You likely take tons of screenshots, and who could blame you? Screenshotting is an easy way to save bits of information or capture a shareable memory. Across iOS and macOS, screenshots are simple to take – but where do screenshots go on Mac?
Taking a screenshot is only the first step. You then have to find it, and save it to your desired folder, iCloud, or share it with someone. We'll tell you where your screenshots go, how to change the Mac screenshot location once they're captured, and tell you about a few great apps that make the process easier.
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Where are Screenshots saved on a Mac
When you take a screenshot on your Mac, it will be saved to your Mac's Desktop folder by default. This is done to make screenshots easy to find once you snap them. To locate your screenshots, either view your desktop to find thumbnails of your screenshots or locate the 'Desktop' section in the Finder app.
How to change where Mac screenshots are saved?
Since you're using Windows 7 you have Microsoft Paint already installed on your system by default. Here's how to use the Ctrl+Print Screen key combination and MS Paint in order to capture a screenshot and save it as an image file: 1 – Press Ctrl + Print Screen to capture a screenshot. 2 – Click the Start orb. See Where Screenshot Save on Mac? Now, either pick a folder that is specified or choose a different location Other Location. You can move to the folder that you want the screenshot to go to, or build a folder if necessary. Once you have updated the place where your screenshots will go before you have changed it again. (Snipping Tool) Being Phased Out First introduced with Windows Vista, snipping tool is still one of. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the. Whenever you take a screenshot on a Mac computer, a file is saved to the desktop by default. Most Mac users never have the need to change this setting, because they can always move the file to a folder where they want to store it. On the other hand, creating a lot of screenshots every day can make a chaos on your desktop.
To change screenshot location Mac computers provide a few options. First, the Shift-Command-5 keyboard shortcut allows you to record or capture a portion of the screen, with an options menu that allows you to save the screenshot to a few different locations. This is a quick way to have a screenshot saved to your Documents folder – but what if you want a unique Mac save screenshots to folder function?
For that, you need Terminal. Here's how to change where screenshots are saved Mac Terminal style:
On your Mac, create a folder called 'Screenshots' (or anything else you like)
Go to Applications > Utilities and double-click on Terminal
Type this command: defaults write com.apple.screencapture location
Drag the 'Screenshots' folder you've just created onto the Terminal window. You'll see its path displayed after the command.
Hit Return
Quit Terminal
Remember this is a ‘forever' option and changes your screenshot location Mac folder for good. To change this again, you'll have to go through the same process in Terminal.
There are a few issues with Apple's default screenshot tooling. First, there are several shortcuts for taking screenshots, and only the Shift-Command-5 option brings up a unique save menu. Terminal is root level on your Mac, and you can really mess things up if you're not careful.
For capturing, editing, and saving screenshots, we prefer CleanShot X. This Mac app has an incredible amount of features for capturing, editing, marking up, and saving screenshots, videos, and even GIFs of your Mac screen! We especially like it for capturing conversations; CleanShot X has a unique ‘scrolling' capture feature, which is like a panorama mode for screenshotting conversations.
CleanShot X also has its own cloud feature if you want a dedicated home for screenshots to live, or you can customize it to save screenshots anywhere you like in the app's settings. After a capture, CleanShot X pins a small thumbnail to your screen where you can edit, save, or share your new screenshot, GIF, or scrolling capture. It's amazing.
Save screenshots to iCloud
By default, your Mac syncs your Desktop and Documents folders to iCloud, which are also available on your iPhone or iPad via the Files app. Taking and saving screenshots to either of those locations from your Mac will automatically surface them across your device.
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We don't all want that – many of us have other cloud services we prefer, like Dropbox, Google Drive, or others. This is especially true if you use your Mac for both personal and business. Instead of wondering where are screenshots saved Mac computers can share your captured content to cloud providers using Dropshare.
