Change save location / file format for Mac Screenshots

First of all, you need to open Terminal:

  1. Go to your Applications folder.
  2. Open the Utilities folder.
  3. Open the Terminal application.
  4. Enter the following lines into Terminal depending on what setting you wish to change:

To change the save location
Enter the following line into Terminal, replacing with your location and press Enter:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location <folder>
(Where folder is the save location – e.g. ~/Pictures for your pictures folder.)

Make sure to Log Out and log back in for changes to take effect.

To change the file type
Enter the following line into Terminal and press Enter:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg

You can use any of the following file formats:

  • bmp
  • gif
  • jpg
  • pdf
  • png
  • tiff

Apply your new settings
Enter the following line into Terminal and press Enter:
killall SystemUIServer

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