# How to Change the Screenshot Format on Mac (JPG, PNG, HEIC)
> Mac screenshots are PNG files by default. Switch them to JPG or HEIC with one Terminal command, or pick PNG, JPEG, HEIC or TIFF in Snapix's Saving settings.
Published: 2026-10-22
Author: Elisei Nicolae
Source: https://snapix.app/tutorials/change-screenshot-format-mac/
---
Mac screenshots are PNG files by default. To save them as JPG instead, open Terminal and run `defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg` (use heic, tiff or pdf in place of jpg for those formats). In [Snapix](/), you pick the format from a menu in its settings: PNG, JPEG, HEIC, TIFF or Auto.
## How to change the screenshot format on Mac
macOS has no menu for JPG. On macOS Tahoe 26 or later, its Screenshot toolbar can switch between SDR (PNG) and HDR (HEIF) on supported Macs, and that's all. One Terminal command changes the format of the screenshots macOS takes with ⇧⌘3, ⇧⌘4 and ⇧⌘5.
1. **Open Terminal.** It's in **Applications ▸ Utilities**, or press ⌘Space and type Terminal.
2. **Run the command.** Type the line below and press Return. For other formats, replace jpg with heic, tiff, pdf or png.
```bash
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg
```
3. **Take a screenshot to check.** Press ⇧⌘4 and drag over part of the screen. The new file is saved as a JPG, on your Desktop unless you've moved your screenshots. If Snapix is using ⇧⌘4 on your Mac, take the test shot from the **Screenshot** app in **Applications ▸ Utilities** instead.
4. **Undo it any time.** To go back to PNG, run:
```bash
defaults delete com.apple.screencapture type
```
Older guides add a second command after the one in step 2. It does no harm, but it usually isn't needed anymore. If the next screenshot still comes out as a PNG, run it once:
```bash
killall SystemUIServer
```
## How to choose the screenshot format in Snapix
Snapix keeps its own format setting, so the Terminal command above doesn't change it. It saves PNG files until you pick something else.
1. **Open Snapix Settings.** Click the Snapix icon in the menu bar and choose **Settings…** from its menu.
2. **Click Saving** in the sidebar.
3. **Pick a File format.** Under **File**, choose **PNG**, **JPEG**, **HEIC** or **TIFF**. **Auto (PNG / JPEG)** decides for each screenshot.
4. **Set the Quality.** For JPEG, HEIC and Auto, a **Quality** slider appears. Drag it toward **Least** for smaller files or **Best** for sharper ones. It starts close to Best.
5. **Save a screenshot.** Hover the preview that appears after a capture and click **Save** (the first time, Snapix asks which folder to use), or turn on **Save every screenshot automatically** at the top of the same page.
Pick JPEG, HEIC or Auto and the Quality slider appears. The example under File name shows the new extension.
The format applies to every new screenshot file Snapix saves: the preview's **Save**, automatic saving, the editor's **Save as…** and a screenshot you drag into another app. Snapix names JPEG files .jpeg, not .jpg, as the **Example** line under **File name** shows. When Snapix saves your edits over a file that already exists, such as an image you opened from Finder, that file keeps its own format.
On the same page, **File name** sets what the files are called (see [how to rename screenshots](/tutorials/rename-screenshots-mac/)) and **Save to** picks the folder (see [where screenshots go](/tutorials/where-do-screenshots-go-mac/)).
**Note:** The format only changes files. What Snapix copies to your clipboard is always the full-size picture, so pasting into a chat or a document isn't affected.
## PNG, JPEG or HEIC: which should you use?
- **PNG** keeps every pixel exactly as it was. Text and app windows stay crisp, and transparent corners stay transparent. Photos make big PNG files.
- **JPEG** makes photos and video frames much smaller, and it opens almost anywhere. It can't hold transparency, so Snapix fills transparent areas with white.
- **HEIC** made the smallest full-size files in our test. Apple devices open it, but some websites and apps don't accept it yet.
