How to change default screen shot file type (Command Shift 5)

You can see your current Screen Shot/capture configuration via the following in the Terminal:

defaults read com.apple.screencapture

and change your default capture image type for the left three choices in the shift+command+5 Screen Shot panel:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type png

It is right there in front of you on the screen... when you press command-shift-5 there is a bar near the bottom of the screen.

The first three buttons are for capturing still images: "Capture Screen", "Capture Selected Window", "Capture Selected Portion".

Next are two for video capture.

Just click the appropriate button.

Dear beautoran,

I am sorry, my earlier response (which has been deleted) was incorrect. I will attempt to answer your question again hoping to help you with more clarity and accuracy.

You state that you have found a way to change the default file format for screenshot (which is .png).

I could find the way to change default file format for [Cmd][Shft][3] and [Cmd][Shft][4]

May I ask, how did you change it? This might help me understand better.

As per Apple, screenshots are saved as .png and screen recordings are saved as .mov, by default.

source: Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac - Apple Support

Click Options in the onscreen controls to change these settings:

• Save to: Choose where your recordings are automatically saved, such as Desktop, Documents, or Clipboard.
• Timer: Choose when to begin recording: immediately, 5 seconds, or 10 seconds after you click to record.
• Microphone: To record your voice or other audio along with your recording, choose a microphone.
• Show Floating Thumbnail: Choose whether to show the thumbnail. 
• Remember Last Selection: Choose whether to default to the selections you made the last time you used this tool.
• Show Mouse Clicks: Choose whether to show a black circle around your pointer when you click in the recording.

So, even under Options there is no method of changing the default filetype. (.png for screenshots and .mov for screen recordings)

So, even under Options there is no method of changing the default filetype. (.png for screenshots and .mov for screen recordings)

Yes, but VikingOSX in his reply has already showed how to change the filetype.

Just replace "png" by "pdf" or "jpg", for example.

See above.