PDF guides5 min read
How to convert images to PDF online for free
Put JPG, PNG and other images into one PDF in your browser. No account, and nothing gets uploaded.
This one comes up all the time. You photograph a form with your phone and need to send it as one PDF. A supplier wants all your product photos in a single file. You scanned some pages as images and want them to look like a proper document.
The job itself is simple. Each image goes on its own page, you put them in order, and you save. The only real decision is the page size: fit each page to its image, or use a standard paper size like A4 or Letter.
Most websites that do this upload your images first. For personal photos and scans of ID documents, there's no need for that. A browser tool does the same job, and the files never leave your device.
One thing to be aware of: a PDF made from images is basically a folder of pictures. You can't select or search the text in them unless you run OCR afterwards, which reads the words in the images and adds real text to the PDF.
When you might need this
- You took photos of a paper document and need to send one PDF.
- You want to put product photos together into a simple catalog.
- You have scanned pages saved as images.
- A form wants your paperwork as one attached file.
- You want to turn a bunch of screenshots into a single document.
How to do it
- Open the JPG to PDF tool.
- Add your images. You can pick several at once.
- Use the up and down arrows next to each image to set the page order.
- Choose a page size: Auto, which fits each page to its image, or A4 or Letter. For A4 and Letter you can also pick portrait or landscape.
- Click convert and download the PDF.
Free, with no account. Open it in a new tab and follow along.
Open JPG to PDFTips
- Number your image files before you add them, like 1.jpg, 2.jpg, 3.jpg. Then they'll already be in order when you select them all.
- Use PNG for images with text or diagrams, since it keeps edges crisp. JPG is fine for photos.
- If you're emailing the PDF, check how big it is. Lots of full-size photos add up quickly. Running it through Compress PDF afterwards will help.
- Run OCR on the PDF if you need to search for words in it.
- If you have one image and want the page to match it exactly, choose Auto for the page size.
Common mistakes
- Adding images in the wrong order and getting a jumbled PDF. Sort the files or use the arrows before you convert.
- Using small, blurry photos and getting a blurry PDF. The PDF can only be as good as the images.
- Forgetting that the text in the images can't be selected. If people need to copy text out of it, run OCR.
- Making a huge PDF from full-size phone photos without shrinking anything. For most uses, a much lower resolution is plenty.
How this compares to Smallpdf, iLovePDF and Adobe
iLovePDF, Smallpdf and Adobe all turn images into PDFs, and they do it reliably. All three upload your images, and their free plans limit either how many times you can use them or how many images you can add.
Ours does the conversion in your browser. There's no upload, no counter and no limit on how many images go into one PDF. That helps when you're putting together a long scan or a full product catalog in one go.
On a phone, the built-in document scanner in some apps can save straight to PDF. If your photos are already on your phone, that's often quicker than moving them to a computer. Our tool fits better when you're at a computer with a folder of images.
| Criterion | Smallpdf | iLovePDF | Adobe Acrobat online | Easy File Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your file is processed | On their servers, after you upload it | On their servers, after you upload it | In Adobe's cloud, after you upload it | In your browser, on your own device |
| Account or sign-in | Asked for early, and needed once you pass the free allowance | Optional for small jobs, needed for bigger ones | Most online tools need an Adobe ID | Never needed |
| Usage limits | A few free tasks, then an upgrade prompt | Daily task and file limits on the free plan | The free web tools are mostly a preview of the paid plan | No task counters and no daily limits |
| File size ceiling | The free plan limits upload size | The free plan limits upload size | Cloud upload limits apply | We don't set one. Your device's memory is the practical limit |
| Works without a connection | No, their server does the work | No, their server does the work | No, the cloud does the work | Yes for the browser tools, once the page has loaded |
| Cost | Paid subscription for full access | Paid subscription for full access | Paid Acrobat subscription for full access | Free. Every tool is open to everyone |
Other services change their plans and limits often, so treat this as a rough picture and not a price list. Check their websites for the current details.
Frequently asked questions
- Which image types can I use?
- JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP and WebP, and you can mix them in one PDF.
- Is there a limit on how many images I can add?
- There's no account-based limit. Very large batches may be slower, depending on your device's memory.
- Can I change the page order after adding images?
- Yes. Each image has up and down arrows next to it, so you can move pages around before converting.
- Will the text in my images be searchable?
- No. Each image is placed on a page as a picture. To make the text searchable, run the OCR PDF tool on the finished PDF.
- What page size does the PDF use?
- You choose: Auto, which fits each page to its image, A4, or Letter.
- Are my images uploaded to a server?
- No. The conversion happens in your browser and the images stay on your device.