How do you configure a Mac to save screenshots to a specific directory?

I take a lot of screenshots. Instead of dropping those on the Desktop, which is the current Mac default, I want to put those into a Screenshots folder inside my home folder. To do that I need to start by creating the Screenshots directory.

In addition, you may want to save your home folder into Favorites.

Finally, to configure your Mac to save screenshots to a directory follow these steps:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location /path/to/new/folder

killall SystemUIServer

From now on, when you take a screenshot using the keyboard shortcuts (Command-Shift-3 for a full-screen screenshot, or Command-Shift-4 for a selection screenshot), the screenshot will be saved to the folder you specified.

Written in Nolific by Joel Dare on April 26, 2023