- **TIFF** keeps every pixel, like PNG, but Snapix saves it uncompressed: a 2880 × 1800 screenshot is 15.6 MB as a TIFF, whether it shows text or a photo. Pick it only when an app asks for TIFF.
- **Auto (PNG / JPEG)** chooses per screenshot. Small shots (under a million pixels) and anything with transparency stay PNG, and larger ones become JPEG.
For a page of text, PNG beat JPEG. For a photo, JPEG and HEIC were a fraction of the PNG.
So there's no single best format. If you mostly capture apps, web pages and documents, PNG is a fine default. If you capture photos or frames from videos, JPEG or HEIC will save a lot of space.
## Why are my Mac screenshots HEIC?
On macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Macs that support it can take HDR screenshots, and those are saved as HEIF images (.heic files) instead of PNG. Apple's note on the option says HDR "captures more brightness and color, but requires an HDR display to see the difference."
To get PNG files again, press ⇧⌘5, click **Options**, and under **Capture Format** choose **SDR (Most compatible)**. If Snapix is using ⇧⌘5, open the **Screenshot** app from Spotlight or **Applications ▸ Utilities** instead. And if you once ran the Terminal command with heic, this takes it back out:
```bash
defaults delete com.apple.screencapture type
```
## How to make screenshot files smaller
- **Switch to JPEG or HEIC.** For photos it's the biggest saving (see the chart above). On macOS, run the Terminal command with jpg or heic. In Snapix, pick it under **File format**.
- **Save at 1×.** A Retina display has twice the pixels across and down, and so do its screenshots. Turn on **Resize Retina screenshots** in Snapix's **Settings ▸ Saving** to save files at half the width and height. In our test it took the photo's PNG from 7.2 MB to 2.2 MB. It applies to files saved to your save folder, not to the clipboard, **Save as…** or a drag into another app.
- **Lower the Quality.** With JPEG, HEIC or Auto in Snapix, move the **Quality** slider toward **Least**.
- **Capture less.** A shot of the part you need is smaller than the whole screen. See [how to screenshot part of the screen](/tutorials/screenshot-part-of-screen-mac/). For one you already took, trim it or scale it down when you [crop the screenshot](/tutorials/crop-screenshot-mac/#make-the-screenshot-smaller-while-you-crop).
## How to convert a screenshot you already have
Open the file in Preview and choose **File ▸ Export As…** (**File ▸ Export…** on older versions of macOS). Pick a format such as JPEG or HEIC, and click **Save**. Got a HEIC file a website won't take? Our free [HEIC to JPG converter](/tools/heic-to-jpg/) turns it into a JPG right in your browser.
**Tip:** In Snapix Settings, press ⌘F and type jpg or format to jump straight to the **File format** row. Don't have Snapix yet? [Try Snapix free](#get-snapix).
## Frequently asked questions
### Are Mac screenshots JPG or PNG?
PNG. macOS saves screenshots as PNG files unless you change it. The one exception is HDR: on macOS Tahoe 26 or later, a Mac set to capture in HDR saves HEIF images instead. Snapix also saves PNG until you pick another format.
### How do I change the file format of screenshots on my Mac?
Open Terminal, type **defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg** and press Return. Use heic, tiff or pdf in place of jpg for those formats. In Snapix, open **Settings ▸ Saving** and choose a **File format**.
### Can a Mac save screenshots as PDF?
Yes. In Terminal, run **defaults write com.apple.screencapture type pdf** and press Return. Run **defaults delete com.apple.screencapture type** to go back to PNG. Snapix saves PNG, JPEG, HEIC or TIFF, not PDF.
### How can I convert a screenshot to JPG?
Open it in Preview, choose **File ▸ Export As…**, pick JPEG as the format and click **Save**. For HEIC files, our free [HEIC to JPG converter](/tools/heic-to-jpg/) does it right in your browser.
