How to Combine Photos Into a PDF: The Complete Guide for Every Device
You need to turn a bunch of photos into one PDF document. Maybe it is receipts for an expense report, photos of a signed contract, ID documents for a rental application, or pictures for an insurance claim. Whatever the reason, you need multiple images in a single, shareable PDF file.
Here is how to do it on every device — no paid software required.
The Fastest Method: Use Your Browser (Any Device)
The quickest way to combine photos into a PDF, regardless of what device you are on, is to use a browser-based tool. PDFico's Image to PDF tool works on any device with a web browser — phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.
- Open PDFico's Image to PDF tool in your browser.
- Tap or click to select your photos, or drag and drop them into the upload area.
- Rearrange the order by dragging the thumbnails if needed.
- Click "Convert to PDF."
- Download your PDF.
Your photos never leave your device — everything is processed locally in your browser. This means it works with sensitive documents like ID photos, medical records, or financial paperwork without any privacy risk.
Combine Photos Into a PDF — Free →Device-Specific Methods
iPhone and iPad
Method 1: The Print Trick
- Open the Photos app and select the images you want to combine.
- Tap the Share button and choose "Print."
- On the print preview screen, use a pinch-to-zoom gesture (spread two fingers outward) on any of the page thumbnails. This converts the print job into a PDF.
- You will now see a PDF preview. Tap the Share button to save or send it.
This method is built into iOS and requires no additional apps. The trick is the pinch-to-zoom gesture on the print preview — most people do not know about it.
Method 2: The Files App
- Save your photos to the Files app (use the Share button from Photos, then "Save to Files").
- Open the Files app, navigate to the folder with your images.
- Tap the three-dot menu (…) and select "Select."
- Select the images you want.
- Tap the three-dot menu again and choose "Create PDF."
The Files app combines the selected images into a single PDF in the same folder.
Android
Method 1: Google Photos Print Trick
Similar to iPhone, you can use the print function in Google Photos. Select your images, tap Share, choose Print, then select "Save as PDF" as the printer. This creates a PDF from your selected photos.
Method 2: Google Drive
- Open Google Drive on your phone.
- Tap the + button and select "Scan."
- Instead of scanning, you can import images from your gallery.
- Add multiple pages and save as a PDF.
Google Drive's scan feature is designed for documents but works well for any images you need in a PDF.
Mac
Method 1: Preview (Built-in)
- Select all the image files in Finder.
- Right-click and choose "Open With → Preview."
- In Preview, select all images in the sidebar (Command+A).
- Go to File → Print.
- In the print dialog, click the "PDF" dropdown at the bottom left and choose "Save as PDF."
This gives you full control over page order and puts each image on its own page.
Method 2: Quick Action in Finder
- Select your images in Finder.
- Right-click and look for "Quick Actions → Create PDF."
This is the fastest method on Mac but gives you less control over the result.
Windows
Method 1: Microsoft Print to PDF
- Select your image files in File Explorer.
- Right-click and choose "Print."
- Select "Microsoft Print to PDF" as the printer.
- Choose how many images per page and the page size.
- Click Print and choose where to save the PDF.
This is built into Windows 10 and 11. No additional software needed. You can put one image per page (recommended for documents) or multiple images per page (good for photo grids).
Tips for Better Results
Image Resolution
For documents that will be viewed on screen, 150 DPI is fine. For documents that will be printed, use 300 DPI images. Higher resolution means larger file sizes, so do not use more than you need.
File Format Matters
- Use JPEG for photographs — it keeps file sizes small with acceptable quality.
- Use PNG for screenshots, documents with text, and graphics — it preserves sharp edges and text clarity.
- Avoid BMP or TIFF — these are uncompressed formats that create unnecessarily large PDFs.
Sort Before You Convert
Most tools add images to the PDF in the order you select them. Make sure your images are named or sorted in the order you want them to appear. PDFico lets you drag and reorder images before converting, which is helpful if your files are not already in the right order.
Handling Mixed Orientations
If some of your photos are portrait and some are landscape, you may want to rotate the misaligned ones after creating the PDF. PDFico's Rotate tool lets you rotate individual pages without affecting the rest of the document.
After Creating the PDF
Once your photos are in a PDF, you might need to do a few more things:
- File too large for email? Compress it with PDFico to reduce the size. Photo-based PDFs usually compress well — expect 40-70% size reduction.
- Need to add more pages later? Merge your new PDF with additional documents using PDFico's Merge tool.
- Need to protect it? Add a password if the PDF contains sensitive ID documents or financial records.
- Need a watermark? Add a text or image watermark to mark the document as confidential or add your name.
All of these steps — converting, compressing, merging, protecting, and watermarking — can be done in your browser with PDFico. No uploads to external servers, no accounts, no subscriptions.
Common Use Cases
- Rental applications: Combine photos of your ID, proof of income, and references into one PDF.
- Insurance claims: Compile photos of damage into a single document for submission.
- Expense reports: Turn receipt photos into one PDF for accounting.
- Visa applications: Combine passport photos, bank statements, and supporting documents.
- Portfolio submissions: Create a photo portfolio PDF for job or college applications.
- Archiving: Turn photo collections into organised PDF albums.