Preparing your applications for screen recording

When recording your screen, knowing how to prepare the application you're going to display can dramatically improve the quality of your screen recording and streamline the editing process.

You might think this is just another thing to prepare. Fair enough! But the effort involved is minimal. These seemingly small steps collectively lead to a polished result and make editing much easier for you.

Optimal application setup

The process is straightforward and mirrors the guidelines from the 'preparing your screens' section: hide everything.

Attempt to hide every possible component that your application permits! This could include a toolbar, sidebar, status bar, or even using a presentation or distraction-free mode.

For my setup, I screen record one sizeable window that occupies most of the screen, with other elements hidden. The screen recording site’s background merges with my desktop's background, so I've opted for a simple white page for clarity in this example.

You might notice a slight buffer or margin around the application, which I prefer. To establish your preferred setup, I recommend reviewing other screencasts and determining what best fits your style.

I utilize a script to automatically adjust the window size. I press a button, and it resizes to full screen automatically. This is particularly useful when I’m about to start recording; one button press, and the window sizes appropriately.

This script is an AppleScript and will only function on a Mac computer:

-- The resolution of your screen
set screenWidth to 1280
set screenHeight to 720

-- Padding
set gutter to 12
-- Bottom padding
set bottomGutter to 35

tell application "System Events"
set appOfInterest to name of application processes whose frontmost is true

set currentApplication to item 1 of appOfInterest

-- Top left corner
set position of the first window of application process currentApplication to {gutter, gutter}
-- Size of the window
set size of the first window of application process currentApplication to {screenWidth - gutter - gutter, screenHeight - gutter - bottomGutter}
end tell

The key idea is to become familiar with the application you're showcasing and figure out the maximum amount of elements you can hide from the user interface.

Strategies for a distraction-free presentation

Preparing applications for screen recording varies depending on personal preferences, the application used, the operating system, and the need for multiple windows to be shown. If more than one window is required, plan their layout—side by side, stacked, or toggle between them.

Remember, the core principle is to display as little as necessary on the screen. This helps sustain focus and creates an engaging, informative screen recording experience.