Each Operation System requires to have a simple technique for users to take screenshots, which can then be utilized for a range of functions, such as for how-to guides, discussions, and so on. macOS has a lot of faster ways that permit you to rapidly catch screenshots of the whole screen, a defined part, or a particular window.

All screenshots are conserved in a PNG format by default, however you can select to alter the default format of the screenshots depending upon your requirements. We’ll reveal you how to tailor the file format, conserve location, and more for your Mac screenshots listed below.

How to Change the Image Format for Mac Screenshots

PNG is a really helpful format for screenshots that protects the file quality (specifically for text screenshots). A disadvantage of the format is that files tend to be larger than the other formats (like JPG), which might not be convenient for those who wish to publish their screenshots to the web. Some individuals likewise choose JPG declare the ease of opening them in more applications.

You can quickly alter the format of an image after taking it if you’re familiar with image-editing software application. Nevertheless, this can be rather time taking in if you have a lot of files. It makes more sense to alter the initial format in which the images are conserved so that all your screenshots are taken in your favored format.

We’ll be utilizing Terminal to alter the default file format for screenshots in macOS. You can open Terminal from Finder > Applications > Utilities or by looking for it with Spotlight.

In Terminal, enter the following line of code and press Enter to change the screenshot format.

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type JPG;killall SystemUIServer

This command will change the default screenshot format from PNG to JPG in macOS, and your menu bar will refresh itself. You’ll now notice that all new screenshots will now be saved in the JPG format instead of on your Desktop.

If you want to change the screenshot format to something other than JPG, you can do so using the same command above. Just replace JPG with your desired format (such as GIF). The supported image formats are JPG, PDF, GIF, TIF, BMP, PNG, and a couple of others that are less common.

How to Change the Destination for Mac Screenshots

Mac screenshots are automatically saved on the Desktop. This is usually great, unless making screenshots is a staple of your job, like mine. In this case, it’s much better for the screenshots to be saved in a folder within a pre-defined location, rather than cluttering the desktop.

To change the destination folder for a screenshot, press Cmd + Shift + 5 on your keyboard, which should open the Screenshot Tool. From here, click on Options, and choose the location you want to use to save your screenshots.

How to Remove Shadows From Window Screenshots

By pressing Cmd + Shift + 4 then hitting Space, you can automatically grab a screenshot of an entire app window and its shadow. It looks very pretty, but the image won’t save well in JPG because of the shadow’s transparency.

Without the shadow, the image is more clean-cut and it can be saved as a JPG. It also saves you a lot of time from cropping.

To get rid of the shadow and only capture the window, you can use the shortcut Cmd + Shift + 4. However, after pressing Space to take the screenshot of a window, hold the Option button when you click the screenshot. This will capture the window only without the shadow.

How to Save an Existing Screenshot as JPG on Macnge Mac Screenshot Filenames

If you’ve taken a specific screenshot and just want to save it as a JPG instead of changing the default screenshot format, you can choose to edit the one image only. This is fairly easy and can be achieved using Preview. To do this:

1. Open the screenshot you want to change the format for in Preview.
2. From the top menu, select File > Export.
3. Choose the file format and quality you want to save it as, such as JPEG (another name for JPG files). You can also choose to rename the file or change the file location if you want.