktop-portal-gnome` → niri's GNOME-Screenshot compatibility D-Bus
  service.
- That service calls `Niri::screenshot_all_outputs` (src/niri.rs), which
  starts with `ensure!(outputs.len() == 1)` (FIXME: multi-scale/crop
  unsupported). On a 2-output virtual screen the request is refused;
  flameshot pops an error bubble after the portal round-trip — the
  "bunch of errors after a delay".
- Compositor-side fingerprint (`journalctl --user -u niri`):
  `WARN niri::niri: error taking a screenshot: Condition failed: outputs.len() == 1 (2 vs 1)`
- Upstream: [niri#4313](https://github.com/niri-wm/niri/issues/4313)
  (identical stack: niri 26.04 + Flameshot 14 + portal-gnome; closed as
  duplicate, unfixed in 26.04/8ed0da4).

## Why not niri's built-in `screenshot` UI

niri 26.04's default `screenshot` action opens the interactive
screenshot UI, and its selection is single-output by design
("this implementation allows only single-output selections for now",
src/ui/screenshot_ui.rs). One press = one monitor.

## The all-monitor path: `scripts/screenshot-desk.sh`

- Bind: `Mod+Shift+S` in [[keybindings|keybindings.md]].
- Deploy form: symlink `~/.local/bin/screenshot-desk.sh` →
  `~/.omp/scripts/screenshot-desk.sh` (same convention as `desk.sh`).
- Algorithm: for each active output from `niri msg --json outputs`,
  `focus-monitor` → `screenshot-screen --path` (absolute, one PNG),
  then restore the previously focused monitor. All niri-native, no
  grim, no portal.
- Files: `~/Pictures/Screenshots/Screenshot from
  YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM-SS <connector>.png` (dir overridable via
  `SCREENSHOT_DIR`). Also honors `screenshot-path` in misc.kdl for the
  UI/screenshot-screen default when no `--path` is passed.
- Verified 2026-10-14 docked: two valid PNGs (eDP-1, DP-2), focus
  restored.

## Census commands

```bash
niri msg outputs                                     # how many outputs live
journalctl --user -u niri --since today | grep -i screenshot   # portal-path failures
pgrep -a flameshot                                   # daemon state
```

## See Also

- [[displays|displays.md]] — desk profiles: 1 output portable vs 2 docked
- [[keybindings|keybindings.md]] — generated cheat sheet (source of the binds)
- [[noctalia-shell|noctalia-shell]] — shell settings moved to Mod+Shift+O