Move freely between image and PDF.

When should you convert an image to PDF?

Photos are easy to capture, but PDFs are often easier to submit, print and archive. Converting JPG or PNG images to PDF creates a document with a predictable page order and a format that opens consistently across common devices.

Image-to-PDF conversion works well for receipts, handwritten notes, identification copies, classroom pages, whiteboards and signed forms. Multiple photos can become one multi-page PDF instead of a collection of separate attachments.

How to create a better PDF from photos

Begin with a clear source image. Use even lighting, hold the camera parallel to the page and keep all four corners visible. Crop away the background and check small text before converting the image to PDF.

Arrange multiple images in reading order and choose a sensible page orientation. The result should look like a document, not a loose camera roll.

• Use the highest practical image quality
• Avoid shadows and reflections on glossy paper
• Crop consistently across every page
• Put pages in order before creating the PDF
• Open the finished PDF and zoom in to verify text

Why convert a PDF page back to an image?

PDF-to-image conversion is useful when you need one page for a presentation, message, website upload or visual reference. Export only the pages you need, then select JPG for broad compatibility or PNG when crisp graphics are important.

Remember that an exported page is a picture of the PDF page. Text may no longer be selectable, so keep the original PDF for search, copying and long-term storage.

Organize scanned pages before sharing

After converting photos into PDF, check the page order and orientation in the review screen. Use the browser layout tool to reverse a backwards scan, keep odd or even original pages, or insert a blank for a divider. Extract pages when only one receipt or form is needed.

For a multi-document scan, Split PDF can create a separate file for each section. Add page numbers after organizing a long packet, or add a COPY watermark to a reference version. These steps organize existing content; they do not recognize text inside your photos.

• Extract selected PDF pages
• Split a PDF into separate files
• Add page numbers
• Add a text watermark

Keep everyday document work close with the Do Scan app

Use the free web tools for the file in front of you. When paperwork is a regular part of your day, the Do Scan app brings scanning, offline OCR and PDF management together on your phone. Capture a new paper document, recognize its text and keep your document workflow on your device.

Get Do Scan from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or from Google Play for Android using the links below. Explore the app features to decide whether its on-device workflow suits your receipts, notes, forms and recurring document tasks. The free web tools remain available without an app install or account.