How to crop window capture in OBS

OBS Studio has multiple options that allow you to capture both the entire screen and inpidual parts. For example, with Window Capture, you can take a screenshot of a single open window instead of the entire screen. However, the feature does not work well with tutorials and similar content, as it is limited to capturing only the main window and nothing else. That means if you want to record additional pop-ups, menus, and panels, you’ll have to crop a standard screenshot to fit the screen.

Fortunately, there are several ways to do this with OBS Studio. In addition to a number of built-in editing features, there are also third-party solutions for platforms like Windows. Window Capture works great with windowed games, allowing you to record multiple monitors at once. However, there are some limitations to keep in mind. Mainly, you won’t be able to capture any popups or menus.

If you want a full tutorial, your best bet is to crop a standard screenshot to show only the open window. Then, you can remove almost all the unnecessary parts, such as toolbars, desktop icons, backgrounds, and more. There are three different ways to do this: applying the Crop/Pad filter, using the Edit/Transform function, or with Crop ALT.

How to crop a window in OBS on Mac or Windows PC

To get started, you can use the Edit/Transform feature to crop a window capture. This is what you should do:

1. Scroll down to the “Sources” box and right-click on Screenshot. From the pop-up menu, choose “Transform” and then click “Edit Transformation.”
   
2. A new window will appear. If necessary, press “Reset” to reconfigure the source settings.
   
3. Enter the appropriate width in the field marked “Crop: Right.” The height field is labeled “Crop: Bottom.” If you don’t know how many pixels you need to crop, try subtracting the window size from the monitor’s overall aspect ratio.
   
4. Once you’re done, close the window and go to “Settings.” Open the “Video” tab and set the canvas resolution to match the window capture.
   

Finally, you can crop a window capture the old-fashioned way: using the cursor. There is a nifty command that allows you to manually change the screenshot size in OBS. It is probably the simplest method of the four. Simply follow these steps and you can crop or stretch the capture to your liking:

1. Select the Screenshot source with the cursor. You will see a red outline with several small red dots placed on the top, bottom, sides, and corners.
   
2. Hover over the red dots and press “Command.” For Windows and Linux users, press and hold the “ALT” key.
3. Left click and move the red circles while holding down the key to crop the screenshot.
   

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While Window Capture has its restrictions, it can still be quite useful. For example, if you just want to screencast a single window without any additional content, the feature works great. Plus, it will save you the hassle of editing and resizing the screenshot, which is very convenient. So, here’s how to take a window capture in OBS Studio:

1. Open OBS and scroll down to the “Sources” box.
   
2. In the lower left corner of the box, click the small “+” button. Next, select “Screenshot” from the pop-up menu.
   
3. A small pop-up window will appear. Name the font by typing in the appropriate field and click “OK.”
   
4. Next to “Window” on the left side, click the small down arrow to access a drop-down list. Select the window you want to capture from the list.
   
5. Make sure you check the box that says “Capture Cursor.” Otherwise, your cursor will remain hidden during recording. Press “OK.”
   
6. If the window capture is not the same size as the screen, go to “Settings”.
   
7. Open the “Video” tab and set the Base Resolution to a lower value. It will shrink the canvas to fit the window capture.
   

Please note that the window you want to capture cannot be minimized. You can run it in the background, but it must be open for it to appear in the list of available windows.

If you are not satisfied with the screenshot of a single window, you can use Display Capture as the source and crop the extra parts. OBS Studio has a built-in crop filter that is very easy to use. Here’s how to do it:

1. Launch the OBS Studio app and scroll down to the “Sources” box. Right-click to access a pop-up menu of options. Select “Add” and then click “Screenshot” as the source.
   
2. A small pop-up box will appear. Name the font and then click “OK.”
   
3. If you have more than one monitor, you must select it manually. Scroll to the “Display” bar and click the small down arrow on the right side. Choose the monitor from the drop-down list.
4. Be sure to check the “Capture Cursor” box before pressing “OK.”
   
5. Scroll down to the “Sources” box and right-click to access a pop-up menu. From the list of options, choose “Filters.”
   
6. A pop-up window will appear. Click the small “+” button in the lower left corner. Find the “Crop/Fill” filter in the list and click on it. Press “OK” to apply.
   
7. Change the cropping parameters according to your needs. Then, in the corresponding fields, enter the pixel values ​​you want for the capture. Once you’re done, click “Close.”
   

Once you’re done, the OBS window and canvas should be perfectly aligned.

Additional FAQs

Why isn’t OBS window capture working?

OBS Studio is equally susceptible to errors and occasional crashes, just like other streaming programs. However, the most common problem faced by Windows users is the black screen error. There are several reasons why this can happen. To name a few:

• You kept your computer on for too long.

• The version of OBS Studio you have is incompatible.

• You have not downloaded the latest framework.

• OBS Studio does not have administrative privileges.

• There is a problem with the graphics card.

As you can see, you can fix most of these problems by simply reinstalling the app or power cycling your computer. However, if the error is due to interfering graphics, some more advanced troubleshooting measures are required.

Incompatible GPU and interfering graphics are usually the root cause of black screen error, especially on laptops with multiple graphics adapters. Luckily, there is a way to fix it. Just be sure to follow these steps carefully since you will be handling the processor:

1. Right-click anywhere on the screen to access a drop-down menu.

2. From the list of options, choose “NVIDIA Control Panel”.

3. Click the “3D Settings” menu to expand it.

4. From the drop-down list, select “Manage 3D Settings” and then click “Program Settings”.

5. Find OBS Studio in the list of programs and select it.

6. Next, set the preferred GPU to “Integrated Graphics”. Finally, select “Apply” to save the changes.

7. Once you are done, reopen OBS and check if the error has been fixed.

If something else comes up

OBS Studio is very popular precisely because of its optimized interface. While particular features like Window Capture have their limits, they are still quite useful. Additionally, there is a wide range of alternative solutions that you can turn to.

You can use various cropping tools and functions to resize a screenshot to fit a single window. There is also a third-party utility application that is available for free. The problem is that it only works with Windows PCs. And even if an error or crash occurs, simply reinstalling the app or switching to a different GPU will be enough.

Do you use OBS Studio for streaming and screen recording? What is your preferred trimming method? Comment below and tell us if there is another way to crop a window capture in OBS.