How To Change the Default Screenshot Location and Format on a Mac

Changing the default screenshot location on your Mac can help declutter your desktop and find your Mac screenshots quickly.

Can your Mac change the screenshot location? Absolutely! The same goes for the default screenshot format, unlocking more possibilities like higher quality, saved space, and seamless sharing or printing.

Let's see where your Mac saves screenshots, their default format, how to change both and leverage other settings, and the drawbacks of using the default Screenshot app.

What Is the Default Screenshot Location on a Mac?

Your Mac saves screenshots to the desktop by default. Regardless of your macOS version, that's where all your screen captures appear.

However, the more screenshots you take, the more you clutter your desktop. Your screen becomes unsightly, and finding specific captures becomes challenging.

That's why changing your screenshot location is helpful. You can place screenshots in a dedicated folder, which may or may not be on your desktop. That enables you to organize and locate them faster.

What Is the Default Screenshot Format on a Mac?

The default Mac screenshot format is PNG. However, macOS lets you change it to JPEG, HEIC, GIF, PDF, or TIFF. JPEG 2000 is also available on macOS Mojave and older.

Why would you want to change the default screenshot format? Well, PNG files take up significant space. JPEG images have smaller sizes and are perfect for online sharing since most platforms (e.g., blogs and social media) support them. Their JPEG 2000 counterparts have higher compression ratios, ideal for sharper, more detailed pictures.

You can also save screenshots as HEIC (High-Efficiency Image Container) files, Apple's take on the HEIF (High-Efficiency Image Format). It's perfect for smaller images (taking up half the space of JPEG pictures) with superior quality and vibrant colors. However, only some platforms and devices support it.

GIF files are excellent for logos, ad banners, icons, buttons, animations, and other web graphics because of lossless compression and small sizes. TIFF images are best for professional photography and printing, offering the highest quality but taking up considerable space.

Finally, you can save screenshots as PDF files to password-protect them before sharing or make them more printer-friendly without sacrificing quality.

You may also be interested in: how to record GIFs on a Mac

How To Change the Screenshot Location on a Mac

Changing the screenshot location on your Mac is as straightforward as taking screenshots. Here's what to do if you have macOS Mojave or newer:

1. Launch the Screenshot app using the Shift + Command + 5 keyboard shortcut and click Options.

   

2. You'll see six presets: Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, and Preview. Choose any of those or click Other Location to select another folder.

   

3. Pick any folder on your Mac (or create a new one) and click Choose. Your future screenshots will now be in that location.

   

How To Change the Screenshot Location on a Mac via Terminal

If your Mac runs on macOS High Sierra or older, you don't have the new Screenshot app but can change your default screenshot save location in the Mac Terminal. Here's how:

1. Launch Terminal and type the following command: defaults write.com.apple screencapture location. However, don't run it yet; only hit the Spacebar.

   

2. Find the folder where you wish to save new screenshots (or create a new one) and drag and drop it into Terminal. Its path will appear next to the command, saving you the trouble of typing it. Hit Return to run the command.

   

3. Run this command to apply the change: killall SystemUIServer.

   

How To Change the Screenshot Format on a Mac

You can change the screenshot format on your Mac for all or individual files. Terminal is your only option if you don't want to save screenshots as PNG images by default.

However, you can use the Preview app to take screenshots and change their format before saving them. That way, the Screenshot app continues making PNG captures, while Preview lets you choose anything else for individual images.

Change the Default Screenshot Format in Terminal

Here's how to change the default Mac screenshot format in Terminal:

1. Launch Terminal on your Mac.
2. Run this combined command: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type.jpg; killall SystemUIServer. You can use heic, gif, pdf, or tiff instead of jpg. You can also use a double ampersand (&&) instead of a semicolon to execute the two commands.

   

Change the Format for Individual Screenshots in Preview

Here's how to take screenshots in Preview and change their format:

1. Launch Preview, click File > Take Screenshot, and choose the desired option. You can make a custom selection, capture your entire screen, or pick a specific window.

   

2. The Preview app will instantly display your screenshot. Go to File > Export or hit the red Close button in the top left corner to launch the Save dialog box. Name your screenshot, add a tag (optional), choose a location and format, and hit Save.

   

Other macOS Screenshot Settings to Know

The Screenshot app on your Mac goes beyond letting you change the location of your captures. Here are other helpful macOS screenshot settings:

• Timer - Setting a five-second or ten-second delay may be unnecessary for screenshots but can be ideal when recording. Speaking of which, you can also select your microphone to record your Mac screen with audio.
• Show a Floating Thumbnail - Every screenshot you take will appear as a thumbnail in the bottom right corner of your screen, disappearing after several seconds. It lets you open and edit it in Preview (or another app if you've changed the default image viewer) and access other options (more on those shortly).

• Remember the Last Selection - If you wish to take multiple screenshots of a specific area on your screen, this option will eliminate the need to select the desired portion repeatedly.
• Show the Mouse Pointer - Capturing the cursor when taking a screenshot can bring attention to the element you click, improving clarity. You'll see the Show Mouse Clicks option when recording, helping you highlight clicks to give better visual cues.

If you enable screenshot thumbnails, you can take the following actions:

• Click the thumbnail to open it in your default image viewer (the Preview app if you haven't changed it).
• Drag and drop the thumbnail into the Finder or a specific file (e.g., an email, message, document, etc.).
• Right-click or Control-click the thumbnail to show it in the Finder, edit it with Markup, move it to the Trash, and choose where to save (Desktop, Documents, or Clipboard) or open it (Mail, Messages, Preview, or Photos).

These are all excellent macOS screenshot settings, but are they enough? Should your Mac's default Screenshot app be your go-to option? Let's explore its shortcomings to help you decide.

Downsides of Using the Default Screenshot Tool on a Mac

The macOS Screenshot app serves its purpose well but has bare-bones functionality. Here are its most notable drawbacks:

• No editing tools - You can edit your screenshots in Preview or another app, but built-in editing capabilities would save more time. Third-party screenshot solutions have editing features, even more than the standard Markup options in Preview.
• No support for scrolling screenshots - One way to capture an entire webpage on a Mac using the default Screenshot app is to zoom out the page. Another involves taking multiple screenshots and stitching them together in Preview or another app. Fortunately, most third-party tools let you take scrolling screenshots on Mac.
• No cloud or social media integrations - Although not a deal-breaker, the built-in Screenshot app doesn't have sharing or cloud storage options. Its third-party counterparts do, letting you save your captures to the cloud or share them online without switching between apps.

These disadvantages may make many third-party screenshot solutions superior to your Mac's built-in tool. Their added features can be beneficial if you rely on screenshots daily to create tutorials or share other information.

Conclusion

Changing the default screenshot location on your Mac takes only a minute. You can use the Screenshot app or Terminal, but the latter is your only option if you have macOS High Sierra or older.

As for the screenshot format, you can change the default PNG to JPG, HEIC, GIF, PDF, or TIFF in Terminal or use the Preview app for individual captures.