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On GNU/Linux, the simplest supported method is Python MSS with with_cursor=True when you create the capture object. MSS can still disable that setting when the current display backend cannot provide a pointer image, so inspect sct.with_cursor and verify the saved file. On Windows and macOS, MSS documents screenshot capture but not cursor inclusion; use a manual cursor overlay or a platform-specific capture method instead.
Capture a cursor-bearing screenshot with MSS on GNU/Linux
Install MSS and Pillow in the environment that will run the script:
python -m pip install mss pillowThen request the cursor while constructing MSS:
from mss import MSS
with MSS(with_cursor=True) as sct:
print("Cursor requested:", sct.with_cursor)
shot = sct.grab(sct.primary_monitor)
shot.to_pil().save("screenshot.png")primary_monitor captures the primary display. The returned MSS image can be converted to a Pillow image with to_pil() and saved as PNG, JPEG, or another Pillow-supported format. The important detail is that with_cursor must be supplied at object creation; MSS does not support changing it afterward.
A printed value of True means the option remains enabled, not that every resulting image is guaranteed to contain a visible pointer. Move the pointer to a conspicuous location before capturing and inspect screenshot.png on the target desktop.
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Capture a selected region
MSS accepts a monitor description or a dictionary containing screen coordinates. The coordinates below capture an 800 × 600 rectangle whose top-left corner is at (100, 100):
from mss import MSS
region = {"left": 100, "top": 100, "width": 800, "height": 600}
with MSS(with_cursor=True) as sct:
print("Cursor requested:", sct.with_cursor)
image = sct.grab(region).to_pil()
image.save("region.png")If the pointer is outside the rectangle, it cannot appear in the cropped output. A pointer near an edge can also be clipped by the region, depending on the cursor image and hotspot.
What works on each operating system
| Approach | GNU/Linux | Windows | macOS | Cursor behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
MSS with with_cursor=True |
Documented native option | Not documented as supported | Not documented as supported | MSS may disable the option when unavailable |
Pillow ImageGrab.grab() |
Captures the display when its backend works; may need gnome-screenshot, grim, or spectacle fallback commands |
Captures the screen or bounding box | Captures the screen or bounding box; Retina output is 2× by default | No documented cursor parameter |
PyAutoGUI screenshot() |
Captures a screen or region where its screenshot backend is available | Captures a screen or region | Captures a screen or region | No documented cursor parameter |
| Manual overlay | Works when you can obtain a pointer position and cursor image | Works with an appropriate position API and cursor asset | Works with an appropriate position API and cursor asset | You composite a cursor PNG after capture |
The documented MSS cursor switch is explicitly GNU/Linux-only. Do not assume that passing with_cursor=True on Windows or macOS adds the pointer. Pillow ImageGrab and PyAutoGUI document capture and region arguments, but their inspected screenshot APIs do not expose a cursor-inclusion argument.
Why the pointer is missing
The backend cannot provide cursor data
MSS can turn off cursor capture during object creation if the current circumstances do not support it. Check sct.with_cursor immediately after construction and test a real image. A successful call to grab() only proves that pixels were captured.
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You are on Windows or macOS
MSS’s documented cursor option does not promise pointer capture on those systems. Use the overlay approach below, or a native operating-system capture API that explicitly includes the pointer.
The pointer is outside the crop
For a region capture, compare the pointer’s desktop coordinates with the region bounds. A full-screen capture is a useful diagnostic: if the pointer appears there but not in the crop, the issue is coordinate selection rather than MSS.
Display scaling changes the coordinate space
Desktop pointer coordinates and image pixels are not always one-to-one. macOS Retina captures are documented as 2× by default in Pillow; scale_down=True requests 1× output. Multi-monitor layouts can also have negative origins or different scale factors. Treat the saved image’s dimensions as authoritative and validate placement at every supported scaling configuration.
The cursor blends into the image
Move it over a dark and then a light area and inspect the file at 100 percent. Hardware cursors can have an outline or shadow that is difficult to notice in a thumbnail.
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Adding a cursor after capture
When the capture library omits the pointer, a practical implementation is to obtain the pointer position, capture the screen, and composite a cursor PNG at that position. This is an application technique, not a built-in guarantee of Pillow or PyAutoGUI.
