How to Convert Images to PDF: JPG, PNG, and HEIC
How to convert images to PDF: JPG, PNG, and HEIC
You took photos of a signed contract with your iPhone. Now someone needs those photos as a single PDF. Or you have a folder of product images that need to go into a presentation document. Or you scanned receipts for an expense report and your accounting department only accepts PDFs.
The task is simple: get images into a PDF. But the number of tools, format quirks, and privacy tradeoffs makes it more confusing than it should be.
Here are five ways to do it, with honest tradeoffs for each.
Quick comparison
| Method | Cost | Privacy | Setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in OS tools | Free | High — local processing | None | Quick conversions, no install needed |
| Online converters | Free (with limits) | Low — files uploaded to servers | None | One-off conversions of non-sensitive images |
| Browser-based local tools | Free | High — files stay on your device | None | Privacy + convenience |
| Desktop software | Free | High — local processing | Install required | Frequent use, sensitive documents |
| Command line | Free | High — local processing | Some setup | Developers, batch processing |
Image formats: what matters for PDF conversion
Not all image formats behave the same when converted to PDF. Three things affect the output.
JPG is the most common image format. It uses lossy compression, meaning some detail is discarded to keep file sizes small. JPGs work with every PDF tool. Converting a JPG to PDF is straightforward and rarely causes issues.
PNG supports lossless compression and transparency. If your image has text on a transparent background, PNG preserves that. Some PDF converters handle PNG transparency correctly; others fill transparent areas with white. If transparency matters, test your tool before converting a batch.
HEIC is Apple's default photo format since iOS 11. It produces files roughly 50% smaller than JPG at the same quality. The problem: many PDF conversion tools don't support HEIC. Windows doesn't natively display HEIC files without an extension from the Microsoft Store. If you're converting iPhone photos and something fails, HEIC compatibility is almost always the reason.
Method 1: Built-in OS tools
Every major operating system can convert images to PDF without installing anything. Most people don't know this.
macOS Preview
Preview handles single images and batches.
Single image:
- Open the image in Preview
- Go to File > Export as PDF
- Choose a save location
Multiple images into one PDF:
- Select all images in Finder
- Right-click and choose "Open with Preview"
- In Preview's sidebar, drag thumbnails to reorder them
- Go to File > Print, then click the "PDF" dropdown in the bottom-left and select "Save as PDF"
Preview reads JPG, PNG, and HEIC natively. No conversion step needed for iPhone photos.
Windows Print to PDF
Windows has a built-in PDF printer that works with any image.
- Open the image(s) in Photos or the default image viewer
- Press Ctrl+P or go to File > Print
- Select "Microsoft Print to PDF" as the printer
- Click Print and choose a save location
To combine multiple images into one PDF, select all of them in File Explorer, right-click, and choose "Print." Windows will send them all to the PDF printer in one job.
The output quality depends on the print settings. Check the paper size and orientation before printing, especially if your images are landscape.
iPhone and iPad
Two options, no app needed.
Using the Files app:
- Save your photos to the Files app (or take screenshots, which go there automatically)
- Select the images you want
- Tap the three-dot menu and choose "Create PDF"
Using the Share sheet:
- Select photos in the Photos app
- Tap Share > Print
- On the print preview, pinch outward on the thumbnail with two fingers (this secretly creates a PDF)
- Tap Share again to save or send the PDF
The pinch-to-PDF trick works system-wide and has been in iOS since version 10. It works because iOS generates a PDF for the print preview, and pinching opens it as a standalone document.
Method 2: Online converters
Upload images, click convert, download a PDF. The process takes about 30 seconds.
iLovePDF, Adobe Acrobat online, and Smallpdf all do this. The workflow is nearly identical across all three: drag images in, arrange order, set page size and orientation, click convert.
Free tier limits apply. Smallpdf gives you 2 free tasks per day. iLovePDF caps you at 1 task per hour. Adobe lets you convert once, then asks for a subscription. If you convert images regularly, these limits get annoying fast.
HEIC support varies. Most online converters accept JPG and PNG but not HEIC. If you're working with iPhone photos, you may need to convert HEIC to JPG first (more on that below).
Your images get uploaded to their servers. Most services say they delete files within 1-2 hours. For vacation photos or a restaurant menu, that's fine. For medical images, ID scans, or anything sensitive, consider a local option. See our guide on PDF tool privacy for details on what happens to uploaded files.
Method 3: Browser-based local tools
These tools look like online converters, but the processing happens in your browser. Your images never leave your device.
PDF-Builder works this way. You can convert images to PDF directly in your browser with no upload, no account, and no file size limits. The conversion runs on your machine using JavaScript and WebAssembly.
This is the middle ground between online tools (convenient but upload your files) and desktop software (private but requires installation). You get both.
PDF-Builder handles JPG, PNG, and most common image formats. You can drag in multiple images, reorder them, and combine them into a single PDF.
