How to create PDF from images
Do you have a rich collection of images that you would like to turn into a photo book in PDF format, so you can easily distribute it online, but you don’t know which software to use? Is it your intention to create a PDF document starting from a series of graphics on your PC but you don’t know how to do it? Don’t worry: if you want, I’m here to give you a hand!
With today’s guide, in fact, I’m going to explain how to create PDF from images using some software suitable for the purpose. Before you can be alarmed, however, I want to reassure you immediately: it is a very simple operation. It is also feasible on all major software platforms: Windows and macOS, as far as the computer is concerned, and Android and iOS, as regards the mobile environment.
Courage: make yourself comfortable and dedicate a few minutes of your precious time to reading this guide. I am sure that, in the end, you will be able to say that you are more than satisfied with the result obtained. Having said that, there is nothing left for me to do but wish you a good read and, above all, a good time!
Index
- How to create PDF from images on PC
- Create a PDF from scanned images
- How to create PDF from images on Mac
- Create a PDF from scanned images
- Create PDF from images online
- How to create PDF from photos on mobile
- Create PDF from images on Android
- Create PDF from images on iPhone
How to create PDF from images on PC
If you need to create PDF from images and you use a Windows-based computer, I suggest you resort to the use of JPEGtoPDF: it is a free program that allows you to generate PDF documents starting from all the main image formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, TIF etc. It is very simple to use and does not require any installation to be used.
Therefore, if you intend to create a PDF with JPEGtoPDF, the first thing you need to do is connect to the download page of the program and click on the Download button, located in the center of the screen.
When the download is complete, double-click on the JPEGtoPDF.zip file that was downloaded to your computer, extract the contents to any folder and start the JPEGtoPDF.exe program.
In the window that opens, then presses the Add files button and select all the images you want to use to create your PDF document. Alternatively, select the images with the mouse and drag them into the program window.
Subsequently, if necessary, change the order in which the images are arranged by selecting their names in the box on the left and pressing the Mov Sel Up and Mov Sel Down buttons. Then set the thickness of the margins, filling in the fields in the Margins section, and select the positioning you want the images to assume in the PDF, checking the Centered box (to center them) or the Top-Left Corner box (to position them at the top left) . If you wish, you can also change the unit of measurement of the various values, by checking the boxes in the Unit of Measure section (you can choose between inches, centimeters and millimeters ), and adjust the page size of the output PDF, using the options available in the Page Size / Output Settings section.
After setting all your preferences, make sure that the PDF box is checked in the Output Type field and that the Single PDF named box is checked in the Output File (s) Settings field. Then click on the Save PDF button, at the bottom right, and within a few seconds the PDF file with your images will be generated.
If you deem it appropriate, you can change the name of the PDF file that will be generated and the destination folder of the latter by acting, respectively, on the Single PDF File named and Write Files to fields.
Create a PDF from scanned images
Are you looking for a program to create a PDF from scanned images? Well, if you have already carried out the scans and, therefore, you have already saved the images of your interest on the PC, you can use the program that I recommended in the previous chapter of the tutorial. If, on the other hand, you haven’t scanned yet and want to get a PDF directly from the scanner, you can use NAPS2.
If you have never heard of it, NAPS2 is a free and open-source program for Windows, which allows you to scan photos and documents in a very simple way. It is compatible with all major versions of the Microsoft operating system and is also available in a portable version, which does not require installation to be used.
To get the portable version of NAPS2, connect to the SourceForge page that hosts the program and click on the I Accept button. Then select the folder for the latest software version (e.g. 6.1.2 ) and click on the naps2 link. xyz-portable.zip.
When the download is complete, open the .zip package obtained, extract it to a folder of your choice, access it and start the NAPS2 program. Portable.exe. Then insert the first photo to be scanned in the scanner tray and click on the Scan button.
You will be asked to create a custom acquisition profile (this is only necessary for the first scan): type the name you want to assign to the profile in the Display name field; click on the Choose device button and indicate the scanner you want to use.
Once this is done, specify the page size, the resolution in which you intend to scan and use the brightness and contrast indicators to adjust these parameters. Then click on the OK button and wait for the photo to be scanned.
When the operation is completed, insert the second photo to be scanned into the scanner, click on the Scan button and wait for the procedure to finish. Repeat the same procedure for all the images to be acquired and, when you are finished, select with the mouse all the photos to be saved, and then click on the Save PDF button at the top.
Alternatively, you can click on the ▼ symbol located next to the Scan button (top left) and select the Batch Scan item from the menu that opens, in order to perform automatic sequential scans, choosing whether to manually start the acquisition of the next image or whether to start it automatically according to a timer. More details about this can be found in my tutorial on how to scan multiple pages to PDF.
How to create PDF from images on Mac
If you have a Mac, know that you don’t need third-party programs to create PDFs from images: all you need is Preview, the application for viewing images and PDF files included “standard” in macOS.