- Read the pointer position immediately before the screenshot.
- Capture the full display or the desired region.
- Convert desktop coordinates to image coordinates. For a crop, subtract the region’s
leftandtopvalues. - Apply the display-scale conversion used by the capture backend, such as the Retina factor.
- Paste a cursor image with transparency at the cursor hotspot. The hotspot is the point on the cursor graphic that actually touches the screen.
- Save and inspect the result on each operating system, backend, monitor arrangement, and scaling setting.
Use a cursor asset whose shape matches the pointer you are documenting. A generic arrow can be misleading when the real pointer is a text beam, resize handle, or busy indicator. If you need the exact system cursor, obtain it through a platform-specific API rather than assuming a standard PNG.
Conceptually, the placement for a cropped image is:
image_x = (pointer_x - region_left) * scale_x
image_y = (pointer_y - region_top) * scale_yThat formula is only correct when the pointer and screenshot use the same desktop coordinate system and the scale factors are known. Test multi-monitor origins, fractional scaling, and cursor positions near every crop edge.
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Pillow and PyAutoGUI alternatives
Pillow ImageGrab
ImageGrab.grab() captures the screen or a bounding box, but its documented signature has no cursor-inclusion option. On Linux, Pillow documents fallback commands including gnome-screenshot, grim, and spectacle when the default X11 display does not produce an image. Those fallbacks do not establish cursor capture; you still need to inspect the output or add an overlay.
PyAutoGUI
pyautogui.screenshot() returns a Pillow image, can write to a filename, and accepts a region. Its documentation does not list a cursor argument. PyAutoGUI gives an illustrative estimate of roughly 100 milliseconds for a 1920 × 1080 screenshot; that is documentation context, not a cross-library benchmark or a guarantee for your machine.
Reliability and performance considerations
- Capture only what you need: a region reduces memory and encoding work, but increases coordinate-mapping risk.
- Reuse one MSS object: create it once for a sequence of captures instead of repeatedly initializing the backend.
- Use lossless output for documentation: PNG preserves cursor edges; JPEG can introduce halos around transparent or high-contrast cursor pixels.
- Synchronize moving content: pause animations or wait for the UI state you want before reading the pointer and capturing.
- Validate files automatically: check that the output exists, has expected dimensions, and can be opened by Pillow; visual cursor verification remains necessary.
- Account for permissions and sessions: headless Linux sessions, remote desktops, Wayland/X11 differences, and locked screens can change what a backend can see.
Troubleshooting checklist
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
sct.with_cursor is False |
The backend or current desktop cannot supply a cursor | Use a supported GNU/Linux session, or switch to a manual overlay and test the output |
| Screenshot saves but has no pointer | Unsupported platform, pointer outside crop, or cursor blends into the background | Try a full-screen capture, move the pointer to high contrast, then inspect at 100 percent |
| Overlay is offset | Crop origin, scaling, or monitor origin was ignored | Subtract region offsets and apply the same scale used by the screenshot image |
| Overlay points from the wrong spot | Cursor PNG hotspot does not match its visual tip | Choose or edit an asset whose hotspot corresponds to the actual pointer location |
| Linux capture is blank | Display backend cannot read the current session | Check the active display/session and the documented Pillow fallback commands; then verify the resulting image |
| Retina image is twice the expected size | Pillow’s documented macOS default is 2× output | Use scale_down=True when 1× dimensions are required, and adjust overlay coordinates accordingly |
Or skip the browser setup
If what you actually need is a screenshot of a web page rather than your desktop pointer, ScreenshotNeo captures the page through one HTTP request. It is not a replacement for a desktop screenshot with a live OS cursor, but it avoids installing a browser automation stack for web captures.
See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for all options. A basic request is:
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import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
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FAQ
Can MSS add the cursor after the object is created?
No. Set with_cursor=True in the constructor; the documented property cannot be changed afterward.
Will a cursor appear in a ScreenshotNeo image?
ScreenshotNeo captures web pages, not your local desktop pointer. Use MSS or a desktop overlay when the OS cursor itself must be visible.
Should I use PNG or JPEG?
PNG is generally preferable for a cursor overlay because it preserves sharp edges and transparency. Choose JPEG only when its smaller files and compression artifacts are acceptable.
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