Key takeaways
- Take one photo per page in good, even light, holding the phone straight above the page.
- Crop away the background, shrink big photos if needed, then combine the photos with Image to PDF.
- iPhone HEIC photos should be converted to JPG first.
- The PDF is built in your browser, so your documents are not uploaded.
When a phone scan is enough
Forms for jobs, schools, banks and offices often ask for a PDF of your certificates, ID copy or bills. You do not need a scanner. A phone camera, good light and a few minutes are enough, as long as the result is easy to read.
Take photos that read well
- Use daylight or bright, even light. Avoid shadows across the page, including your own.
- Place the page on a plain, flat surface. A dark table behind a white page makes the edges clear.
- Hold the phone straight above the page, not at an angle, so the page does not look slanted.
- Fill the frame and keep the text sharp. Tap the screen to focus before you take the photo.
- One photo per page, taken in the order you want them to appear.
Prepare the photos
- Crop the background away with Crop Image, which takes the exact pixel area you want to keep.
- If a photo is sideways, turn it with Rotate Image.
- If your iPhone saved photos as HEIC, convert them to JPG with HEIC to JPG. The guide is in How to convert HEIC to JPG.
- If the photos are large, reduce them with Compress Image.
Make the PDF
- Open Image to PDF and add your photos. JPG and PNG are supported.
- Arrange them so the pages are in the correct order.
- Create the PDF and download it.
- Open it and scroll through every page before you send it.
If the PDF is too big
Photos make heavy PDFs. If a form has a size limit, shrink the photos before you build the PDF, or compress the finished PDF with Compress PDF. The full method is in How to compress a PDF for email and applications.
Keep your documents private
ID copies and certificates are sensitive. Image to PDF builds the PDF in your browser, so your photos stay on your device. After you have sent the file, delete extra copies you no longer need. For more on checking how a tool treats your files, read Are online PDF tools safe?.
Frequently asked questions
Which photo types can I use?
JPG and PNG. For HEIC photos from an iPhone, convert them with HEIC to JPG first.
Can I put many photos in one PDF?
Yes. Add the photos, arrange them in order and create the PDF.
How do I make the photos look more like a scan?
Use good light, shoot straight from above, crop the background and keep one page per photo.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. The PDF is created in your browser and your photos stay on your device.
Can I change the page order later?
You can rearrange the photos before you create the PDF. If you need to change the order of a finished PDF, use Organize PDF.