Import and toolbar

Start from the empty editor, grant photo access, and open the main editing surfaces.

Shotwell starts on an empty editor. After you import an image, the toolbar becomes the main place you switch between editing tasks.

Start from the empty editor

From the empty editor, Shotwell can show these entry points:

Entry point	What it does
`Select a photo`	Opens your photo library to pick any image
`Import latest screenshot`	Loads the newest screenshot directly when a compatible recent-screenshot handoff is available
Recent screenshots rail	Lets you swipe through recent supported screenshots from the empty state

What to know

If Shotwell cannot frame the recent screenshots it finds, you can still import the latest screenshot without a frame preview.
Recent framed previews are currently aimed at supported iPhone screenshots.
If no recent screenshots are available, use the photo picker instead.

Photo Library access

On first use, Shotwell can ask for Photo Library access.

State	Result
Permission not decided yet	Shotwell can show a Photo Library onboarding card
Permission granted or limited	You can pick photos and browse recent screenshots that Shotwell can read
Permission denied	Use the system settings path to re-enable access

Granting access improves photo picking and recent screenshot discovery. If access stays denied, import flows may appear limited or unavailable.

Main tabs after an image is loaded

Tab	Purpose	Availability
`Adjust`	Composition controls such as ratio, crop, position, background, and frame	Requires an imported image
`Tune`	Quick polish controls such as padding, shadow, corners, inset, and stroke	Requires an imported image
`Presets`	Style preset library	Requires an imported image
`History`	Recent edit versions from this device	Always available

Toolbar and gallery destinations

From the toolbar and its related galleries, you can open:

Category	Destinations
Composition	`ratio`, `crop`, `position`, `frame`
Backgrounds	`color`, `gradient`, `image`
Style memory	`history`, `style presets`
Utility screens	`settings`, `about`, and `Shotwell Pro` when billing is enabled

Overflow and context actions

Shotwell also exposes utility actions around the editor flow:

New Image starts a replacement import flow.
Clear removes styling from the current image.
Appearance changes theme mode.
Settings and About open app-level screens.

Availability rules

Adjust, Tune, and Presets stay disabled until an image is loaded.
History stays available so you can restore a local edit without importing a new image first.
Some controls change when a frame is active. For example, a few quick tune controls become unavailable until the frame is removed.

[Canvas

Canvas-level controls for ratio, crop, position, transforms, and background setup.](/content/docs/transformations-and-limits/index.html) [Action menu

Export actions, defaults, Pro behavior, and output constraints.](/content/docs/workflows/export-and-share/index.html)