The trick requires the use of Terminal, which issues a command that tells the Mac to change the screenshot file format to .jpg. This tutorial walks you through the process.

Changing the Screenshot File Format on a Mac

Launch Terminal on your Mac by opening Spotlight and searching for and clicking on “Terminal.”

Changing the Screenshot Format to JPG

The most common photo file type is JPEG, also known as JPG. To change the default screenshot format from PNG to JPG, type the following command into Terminal and press Enter: Try capturing a screenshot using the Command + Shift + 3 combo. You should see the screenshot saved in the JPG format instead of PNG.

Changing the Screenshot Format to GIF

GIF images are usually low-quality images that do not retain the full quality of the image that was captured. It’s a good option if the little details of the image aren’t important.

Changing the Screenshot Format to TIFF

TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format. It’s a format usually saved for high-quality images. To make your screenshots use this format, use the following command:

Changing the Screenshot Format to PDF

PDF is usually used for documents. You can have your screenshots saved to this format using the below command:

Reverting to the Original Screenshot File Format

If you tried all of the above file formats but nothing seemed to work as great as the default PNG format, you can revert back to PNG as the default by running the following command in Terminal, just as explained above.

Using the Preview App to Change the Screenshot File Format

To change a screenshot’s file format using the Preview app, follow the instructions below:

Change the Screenshot File Format Using a Third-Party App

Looking for a straightforward solution or a more intuitive workflow? You can download a number of free photo converter apps to take advantage of user-friendly interfaces that will quickly convert your PNG screenshots to JPG photos. Follow the steps below to use the Pixillion Image Converter software to change the file format.

PhotoConvert 5 (free trial, $9.99 USD)BatchPhoto (free trial, $29.95 USD)IMT Image Converter (free trial, $19.95 USD)Graphic Converter for Mac ($19.95 USD)

Image credit: Unsplash All screenshots taken by Brahm Shank