How to convert images to a PDF
Forms, receipts and handwritten notes are often photographed rather than scanned. Many offices want a single PDF instead of a pile of pictures. Combining the images into one document takes about a minute.
Take good photos first
- Photograph the page from directly above, in even light, with the paper filling most of the frame.
- Avoid shadows from your hand or phone.
- Crop away the table and edges with Crop Image.
Make the PDF
- Open Image to PDF.
- Add your pictures in the order the pages should appear.
- Press the button and download the finished PDF.
Everything runs in your browser, so your private photos are not uploaded.
Keep the size reasonable
Phone photos are big, and a PDF made from many of them can be heavy. Shrink the pictures first with the Image Compressor, or reduce the finished file with Compress PDF. Around 1600 pixels wide is enough for a readable page.
Photograph documents so they read well
- Lay the page flat and smooth out folds and curls.
- Use daylight or a bright, even light, and keep your own shadow off the paper.
- Hold the phone straight above the page so the edges are parallel with the frame.
- Fill the frame with the page and crop the rest away with Crop Image.
- For receipts, crop tightly around the receipt, since a large table around it only adds file size.
Order matters
Each image becomes one page and the pages follow the order you add the pictures. Name your photos in sequence, such as page-1 and page-2, and add them in that order. After you download, open the PDF and scroll through to confirm every page is there and the right way up.
Common problems
- A page appears sideways: fix the photo before you add it, or rotate the finished file with Rotate PDF.
- The PDF is too large to send: shrink the pictures first with the Image Compressor, or run the finished file through Compress PDF.
- Your phone saved HEIC photos: convert them to JPG with HEIC to JPG first.
- You need to add more pages later: make a second PDF and join them with Merge PDF.
Frequently asked questions
What if my photos are in another format, such as HEIC?
Convert them to JPG first with the HEIC to JPG tool, then add them here.
Can I change the page order?
The pages follow the order of the images, so add them in the order you want them to appear.
Will quality drop?
Quality only drops if you choose to compress the images or the finished PDF.
How many images can I add?
There is no set limit. Very large batches depend on the memory of your device, so split a long set into two files if it gets slow.
Can I add pictures from my phone?
Yes. The tool works in a phone browser, and you can choose photos straight from your gallery.
Is the text in the PDF searchable?
No. The pages are pictures. To get editable text from them, use Image to Text.