Quick Tip: LittleSnapper library synchronization

I’ve been using LittleSnapper for a while now, it’s a great little app for keeping a library of screenshots and inspiration on the web. I find myself using it everyday as I surf the web, and as a designer it’s become an invaluable resource to me.

One of it’s failings (for now, anyway) is that there is no method for synchronizing between computers. Why is this an issue? Well, in my case I use LittleSnapper both at home and at work and I would like to keep one comprehensive library between the two.

Recently, LittleSnapper’s developers – Realmac Software – launched Ember, an online image-sharing site to share design inspiration, and it neatly partners with LittleSnapper to allow you to directly upload from your library. But, again, there is no synchronisation. I have to manually add the images I uploaded to Ember to my other LittleSnapper library. Surely there’s a better way?

A single library with Dropbox

The solution to this is fairly simple. Use Dropbox.

Dropbox is a fantastic service allowing you to keep anything in your Dropbox folder syncronized between however many computers you choose, via the web, and all done automatically.

Using this service, syncronising your LittleSnapper library becomes very easy. All you have to do is have one library and keep it in your Dropbox.

How to do it

The steps are very simple and should take less than 2 minutes:

If you haven’t already got a Dropbox account, get one here. You’ll wonder how you did without it!
Open the Preferences pane in LittleSnapper, and select the ‘Advanced’ tab.
Click on ‘Relocate’ and select your Dropbox folder. This will move your library to Dropbox.
That’s it! From now on, any new additions to your LittleSnapper library will automatically be saved and synchronized immediately. When you open LittleSnapper from another computer all your screengrabs will be there.