CAPTUREASK · PRACTICAL GUIDE
Full-screen capture: choose the right monitor and protect your context
Updated September 13, 2026 · Based on the downloadable v0.3.6 package
A whole-monitor screenshot is useful when two windows need to be compared. It also includes everything visible on that monitor. This guide explains the actual Full screen & send workflow in CaptureAsk v0.3.6 and when a smaller capture is more useful.
Choose a capture mode before you start
Use Full screen & send to show a browser alongside another application. Use Current tab if you want to inspect the image before opening an AI service. Use Drag to capture & send when the relevant detail fits inside the visible web page. Current tab captures the visible viewport, not the entire length of a scrolling page.
Capture the intended monitor
- Open CaptureAsk and choose your AI destination before starting the capture.
- Choose Full screen & send. In Chrome’s screen chooser, click the thumbnail of the monitor you intend to share.
- Check that the selected thumbnail contains the correct windows. The Share button can remain disabled until a monitor is selected.
- Click Share. Version 0.3.6 reads one video frame and stops the stream’s tracks after drawing the frame.
- The selected AI service opens. Wait for its composer and check for an attached-image thumbnail before writing your question.
Closing or cancelling the chooser does not create a capture. A website or extension cannot remove Chrome’s required screen-selection step from this workflow.
Worked example: comparing two reports
Suppose a spreadsheet shows 120 completed orders while a dashboard shows 108. Arrange both windows so their date range, timezone and filter labels are visible. Hide customer names and email addresses. Capture both reports, then ask:
These two reports show 120 and 108 completed orders. Compare the visible date ranges, timezones and filters. List possible explanations supported by the screenshot. Identify what cannot be determined from the image and what I should check next.
The difference alone does not prove a calculation error. One report may include cancelled orders or use a different cutoff time. Check any suggested explanation against the underlying records. An AI can read visible context but cannot inspect data that was not captured.
Why text may become harder to read
In v0.3.6, full-screen output is JPEG with a maximum long edge of 1920 pixels and quality set to 0.88. A large monitor can therefore produce smaller text in the resulting image. Increase the text size before capture, or use Current tab and crop the relevant section. Do not enlarge a blurred image and assume the missing characters have become reliable.
Check the image before sending a message
Full screen & send opens the selected destination automatically, so prepare the screen before starting. Hide notifications, private documents and unrelated account details. If you need a preview-first workflow, choose Current tab instead. Verify the AI attachment itself: opening a new tab is not proof that an upload succeeded.
If the AI tab opens without an image
Sign in to the selected service, then take a fresh capture. The pending image has a two-minute expiry timestamp; a long sign-in flow may outlast it. Automatic attachment also depends on the provider’s page structure. For a reliable fallback, use Current tab, save the image, and attach that file through the AI service’s own upload control. Review the attached image before sending your message.
Implementation details were checked against the downloadable extension code. AI provider interfaces and account limits can change; automatic attachment is not guaranteed. Examples on this page are illustrative.