Can Mac Preview be set to default to save image as JPEG Preview defaults to saving as PNG.  I can change PNG to JPEG, but I have to do it every time.

Is there a way to change the default behaviour?

Is there a way to change the default save/export format in Preview? basically doesn't answer the question, but says that Preview saves it in the form it came in.  Well, sort of.  If I'm browsing google images, and right-click copy image, even though it's a jpeg image originally, when you past as new selection, it will default to save as PNG.

How can the default save format be changed for OS X Preview app? gives two solutions for someone who wants to save as PDF -- one using a python script, and two using a shortcut key mapped to export as PDF.

Neither of these solutions is workable.

A:  In many cases I have a bunch of intermediate steps, editing the image in Preview.  Most images will have a crop, a resize, and an annotate.  I suppose in principle the python script could be modified to save the current buffer in preview as a jpeg after I've done the others, but I don't yet speak python.

B:  The command shortcut doesn't work, as there is no menu command for "Save as JPEG"  Instead the Save menu item opens a modal dialog that requires the input of a name (since New->From Clipboard makes a file with the name "untitled-N") and every time a click on the ribbon control at the bottom of the dialog box to move to JPEG
No easy preference or key is known to change the defaults. Barring a new discovery, plan to use a different app or script image conversion with automation. 

You probably already know you could make a keyboard shortcut if an Apple menu to save as JPEG existed, but that’s the crux here. Other questions here have useful details on automation and using python to process the clipboard instead of preview. 


Is there a way to change the default save/export format in Preview?
How can the default save format be changed for OS X Preview app?