Most of us will simply snap screenshots, let them pile up on our Desktop, then curate them later on. This is fine, but the workflow can get messy, and if you would rather save your screenshots to a cloud service provider that isn't iCloud, Dropshare makes it really easy. You can even record keyboard shortcuts for Dropshare to capture and send your screenshots to any cloud service provider you like. Here's how:
Get and install Dropshare
Type in your email address and password to create your account
Click on the Dropshare icon in the menu bar, choose the cog, and select Preferences
Choose the Screenshots tab
Next to Capture & Upload Screen, choose Record Shortcut
Press the keys you want to use for the shortcut
Repeat step 6 for Capture & Upload Selection as well as Capture & Annotate, if you want to use those features
Optionally, change the default file format to JPG by choosing it from the menu next to 'Capture all screenshots in'
Close the Preferences window
If automation doesn't suit you, Dropshare doesn't require it. You can drag and drop screenshots onto the Dropshare icon in your Mac menu bar, and select where they should be shared. Again, a great option for those who use their Mac for business and personal uses, and have cloud storage lockers for each use-case.
Change your Mac's default screenshot directory using Terminal
If you don't want to turn on Desktop and Documents in iCloud, you can use Terminal to change the default location for screenshots:
- Follow steps 1–3 above to activate iCloud Drive
- Click on the iCloud Drive icon in the Finder window
- Create a folder called 'Screenshots' (or anything else you like)
- Keep iCloud Drive open in the Finder so you can see the folder
- Go to Applications > Utilities and double-click on Terminal
- Type: defaults write com.apple.screencapture location
- Drag the 'Screenshots' folder you've just created in iCloud Drive onto the Terminal window. You'll see its path displayed after the command.
- Hit Return
- Quit Terminal
From now on, every time you take a screenshot, it will be saved in that folder in iCloud Drive.
If you are not sure about using Terminal, there are a few other options for saving screenshots in iCloud or any other cloud storage service where you have an account.
Send your screenshots to the Paste clipboard
Paste is a clipboard manager for Mac that allows you to copy multiple items to its inboard, categorize them, and recall them from the clipboard whenever you need. It's like Mac's own clipboard but turbo-charged. Paste syncs with iCloud, allowing you to access your pinboards on another Mac or iOS devices on which you have Paste installed and connected to your iCloud account.
To use your pinboards to save screenshots to iCloud:
- Take a screenshot using the normal keyboard shortcut or using a Touch Bar
- Go to the Finder, click the screenshot on the Desktop, and press Cmd + C to copy it
The screenshot will be copied to a pinboard in Paste and synced using iCloud.
How to change the default file format of a screenshot
As we mentioned earlier, screenshots are saved as PNG files by default. That means that when you save a window, for example, transparency is preserved and the drop shadow appears on the background of any image you place your screenshot on top of — it's handy from compositing screenshots on top of a desktop background in an image you're creating. However, if you want to save screenshots as JPG files, you can use Dropshare or Terminal.
We've described how to change the file format to JPG in Dropshare above, so here's how to do it in Terminal:
- Launch Terminal from Applications > Utilities
- Type: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg
- Hit Return
And that's it. All screenshots you take now on your Mac will be saved as JPG files. You can revert back to PNG files by using the same Terminal command, but replace jpg with png.
If you want to change the file format of screenshots you've already taken, you can use an image converter like Permute. Just drag your screenshots onto the app's window and select JPG as the file format Permute will convert them and save them back to the folder they came from originally.
Again, your screenshots should be saving to the desktop by default. If you still have trouble finding them, it's entirely possible another app is causing issues, which can be really difficult to diagnose.
To find your screenshot default location, two-finger tap on the screenshot preview that appears at the bottom right after you made your screenshot and select Show in Finder option to open the folder with your screenshot.
Conclusion
Taking screenshots is as much a part of using your iPhone, iPad, and Mac as typing is. Whether you're saving information, sharing something funny with friends or family, or using screenshots to save as notes for a later time, we all utilize the feature.
