BROWSER & DESKTOP VISUALS

Keep or remove the app sidebar in a screenshot?

Keep the sidebar when navigation context matters; crop it when it distracts from a focused feature. The choice depends on the image's job.

Put it into practice

  1. Decide whether the viewer needs to know where the feature lives.
  2. Compare a full-screen capture with a panel crop.
  3. Retain enough labeling to orient the reader.

What this looks like

WORKED EXAMPLE

A tutorial keeps Settings selected in the sidebar, while an ad focuses on the finished chart.

A detail to keep clear

Removing navigation can make a tutorial harder to follow even if the composition looks cleaner.

Using MockupX

Browser framing communicates that the image shows a web product. Choose the browser appearance and adjust image sizing in MockupX, but use the original screenshot to decide which content matters. Decorative browser chrome does not make the underlying interface interactive.

Check the result

Keep the original screenshot, then review the exported file at the size where people will see it. Check the message, the visible interface and the final crop separately. For a handoff, record the destination and the approved file so another person can distinguish the final version from a draft.

Try it in the editor ↗Explore the related tool or guide →

References and further reading

Use the official references for format behavior and current destination requirements. The composition advice above is a practical design approach, not a promise of platform approval.

MDN image formats