For those who have done screenshots for the MAS, is it better to use the app’s window only, or window with a desktop background?
Apple’s requirements:
One screenshot is required for Mac apps.
Up to four additional screenshots can be uploaded. Screenshots appear on the store in the order they were uploaded in iTunes Connect.
Screenshot requirements are:
72 dpi, RGB, flattened, no transparency
High-quality JPEG or PNG image file format in the RGB color space
16:10 aspect ratio
One of the following sizes:
1280 x 800 pixels
1440 x 900 pixels
2880 x 1800 pixels
Locked
Personally I don’t usually include the backdrop. I don’t like screenshots where I see a developer’s menu bar apps and other irrelevant things. Looks amateur to me. Nowadays I place my app window on a canvas and add explanatory text and other marketing around it. Apple used to frown on this but it’s quite the norm now.
Is really 72bpp the recommended setting? I have seen QR Creator before and screenshots were perfect. Now looks blury and would like appreciate to know what settings do you use.
I don’t have a Retina mac… will appreciate if some of Retina lucky owners can verify if the images looks good.
BTW, Pixelmator is the software I use for composing the images ( really recommended )
@Mark: App & a little bit of background image. I prefer white or something with low contrast.
@Amando: Looks ok as long as you’re using highest available resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels.
Another Alternative to Pixelmator might be Affintiy Designer. I am using this one more and more.
[quote=166413:@Mark Scardingo]For those who have done screenshots for the MAS, is it better to use the app’s window only, or window with a desktop background?
Apple’s requirements:
One screenshot is required for Mac apps.
Up to four additional screenshots can be uploaded. Screenshots appear on the store in the order they were uploaded in iTunes Connect.
Screenshot requirements are:
72 dpi, RGB, flattened, no transparency
High-quality JPEG or PNG image file format in the RGB color space
16:10 aspect ratio
One of the following sizes:
1280 x 800 pixels
1440 x 900 pixels
2880 x 1800 pixels
Locked[/quote]
You should consider the “screen shot” as a slide, more than the actual screen shot. If you look at screen shots in the MAS, you will notice that a lot of them look more like a presentation, with a window and some promotional text.
Best practice is to make your app look like it’s being used. I would say that includes the desktop background.
I try to include the menubar, but I clean up the right side of it.
I press CMD-CTRL-4 + space to get an screenshot copy of the window and paste it into Pixelmator, add a background and some color adjustments. Don’t really understand if there’s a better way to capture a Window and get better ppi or another way how to convert it to the highest resolution for MAS.
I use a Laptop ( 1680 x 1050 resolution ), not a Retina MBP. Don’t know if there is a tool or better way to get high-res screen captures. Any help more than welcome
I leave the status menu entries and the dock visible for many of my shots since it shows potential users (especially in the Film and TV industry) that we use the same apps and workflows that they use. So it’s no surprise to see the ScreenFlow, Avid and Adobe status menu bugs as well as the FCP X, Motion, Compressor, Media Composer, Logic X, Premier Pro, RED CineX, DaVinci Resolve, and After Effects icons in the dock in my shots. However, I do usually pick a solid background color instead of one of the recognizable Apple backgrounds; after all, I’m presenting my app, not Apple’s OS.
As Tim, Tomas, and Paul all mention - create shots that make your app look attractive to the potential customer and offer an idea of what it does.
You can change the screen shots when you feel like
Add as many as you can, up to five. Five is better
STUDY THE COMPETITION’S SCREEN SHOTS. Customers will usually compare. You want to make your little virtual glass window as attractive as possible. Copy what is good and work hard at showing how your app is better.
WORK WORK WORK on the description. Nothing is worse that a superb application and some stupid description like “Good windows” or some idiotic, insufficient and uninformative description. Try your best to describe in details every aspect of the software that screen shots don’t show. SELL your stuff. Cram your description with good reasons why the software is useful, and better.
WORK WORK WORK on having the best possible marketing web site to link to. Customers do visit. I verify it regularly. If you have an evaluation version, that is where they can download it. And since it is your web site, you can put a lot more information there. You never know what a customer may be interested in.
Make sure people can reach you to ask questions before they buy, especially if your app is not a $.99 disposableware. A decent mail form is a must, and you really want to reply right away. If you can supply a phone it is even better.
Quickly follow up on support requests. People expect a high level of support. This is Apple, is it not ? Don’t forget how easy it is for someone to post a nasty review and ruin your reputation. If they request a refund, don’t freak, tell them you can help only with technical, and direct them to Apple support, as Apple made the sale.
LISTEN to customer feedback. You will be surprised the kind of good suggestions you can get from customers.
Except on the Mac App Store, you have to release an update to do so! When Apple changed iTunes Connect, one of our apps had the screenshots in the wrong order. The only way we could get it corrected was to submit a new build, and go through the review process again!
I contacted iTunes Connect support, but they claimed they’re unable to do anything.
[quote=167023:@Sam Rowlands]Except on the Mac App Store, you have to release an update to do so! When Apple changed iTunes Connect, one of our apps had the screenshots in the wrong order. The only way we could get it corrected was to submit a new build, and go through the review process again!
I contacted iTunes Connect support, but they claimed they’re unable to do anything.[/quote]
I understand why (some nefarious game developers were changing their POS game to include screenshots of a better game), but it’s downright frustrating. They could at least have a screenshot change review, rather than having to submit a whole new build.
