10 Oct 2023 Macbooks

Mac Screenshot Format: Change PNG to JPEG, GIF or PDF

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Mac screenshots default to PNG format, but you can change this by running a Terminal command: type "defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpeg" and press Enter, then log out and back in. Replace "jpeg" with "gif", "pdf", or "png" to switch formats. The change takes effect after restarting SystemUIServer or logging out.

CloudScale AI SEO - Article Summary

1.
What it is
This article explains how to change the default file format of macOS screenshots from PNG to other formats like JPEG, GIF, or PDF using Terminal commands.
2.
Why it matters
PNG screenshots don't display properly in some applications like WhatsApp, and other formats may be more suitable for different use cases or file size requirements.
3.
Key takeaway
You can customize your Mac's screenshot format by running simple Terminal commands to better suit your workflow and app compatibility needs.

There are a few things that I tweak when I get a new Macbook, one of which is the screenshot format (mainly because it doesnt natively render in Whatsapp). So I thought I would share the code snippet that you can run in Terminal to alter the default image type of your screenshots:

For JPEG use:

$ defaults write com.apple.screencapture type JPG

For GIF use:

$ defaults write com.apple.screencapture type GIF

For PDF use:

$ defaults write com.apple.screencapture type PDF

For PNG use:

$ defaults write com.apple.screencapture type PNG