How to Convert a Picture to PDF

Julia Borgini is a former Lifewire writer and a technical copywriter. She's written for B2B News Network, Kissmetrics, Social Media Examiner, and more.

• Graphic Design
  • Photoshop

  What to Know

  • Export as PDF by choosing PDF in the print dialog in any program.
  • Save the image as a PDF in a browser, Google Photos, or Google Drive.
  • Export the image to PDF from within a graphics app.

  Here's how to save an image as a PDF using various methods, including the Windows and Mac built-in printers, Google Images, the iOS and Android print functions, and a web browser.

  Choose a Conversion Type

  There are two ways to save an image and convert it into a PDF so that you can print or share the file:

  • Print to PDF: Printing the image to PDF is faster than using a PDF conversion tool since most computers have this capability. The built-in PDF printer works with any application on your computer, from an image viewer to a web browser. It is the easiest method to use since it's listed as an installed printer in any application on your computer. To convert your image to PDF, choose the PDF printer option instead of a regular printer, and create a new PDF.
  • Export to PDF: Some image software applications, like Adobe Photoshop, have an export to PDF option that works like print to PDF. Once you're ready to convert the image, choose the PDF save option, and you're set.

  Use the Windows Built-in PDF Printer

  This method works from any software application on a Windows computer.

  

  1. Open the image on your computer.

  

  Select the Print icon or press Ctrl+P.

  

  In the Printer drop-down menu, select Microsoft Print to PDF.

  

  Choose any printing options you like, but the default ones are fine.

  

  Select Print.

  

  Choose a file name for the new PDF and select Save.

  How to Save Google Images as PDF

  Using Google Chrome, you can save any picture as a PDF file.

  

  1. Open the image in Chrome and press Ctrl+P or go to the menu (the three horizontally stacked dots) and choose Print.

  

  Select the Destination drop-down menu and choose Save as PDF.

  

  Select Save.

  

  Choose a name for the new PDF and select Save.

  Convert an Image to PDF in Mozilla Firefox

  You must first download and install a PDF printing add-on to Firefox before you can print to PDF, such as Print to PDF, Save as PDF, or PDF Mage. The instructions to convert the image may vary slightly based on the add-on you choose, but these add-ons generally work this way:

  

  1. After installing the add-on, open the image in Firefox.

  

  Click the add-on's icon in the menu bar. This example uses the Print to PDF add-on.

  

  Choose where to save the PDF and give it a name.

  

  Select Save.

  Android Mobile Devices

  You have two choices to convert images to PDFs on Android mobile devices: use the built-in PDF printer or use an app.

  Use the Built-in PDF Printer

  1. On your Android device, open the image gallery. Refer to the device's manual to see where your gallery is since each flavor of Android is slightly different.

  

  Select Print.

  

  Select a location to save the PDF and select Save.

  Use an Android App

  You can download an app specifically for the purpose of converting images.

  1. Go to the Google Play store, download, and install an image to PDF conversion app, such as CamScanner, Image to PDF Converter, or JPG to PDF Converter.

  

  Follow the instructions to convert the image. You may be asked for a save location and a name for the PDF file.

  Use the Google Drive App

  Google Drive provides a built-in image-to-PDF converter.

  1. Upload the file to Google Drive.

  

  Select Print in the menu.

  

  Choose a name for the PDF and tap Save. The PDF is saved to your phone's storage location, which may vary based on the Android version.

  Convert Images in Mac and iOS

  Using the built-in PDF printer works from any software application on your Apple iOS computer.

  1. Open the image on your computer.

  

  Go to File >Print or use the Command+P keyboard shortcut.

  

  In the Print dialog box, select the PDF drop-down menu and choose Save as PDF.

  Use the Built-in PDF Printer from Safari

  Open the image in the browser and select File > Export as PDF. Choose where to save the file, give it a name, and select Save.

  

  Use the Photos App in iOS Mobile Devices

  To save an image as a PDF from your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

  

  1. Open the Files app.

  

  Long press the image you want to convert.

  

  Select Create PDF.

  Other Software

  These options work for both Windows and Mac computers.

  Use Image Editing Software

  While many editing software uses the built-in PDF printer to convert images to PDFs, some, like Adobe Photoshop, do it a little differently.

  1. Open the image in Photoshop.

  

  Either select File >Save As or press Ctrl+Shift+S (Windows) or Command+Shift+S (Mac OS).

  

  From the format list, choose Photoshop PDF.

  

  Specify a file name and location, select file-saving options, and choose Save.

  

  In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, select Compression.

  

  Select the Image Quality drop-down menu and choose an option.

  

  Select Save PDF.

  Use an Online Converter

  If your computer doesn't have a built-in PDF printer and you don't want to install one, try an online PDF conversion website. Most convert any file type (JPG, PNG, or TIF), and others are type-specific. Choose the conversion site that fits your needs and go from there.

  If you're concerned about the privacy and safety of your files, most online sites delete your data automatically after conversion or after a specific amount of time (after 1 to 3 hours or every 24 hours). Many also let you delete your files when you want, so you can delete the files after you download the converted PDFs.

  Some online conversion sites have limitations or restrictions, such as putting a watermark on a PDF file or only letting you convert one image every 60 minutes.

  PDF Converter

  PDF Converter is a free online conversion tool that converts multiple image file types into PDF (such as JPG, PNG, TIF, and more). Upload an image from your computer, your Google Drive, or Dropbox. You can even upload using a URL, making it even easier.

  PDF Convert gives you several options when converting images. You can convert images individually if you want separate PDFs. Or, you can convert several images at a time and combine those images into a single PDF.

  The main limitation is that you can only convert and download one PDF every 60 minutes unless you sign up for a paid account.

  Online2PDF

  Another free conversion tool, Online2PDF, gives you greater control over the image conversion options. Choose options for page layout and margins, image size, and orientation when you convert images to PDF.

  Online2PDF can combine several images into a single PDF, while also providing the option of having more than one image per page if you like (up to nine images per page).

  When selecting photos to convert, there are a few guidelines to remember:

  • Each file must be less than 100 MB.
  • The total size of all the data in any conversion must not exceed 150 MB.
  • You can combine up to a maximum of 20 images at a time.

  JPG to PDF

  JPG to PDF converter does what its name says. It converts JPGs to PDFs. There doesn't appear to be any limitations on the JPG file size you can convert. However, you can only upload a maximum of 20 files at a time.

  Once you've uploaded your files, click each one to convert the image individually to a PDF or select all your images and combine them into a single PDF.

  They also have a TIFF to PDF online converter that functions in the same way.

  I Heart PDF

  I Heart PDF converts only JPGs to PDFs. You can upload images or photos from your computer, your Google Drive, or Dropbox. Once you've uploaded the images, you can choose conversion options, such as margins and orientation. This converter also combines multiple images into a single PDF.

  One handy feature of I Heart PDF is once your PDF is generated, you can download the file, share it using a URL, or save it to your Google Drive or Dropbox.

  PDFPro

  PDFPro offers online conversion services for JPG to PDF, PNG to PDF, and TIFF/TIF to PDF. When you use their conversion services, you receive up to three downloads of each PDF you create for free. Unlimited downloads are only available through a premium membership.

  Your PDFs are deleted automatically from their servers every 24 hours, or you can delete the files yourself after you download the PDF files.

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