HTML Environment makes it easy to demo desktop applications by using static images and gifs as screens. This approach is perfect for showcasing desktop apps, adding polished visuals to product tours, or incorporating the first slide from a pitch deck directly into a sales demo.
This guide walks you through how to add images and gifs as screens, control screen sizing, optimize your setup for the best viewing experience, and leverage hotspots to create interactive image-based demos.
Adding Images or Gifs as Screens
Adding images as screens allows you to create demos without needing to capture a live webpage or placeholder screen. This is especially helpful for desktop apps or slide-based demos.
How to Add an Image as a Screen
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Open the Screen Flow panel on the left and select the + button.
Choose “Add image as new screen.” Click Upload your image. Select the Image you want to use
3. Name your screen and choose your sizing options:
Scale width with screen size: stretches the image to match the screen width
Center image horizontally: centers the image on the canvas
Then click Upload.
4. After uploading, use the Auto-fit dropdown in the top-right corner to adjust how the image scales:
Fit to width – stretches the image across the full screen width
Auto-fit – shows the full image within the screen
Original – displays the image at its original dimensions
5. To control the width of the screen or the entire demo, use the Default Width dropdown instead. This allows you to scale the canvas/container or set a fixed width.
See our Screen Sizing Options article for more details.
Skipping Screen Capture
HTML Environment doesn’t require a captured screen to begin a demo. You can start a HTML Environment with only image-based screens, which is ideal for desktop apps that don’t run in a browser. This speeds up your workflow by removing the need for an initial placeholder capture.
Controlling Canvas and Screen Width
Both captured screens and uploaded images support Display Settings that help you control the viewer experience — especially on mobile and tablet devices.
How to Adjust Display Settings
Select the Default Width dropdown in the top-right corner of the Editor.
Leave the width as the original captured size, or select Custom Width and enter a pixel value.
Choose whether to apply this setting to this screen only or to the entire HTML Environment.
To revert back to the default width, reopen the dropdown and choose Default Width.
How width controls work:
If your app is responsive, the content will adapt within the container.
If it’s not responsive, HTML Environment will display the content at its original size.
For additional guidance, refer to our Screen Resolution Best Practices.
Best Practices for Screen Resolution
While HTML Environment can’t tell you exactly which resolution to capture in, the tips below will help you get a clean, consistent viewing experience.
1. Adjust Your Device’s Resolution Before Capturing
Set your computer to the resolution you want your demo to display at. Capture a few test screens and preview them in HTML Environment before you begin editing.
Guides:
2. Check Your HTML Environment Capture Width
You can quickly verify your capture resolution by setting the editor’s width to Default Width.
3. Know Your Customer’s Standard Screen Size
According to recent StatCounter data, the most common screen resolutions are:
1920×1080 (most common)
1366×768
1280×1024
1024×768
768×1024
Tools like Google’s Window Resizer help you size your browser or capture window correctly.
4. Avoid Capturing at Very Low Resolutions
Low-resolution captures can create poor customer viewing experiences, especially on mobile devices.
We strongly recommend adding fallback behavior to display a “screen too small” message when the viewer’s resolution is insufficient.
5. Optimizing for iFrames
If you plan to embed your HTML Environment in an iframe, capture screens at or near the iframe’s expected display size.
For example:
If your iframe is 1920×1080 → capture at 1920×1080
This avoids unnecessary stretching or shrinking.
Adding Hotspots to Image Screens
Hotspots allow you to make static images interactive by adding clickable areas, pulses, guides, or navigation links.
How to Add a Hotspot
Select the canvas or image where the hotspot will go.
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Editing icons will appear above the image or gif:
Link to another screen
Add a guide
Once added, you can layer guides on top of your image to walk users through static desktop content.
Summary
Using images as screens in HTML Environment provides a flexible, efficient way to create demos of desktop applications or slide-based flows. By choosing the right screen resolution, controlling your canvas width, and leveraging hotspots, you can create polished, interactive HTML Environments without capturing a live application.