How to change screenshot file format?

Question

How to change screenshot file format?

With Grab, the default file format for a screenshot is .tiff and with command-shift-4 the default file format is .png. Is there a way to change these default file formats through systems preferences or otherwise?

I just discovered you can take screen shots with Preview (even if there's no file open in Preview) and "save as" in a number of file formats. Woo-hoo!

I'm still curious about options for Grab and command-shift-4, though. Any thoughts?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.7), 13"

Posted on Sep 10, 2011 3:00 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

jsd2

Level 5

6,245 points

Sep 10, 2011 3:29 PM in response to peachyinthemorning

The free utility TinkerTool can change the image format for command-shift-3 and command-shift-4. screenshots. Go to the General tab.

I don't know of a way to change Grab.

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Answer 2

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Sep 10, 2011 7:17 PM in response to peachyinthemorning

If you open the Help info for Grab (and select "Converting Grab screen shots to other formats") you will see it says that Grab only saves files in TIFF format and that if you want to convert the format to something else it recommends using Preview or any other appropriate converter.

FWIW, there's plenty of other screen capture programs to choose from. Just put "screen capture" into a macupdate.com search to see the various "flavors".

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Answer 3

Oct 5, 2011 1:14 PM in response to X423424X

Neither TinkerTool nor Onyx work for me; always TIFF

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Answer 4

Oct 5, 2011 2:04 PM in response to William Donelson

Tinker Tool and Onyx only change the Mac's inbuilt screengrab format. Grab is a third-party application.

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Answer 5

Oct 5, 2011 3:01 PM in response to peachyinthemorning

The best option I've found is to open Preview and go to File> Take Screen Shot. When you go to Save the image you have a whole host of file format alternatives.

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