Method 4: Desktop software
Desktop applications process everything locally. Nothing gets uploaded.
PDFsam Basic is open-source and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It handles image-to-PDF conversion alongside merge, split, and other PDF operations.
PDF24 Creator (Windows) includes an image-to-PDF converter in its toolkit of 50+ PDF tools. All free, all local.
PDFgear (Windows, Mac, iOS) has a cleaner interface and handles images alongside full PDF editing and annotation.
For anyone converting images to PDF on a daily basis, or working with sensitive images like medical scans or legal documents, desktop software is the right category. For a broader comparison of these and other tools, see our best free PDF tools guide.
Method 5: Command line
For developers and anyone automating image-to-PDF conversion, the command line is the most flexible option.
ImageMagick converts images to PDF with a single command:
convert image.jpg output.pdf
To combine multiple images into one PDF:
convert *.jpg combined.pdf
Note: on some systems, the convert command conflicts with a Windows system utility. Use magick instead:
magick *.jpg combined.pdf
Python with Pillow gives you more control:
from PIL import Image
from pathlib import Path
images = sorted(Path("photos/").glob("*.jpg"))
frames = [Image.open(img).convert("RGB") for img in images]
frames[0].save(
"photos.pdf",
save_all=True,
append_images=frames[1:],
)
This script grabs every JPG in a folder, sorts them alphabetically, and saves them as a multi-page PDF. You can add resizing, rotation, or filtering with a few more lines.
For batch processing hundreds of images on a schedule, command-line tools save hours compared to dragging files into a GUI.
Working with HEIC files
HEIC is the format most likely to cause problems. If you're an iPhone user, this section is for you.
Why HEIC exists. Apple adopted HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) as the default camera format in iOS 11 because it produces files roughly half the size of equivalent JPGs. Your 48-megapixel iPhone photos would fill your storage twice as fast without it.
The compatibility problem. HEIC works well inside the Apple ecosystem. macOS Preview, Photos, and most Apple apps read it natively. Outside Apple, support is inconsistent. Many PDF tools, web browsers, and Windows applications can't open HEIC files without additional codecs.
Option 1: Convert HEIC to JPG, then to PDF. On a Mac, open the HEIC file in Preview and export as JPG (File > Export, choose JPEG). On Windows, the Photos app can open HEIC files if you install the "HEIF Image Extensions" from the Microsoft Store, then save as JPG. Online tools like CloudConvert handle bulk HEIC-to-JPG conversion.
Option 2: Change your iPhone camera settings. Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and select "Most Compatible." Your iPhone will shoot in JPG instead of HEIC going forward. Photos are larger but work everywhere. This doesn't affect existing HEIC photos in your library.
Option 3: Let your Mac handle it. If you're on macOS, skip the conversion entirely. Preview reads HEIC natively, so you can open HEIC files and export directly to PDF without an intermediate format.
When sharing via AirDrop or email, iOS automatically converts HEIC to JPG for the recipient. The HEIC problem only surfaces when you're working with the raw files directly, like when you transfer photos via USB or access them through iCloud on a Windows machine.
Tips for better results
Check orientation before converting. A landscape photo dropped into a portrait-oriented PDF page gets cropped or scaled down. Most tools let you set page orientation per image, or you can rotate images beforehand.
Match page size to image size. Some converters default to Letter or A4 and add white borders around your image. If you want the PDF page to match the image dimensions exactly, look for a "fit to image" or "auto page size" option.
Compress large image PDFs after converting. A batch of 20 high-resolution photos can produce a 100+ MB PDF. Run it through a compression tool afterward to bring the size down for sharing.
Merge separate image PDFs into one. If you converted images individually and need them in a single document, merge them rather than reconverting from scratch.
Use PNG for documents with text. If you're converting screenshots, slides, or anything with readable text, PNG preserves sharper edges than JPG. The lossless compression keeps text crisp in the resulting PDF.
Use JPG for photographs. JPG files are smaller than PNG for photographic content, and the lossy compression is invisible in photos at normal viewing sizes. For a folder of vacation photos going into a PDF, JPG is the right format. For more on how document formats compare, see our guide on PDF vs DOCX vs HTML.
Which method should you use
Converting a few photos quickly — use your OS built-in tools or a browser-based local tool. No install, no upload, done in a minute.
Converting sensitive images (medical scans, IDs, legal documents) — use desktop software or a browser-based local tool. Your files stay on your device.
iPhone user hitting HEIC errors — use macOS Preview (handles HEIC natively) or change your camera settings to "Most Compatible" to avoid the problem entirely.
Developer automating image-to-PDF for a pipeline — use ImageMagick or Python with Pillow. Script it once, run it forever.
Regular PDF work across many tasks — install desktop software like PDFsam or PDF24. Image conversion is one of many tools you'll use alongside merge, compress, and split.
The right answer depends on the images, the sensitivity, and how often you do it. For most people, that answer changes depending on the situation.