Gradient background rounded shadow
Mat the screenshot on a gradient or solid color background, add white space, rounded corners, and soft shadows. These are the functions. The key is how to configure the parameters.
Leave nothing blank. The surrounding breathing space is the main source of this effect. If the pad is too crowded, it will be in vain. The rounded corners follow the interface style of the screenshot itself. The system window has rounded corners to begin with, so making the radius smaller makes it more coordinated, but imposing large rounded corners will look fake. The shadows should be soft, and the thick shadows should be cheap at first glance. The purpose is to make the screenshot slightly suspended, not to make it a three-dimensional photo frame.
The background and screenshot content should be separated. A light-colored interface should be paired with a darker background, and a dark mode should be paired with a light background or low-saturated gradient so that the border can stand up. If you choose a color similar to the main color of the screenshot for the background, the screenshot will sink in, so it’s better not to add it at all.
Product update instructions, interface diagrams in technical documents, and functional demonstrations in slides are all frequent users of this step. Export at original resolution without watermark.