How to Take JPG Screenshots on a Mac

Nov 19, 2020

2 minutes

By default, Mac computers will automatically save the screenshots you take on your computer as a .png file. Many websites and software applications prefer to have images as .jpg, however.

Previously, you would have to open the screenshot in "Preview" and export it as a JPEG file. This is time consuming and messy.

In this guide, we'll show you how to make .jpg files the default screenshot file type for your Mac.

Mac computer

Howchoo is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you when you buy through our links.

In either "Finder" or the Mac search bar, search for "terminal" to easily access your Mac's terminal.

Double-click to open "Terminal."

Simply copy and paste the text below into your terminal, and press "enter" on your keyboard.

Save as JPG (JPEG)

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg

You can also change the default to other file types as well:

Save as PNG

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type png

Save as TIFF

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type tiff

Save as GIF

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type gif

Save as PDF

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type pdf

Now, by default, your screenshots will save as .jpg files!

NEXT UP

John (304)

Nov 19, 2020

1 minute

A CSV (Comma Separated Values) file is the default file format for importing and exporting data between various applications. The default file extension for a Google spreadsheet is .gsheet.