Therefore, if you want to create a PDF starting from images on your Mac, the first thing you need to do is open the first photo you want to include in the PDF in Preview: if this does not happen automatically when you double-click the file icon, right-click on it and select the items Open with> Preview from the menu that is proposed to you.
Once the image is displayed in Preview, select the Thumbnails item from the View menu, at the top, and drag all the other images you want to insert in your PDF into the bar that appeared on the side. Once this is done, reorder them as you see fit, using the mouse.
Finally, click on any of the thumbnails in the Preview sidebar, press the combination keys cmd + a on your Mac keyboard, in order to highlight them all, and select the Print item from the File menu, at the top left, to open the print screen.
In the window that will open at this point, expand the PDF drop-down menu, at the bottom left; select the item Save as PDF, indicate the folder in which to export the final document and confirm the export of the document.
Keep in mind that, if you need to, you can also transform a single image into PDF: to do this, just avoid adding additional images in the Preview section dedicated to thumbnails.
Create a PDF from scanned images
Do you want to create a PDF from scanned images on Mac? Then know that, even in this case, you can use Preview: the default macOS utility for viewing images and PDF files.
To proceed, start Preview, insert the first photo to be scanned into the scanner and go to the File menu > Import from [scanner / multifunction name], at the top left.
In the window that opens, outline the scanning area, drawing a rectangle on the sheet preview, indicate in the Type menu that you are scanning an image and select the PDF option from the Format drop-down menu.
Then specify the resolution in which you want to scan, using the appropriate drop-down menu, put the checkmark next to the item Merge into a single document and, if you deem it appropriate, act on the other available options, to adjust the properties of the image as you see fit.
Finally, click on the Scan button, in order to start the scan and view the resulting image. Once this is done, insert the second photo to be scanned into the scanner, click on the Scan button, to start scanning, and repeat the procedure for all the images to be scanned.
In conclusion, click on the main Preview window, make sure that in the left sidebar there are the thumbnails of all the scanned photos, go to the File> Save menu, at the top left, and save the final file, taking care to select the PDF option in the Format pop-up menu.
If any step is not clear to you and/or you want more information on how to scan multiple pages to PDF, consult the tutorial I dedicated to the topic.
Create PDF from images online
If, for one reason or another, you cannot use the programs I have suggested so far, know that you can also create PDFs from images online, using Web services that work directly from the browser. An example? iLovePDF, which allows you to edit and convert PDF files online in a very simple way, also protecting the privacy of users (in fact, the files uploaded to its servers are deleted within a few hours). The service can be used for free and without registration.
To create PDF from images with iLovePDF, link to this page of the service and drag the photos you want to insert into your PDF in the browser window (only JPG files are supported), reorder the photos, adjust the other preferences and click on the Convert button in PDF (bottom right), to get your document.
How to create PDF from photos on mobile
How do you say? You currently don’t have a computer at hand and, therefore, would you like to know if it is possible to create PDFs from images on your mobile? Of course yes: by taking advantage of some free solutions for Android and iOS, it is possible to achieve this in a rather simple way. Now I’ll explain in detail how to proceed.
Create PDF from images on Android
If you use an Android terminal, you can create PDFs from images using Image to PDF Converter, a free application available on the Play Store that allows you to convert multiple images into single PDFs. Its operation is very intuitive.
After downloading the application on your smartphone/tablet and starting it, press the (+) button, located at the bottom right and, if necessary, confirm the permissions relating to access to the memory.
Once this is done, select the images to be transformed into PDF, by tapping on their thumbnails, and press the Done button, at the top right, to confirm.
At this point, if you want, you can reorder the images by arranging them in the order you prefer to be used in the final PDF: to do this, press the icon with the three horizontal lines located at the top right, move the thumbnails with your finger and press on the √ button, at the top right, to confirm the changes made.
Finally, click on the PDF file icon (always at the top right), assign a name to the document to be generated, choose which degree of compression to apply to the images ( No compression to apply no compression; Low, for low compression; Medium, for medium compression or High, for high compression), check the Password Protection and Apply Grayscale boxes if you want, respectively, to apply a password or create a grayscale document, and press the OK button, at the bottom right, to start exporting the PDF.
When the operation is completed, by clicking on the sharing icon located next to the generated PDF you can export it to one of the many applications on your device.
Create PDF from images on iPhone
If you have an iPhone (or iPad ), you can turn your photos into a PDF document without installing external apps.
First, start the iOS Photos application, click on the Select item located at the top right and tap on the thumbnails of the images you want to include in your PDF, in order to select them.
At this point, click on the share icon located at the bottom left (the square with the arrow inside) and select the Print option from the menu that opens.
When you see the print screen appear on the screen, spread two fingers on the thumbnail of the first photo (as if you wanted to enlarge it): this will open a PDF with all the images you previously selected.
To export the document, press on the sharing icon located at the top right (the square with the arrow inside), select the Save to file option from the menu that opens, indicate the folder to export the PDF and press on the Add button, top right. Easier than that?