Because screenshots are so ingrained in our routines, finding, sharing, and storing them is critical. That's why we enjoy Dropshare and CleanShot. We touched on these apps above, and each has a ton of options for streamlining your workflow. No matter what your needs are, these apps deliver.
All three are available for free as part of a seven day trial of Setapp, a sensational suite of productivity apps for your Mac. During your week-long trial, you'll have access to these three apps as well as nearly 200 other great Mac apps in Setapp's catalog, all free to test and try at your leisure. When the free trial is over, Setapp is only $9.99 per month.
Families can take advantage of Setapp's $19.99 per month family plan, which grants unlimited access to the entire Setapp catalog of apps on up to four unique Macs. What are you waiting for? Give Setapp a try today!
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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/PowerMyMac /Where Are Photos Stored on Mac - Quickly Locate!
If you are using a Mac, the Photos app is responsible for managing all images inside the application such as photos transferred from your iPhone or memory card as well as those that were imported. For the curious ones, you might be wondering where are photos stored on Mac.
Remember that this is specific to the Photos app. In case you do not use the app to manage your photos on your Mac, the photos are not stored inside the applications package library but you can easily find them using Finder in the generic Pictures folder or somewhere else in the Mac system.
Where Are Photos Stored on Mac?
The photo files are stored in this location on Mac: ~/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/Masters/.
It is important to note that the ~ tilde indicates the users home directory, if you are going to utilize the 'Go To Folder' command to move through that directory, do not skip the ~ prefix.
Article GuidePart 1. A Close Look on Photos on MacPart 2. Where Are the Photos Stored on Mac OS?Part 3. Bonus: How to Use the Photos AppLet's Wrap It up
Part 1. A Close Look on Photos on Mac
The Photos app is a convenient tool that stores all your photos and videos. All photos taken are stored in it and even organized. When you open the app, you can find all your photos and reminisce on all the memories that you have collected.
Are Photos and iPhoto the Same?
Photos have been considered as the ideal tool in photo management for Mac users. Before Photos took the stage, Apple created 2 applications for managing photos and videos. iPhoto, specifically, is ideally for those who have less experience in photography while Aperture was the preferred choice for those who want to indulge in editing.
With the availability of the Photos app, it blurs the line between these two apps where it combines the best of the two along with the addition of new features such as iCloud Photo Library and the iCloud Photo Sharing.
For those who have used iPhoto before, it will be a breeze to use the Photos app. All photos, albums, and collections are found in the main window with a navigation sidebar on the left side and you can choose different viewing options at the top part of the interface.
The main difference between iPhoto and the Photos app is its performance. If you have big libraries, iPhoto tends to choke up or lag and it had arbitrary limitations that would restrain the sizes on the albums and collections.
It is a different case with the Photos app since these limitations are gone and capable of handling larger libraries. Although the general interface of the Photos apps might be the same, it is relatively faster and a powerful tool that its predecessor.
How to Store Photos on Mac?
Your photos can be stored on your Mac or on iCloud. The initial step to make is to ensure that your photos are on your Mac. Generally, photos can take up disk space, especially if you have a lot.
Roxio toast 10 mac. Simply open the Photos app and click on 'Preferences' and choose the iCloud tab. If you want to store your photos in iCloud, you must select the option to 'Download Originals to this Mac'. This will ensure that all your photos are on the disk and the next task for you is to find them.
Part 2. Where Are the Photos Stored on Mac OS?
Where are pictures stored on Mac? The photo files are stored in this location in the Mac OS:
~/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/Masters/
It is important to note that the ~ tilde indicates the users home directory, if you are going to utilize the 'Go To Folder' command to move through that directory, do not skip the ~ prefix.
This essentially focuses on the local image files and not anything stored inside iCloud. For files on iCloud, you can access them through iCloud Photo Library or the Photos app.
How to Access the Location Where Photos Files Are Stored?
