How to Change the Default Screenshot File Format in macOS

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The default file format for macOS screenshots is .PNG, but that may wind up being more of a nuisance than you'd prefer. That's why I set my MacBook to take screenshots as JPGs, as those are better for our websites.

Here's how to change the default format for your Mac screenshots:

1. Hit Command+Space to open Spotlight.

2. Type "terminal" and select Terminal.

3. Ignoring the quotation marks, type "defaults write com.apple.screencapture type " followed by the desired file format. Your options are JPG, TIFF, GIF, PDF and PNG. Make sure to enter a space between 'location' and the format.

4. Click Enter.

Now, your screenshots will appear in this format. If they do not, restart your mac and they will.

macOS Guide

Henry T. Casey

Henry was a contributing writer at Laptop Mag. He penned hundreds of articles, including helpful how-tos for Windows, Mac, and Gmail. Henry has also written about some of the best Chromebooks, and he has reviewed many Apple devices, including various MacBook Air laptops. He is now a managing editor at our sister site Tom's Guide, covering streaming media, laptops, and all things Apple.