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How to Change Screen Shot Format on Mac (PNG to JPG)
macOS saves screenshots as PNG by default. Here is the Terminal command to switch them to JPG to save space.
PNG files are high quality but can be very large. If you take dozens of screenshots, your storage will fill up fast.
1. Using the Terminal
- Open Terminal (Cmd + Space, type Terminal).
- Copy and paste this command:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg - Press Enter.
- To apply the changes, type:
killall SystemUIServer - Press Enter.
2. Why use JPG?
JPG files are significantly smaller and easier to upload to websites or send via email when absolute detail isn’t required.
3. Switching Back to PNG
If you want the high-quality files back, simply repeat the process but use png at the end of the command instead of jpg.
S
ScreenShotHow Team
Expert Guide Author