In case you decide to manually navigate to the file location of Photos using the Finder to find where are photos stored on Mac, there are steps that you should follow:
- Open Finder and proceed to the home directory
- Open the 'Pictures' folder
- Search for the file labeled as 'Photos Library photoslibrary'
- Right-click or Control+Click on the 'Photos Library photoslibrary' and tap on the 'Show Package Contents' option
- Access the folder labeled 'Masters' to find the image files included within the Photos app
Generally, the 'Masters' folder includes directories of photos that are categorized based on the date in day, month or year subfolders. In every folder, you will find the image files from each specific date.
Remember that if you delete a photo from the 'Masters' directory, you can no longer access it in the Photos app. It is recommended to copy a file from the directory if you want to edit one. Furthermore, this package folder is not aimed to be easily accessed which is the reason why it is concealed. However, you can browse directly through your files if you want.
Another option if you want to find the original file from Photos apps is to utilize the 'Show Referenced' option. This will access a Finder window that holds a file that was selected from Photos. Some Mac users will notice that the images in the Photos app are designated in the same package style containment as with other common Mac apps and in the same parent directory where you will find the iPhoto images and the Photo Booth files.
In case you only require the 'Master' files to copy a few photos, simply move them out of Photos directly to the desktop. This action will create duplicates of your photos and will not move or delete the original files.
What to Do When Pictures Folder on Mac Missing?
If you have updated your Mac version to El Capitan or higher, the picture folder will disappear, then it's hard for you to find your photos. In this case, you might need an effective tool call PowerMyMac to help you quickly locate all the photos and clean them out if you don't need them anymore. You can free download this software below since it provides you with 500MB of free cleaning space, this means you can have a free try this software to see if it can solve your problems.
Do not forget to find and delete all the copies that you acquired later to prevent the files from taking up disk space on your Mac. In such cases, you can also use the Similar Photo tool in PowerMyMac to clean up unnecessary files after locating.
Part 3. Bonus: How to Use the Photos App
If this is your first time to use the Photos app, it will provide you with an overview of how your library looks like with all your photos and videos imported. You will get a quick introduction to some of the features and tools as well as learn how to create concrete memories with the help of printable objects such as photo books, calendars and more.
After finishing the tour of the app and you have gone through the initial configuration, you are ready to import your photos and videos.
Importing Photos to Mac
You can utilize several ways to import your media content to the Photos app which is based on where you have been storing the files. Follow the ways below and you will also know where are imported photos stored on Mac more clearly.
1. From an iPhone or digital camera
- Link your iPhone or camera to your Mac using a USB cable. There is a need to unlock your iPhone using your password and then click on 'Trust' when asked to 'Trust This Computer'.
- In case the Photo app does not automatically open, access the app on your Mac.
- Once the Photos app launches, it will provide you with the 'Import' screen that has all the photos and videos on your iPhone or camera. In case you cannot see the 'Import' screen, simply tap on your iPhone or camera in the Photos sidebar beneath the 'Devices'.
- At this point, you can choose either to 'Import All New Items' or choose a batch and click on 'Import Selected'.
2. From a folder or external hard drive in Finder
If these are the sources, you have several options to choose from. In case your photos and videos are stored in an external hard drive, you must make sure that it is linked first. You can proceed with one of the following:
- Move the files from the drive into the Photos window
- Drag files from the drive onto the Photos icon that you can find in the Dock
- In the Photos app, proceed to File > Import from the menu bar. Select the photos or videos that you want to import and tap on 'Review' for Import
Where Are My Screenshots Going Mac
Remember that the Photos app copies the photos and videos into the Photos Library. The original file is left either on your device or in its folder.
Quick Tip
If you have been wondering where are photos stored on Mac – you now have the answer.
The next task is to ensure that you do not have any duplicates since they can take up space. Since the Photos app will not remove the original photos after the importing process, you might end up with duplicate photos that can eat up precious disk space on your Mac. Those who have taken several photos of the same subject from slightly different angles will end up with more space being used up.
