Photo: "Laptop and lamp on table (Unsplash)" via Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Edited: crop, gradient, text.
When people browse a launch site, they look at your product screenshots before they read a single word. A good image makes them stop. A messy one makes them scroll on. Here are seven simple rules I use for product screenshots, plus a quick list of mistakes to avoid.
Most launch sites and directories show a grid of products. Each one gets a small card with a logo, a tagline and one or two images. People decide in a second or two. Your screenshot is doing most of the selling in that moment.
It also helps after the click. A clear gallery answers "what does it look like?" without making anyone sign up first.
Pick the screen that shows the result, not the setup. For a budget app, that's the chart of where money went, not the login page or the settings menu.
Empty tables and "Lorem ipsum" look unfinished. Use believable names and numbers that you made up for the demo, and never show real customer details.
Hide browser tabs, bookmarks and your desktop. Crop close to the part that matters. If the useful bit is a small panel, zoom in on it.
A few words on or under the image helps a lot: "See every invoice in one place." Keep it to one idea per image.
Many launch sites crop to a wide shape, often close to 16:9. Make your images at least 1270 pixels wide so they stay sharp, and keep text away from the edges in case they get cut.
Use the same background color, frame and font on every image. A matching set looks more trustworthy than five random screenshots.
Shrink your first image to the size of a phone screen card. If you can't tell what the product does, simplify it.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Show the main result first | Start with a login or loading screen |
| Use 3 to 5 focused images | Upload 12 near-identical shots |
| Write one-line captions | Fill the image with long text |
| Use made-up demo data | Show real emails or customer names |
| Update images after big changes | Keep old screens of features you removed |
Once you have a good set, reuse it everywhere you list your product. Each launch site has its own image rules, so read their size notes before you upload. If you're looking for a free place to start, PeekLaunch is a free Product Hunt alternative where you can list a product with a gallery and get early feedback. You can see how a simple listing looks on pages like Turbo0 and PeerPush.
Keep your product screenshots in one folder with the sizes in the file names. Next time you launch somewhere new, it takes five minutes instead of an hour.
Three to five is enough for most launch pages. One for the main result, one or two for key features, and one for something people often ask about.
They can look nice, but they make the actual screen smaller. Use a frame only if your screen still reads clearly at thumbnail size.
Add one if the site allows it, but keep still images too. Many people browse with sound off and never press play.