How to change the format of screenshot files on systems macOS (JPG, PDF, PNG)

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By default, when you take a screenshot, it is saved in transparent PNG format. If you need a different format, PDF, JPG or GIF, in this tutorial you learn how to change the format of screenshot files on systems macOS.

In a tutorial written on Stealth Settings is a tutorial where you see how you can set key combinations (keyboard shortcuts) to capture the entire screen or a specific portion of the screen.

Both on iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones, screenshots are saved in .PNG format. An image that is very clear and can be processed in high quality. Many times, however, we don't need the quality and properties of .PNG, and it would help us more if screenshots could be automatically saved in .JPG format. On a MacBook Pro 13”, for example, a screenshot in .PNG format is larger in volume (no. of MB) than one in .JPG format.

The difference in quality between the two being almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

Screen Shot JPG – 146 KB / Screen Shot PNG - 1.2 MB

How to change the format of screenshot files on systems macOS (JPG, PDF, PNG)
How to change the format of screenshot files on systems macOS (JPG, PDF, PNG)

The difference between the two images is imperceptible to the naked eye.

How to change the format of screenshot files on systems macOS (JPG, PDF, PNG)

To change the format of screenshot files on systems macOS (JPG, PDF, PNG, GIF), open the utility Terminal then run the command line for each format separately.

How you can take a screenshot in .JPG format:

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

How you can take a screenshot in .GIF format

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

How you can screenshot in .PDF format

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

How you can take a screenshot in .TIFF format

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

In this way you have seen how easily you can change the format of screenshot files on systems macOS.

You can always go back to the format PNG for screenshots by running the command line:

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

We could not say which format is appropriate to use, because each has its own specifics and is used for various purposes. If we need a screenshot of an application and want to put the capture on a website, it is recommended that it be .JPG. Set .TIFF or .PDF only if you want to print the screenshot.

TIFF is a high-volume format dedicated to printing, while PDF is specific to electronic documents that can be printed.

Unfortunately, for the .JPG format we don't have a command line in Terminal through which we can determine the quality of the saved image. Most likely, JPG screenshots are saved at 80% quality, the application's default "Export" value Preview.

I am happy to share my experiences in the field of computers, mobile phones and operating systems, to develop web projects and to bring the most useful tutorials and advice. I like to "play" on the iPhone, MacBook Pro, iPad, AirPort Extreme and on operating systems macOS, iOS, Android and Windows.

3 thoughts on “How to change the format of screenshot files on systems macOS (JPG, PDF, PNG)"

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