But how to find photo files on Mac if no pictures folder on Mac? The ideal way to keep your photo collection in check is to scan your Mac for duplicates every now and then. By using the Similar Image Finder tool in iMyMac PowerMyMac, you can scan your device for any similar photos that you can effortlessly remove to free up space.
iMyMac PowerMyMac is an all-around tool with a variety of functions to optimize your Mac. If you want to ensure that there are no duplicate photos that can eat up disk space, you need to use the Similar Image Finder tool in the Toolkit module of PowerMyMac. This tool is an ideal photo manager that can help find and remove duplicate photos on your Mac. It functions in the same manner as the Duplicate Finder tool, but it specializes in finding similar photos.
Let us take a close look at the steps.
- Tap on the Toolkit module in PowerMyMac and select the Similar Image Finder tool.
- Tap on the 'Scan' button on the interface. This will start to recognize and detect similar photos on your device.
- Once the scanning is complete, you are provided with a preview of all kinds of similar photos on the left side. On the right, you can view the details.
- Select similar photos to remove.
- Tap on the 'Clean' button on the bottom right corner to get rid of the similar photos. The cleaning time is based on the size of similar photos.
Aside from that, PowerMyMac has other functions you can use to clean up your Mac, such as Uninstaller that can help you completely delete apps, Privacy that can clear out your browsers to protect your personal information..
Let's Wrap It up
With the options stated above, you can easily locate your photos on your Mac. Just make sure that once you locate your photos, you do not have any duplicates. Remember that these duplicates or similar photos can take up precious disk space on your Mac.
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Free DownloadSherri Zuckerman2021-01-16 16:35:20
I can not figure this out. Every article says something different and none of them work for me. First of all, I'm using Big Sur and there is no 'masters' folder in my package contents, there's only 'originals'. When I go into that folder I only have images up to 2015. it's very confusing and I'm so tired of how mac has done this from the start with their photos programs.
Владимир2020-08-23 19:37:41
Доброго вам всем.. перенёс данные с MacBook Air 2015 на MacBook 2017. Делал это с помощью утилиты миграция данных. После этого на air обновил систему до Catalina. После пытался открыть приложение фото, но сразу не получилось, а когда открыл, то фотографий там небыло. Не на этом не на другом маке нет фотографий в программе фото. Куда они могли деться? Почему это произошло? Есть вариант их вернуть, если резервной копии небыло ?Спасибо за дельные советы
iMyMac2020-08-24 19:59:23
Здравствуйте, я предлагаю вам связаться с продавцом используемой вами утилиты переноса данных.
Alyssa2020-04-03 09:49:50
Buongiorno, ho da anni un problema con Foto, in pratica ho due 'album' differenti di Foto con differenti fotografie al interno. Se vado sotto informazioni di sistema per gestire lo spazio sul mac, trovo; l'app di Foto, ma se poi vado su documenti - Browser file - iCloud (archivio) - scrivania, trovo l'app di foto concentro altre fotografie. Posso aprire entrambi gli 'album' di foto e trasferire le fotografie del telefono o su uno o sul altro. Come faccio ad avere una cola cartella Foto con dentro tutte le fotografie? Grazie mille per la disponibilità è da un po' ce cerco la soluzione ma non so come fare
Pieciana2019-12-17 15:14:11
I put the songs in a folder on the desktop and iTunes always creates a copy in its own media library folder. How can I remove iTunes Backup?
iMyMac2019-12-17 16:02:03
We have created an article before and it can solve your problem, please check this article link (https://www.imymac.com/powermymac/how-to-remove-duplicate-songs-in-itunes.html) to read the details. Thanks for your support!
Davy2019-12-10 16:05:07
Lucky to see your tips, I want to back up all my favorite photos but can't find them on my Mac. Now I have done the backup, so happy!
iMyMac2019-12-10 17:04:07
Thanks for your support!
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