Zight for Designers: Fast Screenshot and Screen Recording Sharing

Zight (formerly CloudApp) is a screenshot and screen recording tool built for fast sharing. Capture your screen, annotate if needed, and Zight automatically uploads to the cloud and copies a shareable link to your clipboard. Paste the link into Slack, email, or anywhere else. No saving files, no manual uploads. Designers use it for bug reports, quick feedback, and sharing work in progress.

Key Specs

How Designers Use Zight

Zight fits into daily communication where you need to share visuals quickly.

For Bug Reports and QA

Capture a screenshot of a bug, annotate with arrows or text, and paste the Zight link into your issue tracker. Developers see exactly what you mean without downloading files. The workflow is faster than saving screenshots, opening Slack, and uploading manually.

For Design Feedback

Record a quick screen walkthrough showing how a prototype works, or annotate a mockup to explain a design decision. Share the link in Slack or Notion. Recipients view in their browser without needing a Zight account.

For Client Communication

Freelancers record 2-minute walkthroughs showing website changes or design progress. Email the Zight link and clients watch immediately. No app installation or file downloads on their end.

For Quick Documentation

Create short how-to videos for onboarding or support. Record your screen explaining a feature, share the link in docs or support tickets. For polished tutorials, use Loom instead.

Zight vs. Alternatives

Choose Zight if: You need the fastest path from screenshot to shareable link. Capture, upload, paste link. Done.

Choose CleanShot X if: You’re on Mac and want the best screenshot tool with better annotation and no subscription. Pay once, own forever.

Choose Loom if: You record longer videos (5+ minutes) with webcam overlay. Better for tutorials and async video communication.

Choose Snagit if: You need advanced screenshot editing (scrolling capture, templates, multi-step guides) and prefer one-time pricing.

Getting Started with Zight

Start sharing screenshots in under 5 minutes.

Step 1: Install and sign up

Download Zight for Mac or Windows from zight.com. Create a free account. After installation, Zight appears in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows).

Step 2: Set up your keyboard shortcut

Open Zight preferences and set a keyboard shortcut for screenshot capture. Default is usually Cmd+Shift+5 on Mac. Also set one for screen recording if you’ll use that.

Step 3: Capture and share

Press your shortcut, drag to select an area. Zight captures, uploads, and copies the link to your clipboard. Paste (Cmd+V) into Slack, email, or anywhere. To annotate before uploading, click the edit button after capture.

Zight in Your Design Workflow

Zight handles the communication layer between design tools.

• Before Zight: Design in Figma, build in code, test in browsers
• During design: Capture bugs, share progress, give feedback with annotated screenshots
• After Zight: Team views links, discusses in Slack/comments, implements changes

Common tool pairings:

• Zight + Slack for instant screenshot sharing in team channels
• Zight + Linear/Jira for visual bug reports attached to tickets
• Zight + Notion for embedded screenshots in documentation
• Zight + Figma for capturing design mockups to share with clients

Common Problems (and How to Fix Them)

“Zight uploads are slow”

Large screen recordings take time, especially on slow connections. Keep recordings short (under 5 minutes), record at 1080p instead of 4K, and be patient with uploads. Zight compresses files but can’t fix slow internet.

“I hit my storage limit on the free plan”

Delete old uploads from zight.com/dashboard. Old screenshots pile up fast. Either clean house regularly or upgrade to a paid plan. For heavy use, the $8/month team plan is reasonable.

“The app feels buggy”

Zight has changed ownership multiple times, leading to quality inconsistencies. If you experience crashes or slow performance, update to the latest version, restart the app, or reinstall. For Mac users frustrated with Zight, CleanShot X is a more polished (paid) alternative.

“I need longer recordings”

Zight works best under 5 minutes. For longer tutorials, use Loom. Loom handles longer videos better, offers trimming, and has better playback quality for extended content.

“My links show ‘not found’”

The upload may have been deleted or set to private. Check your Zight dashboard to verify it exists. If sharing sensitive content, use private links and be aware they can expire on some plans.