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How to turn a photo of your ID into a PDF

By DeckleUpdated

To turn a photo of your ID into a PDF, open JPG to PDF, add the photo of the front (and the back, if needed), choose Fit inside A4 and choose Create PDF. You get a PDF with one side of the card on each page. Before you send it, add a password with Password protect PDF, because an ID copy is exactly what identity fraud needs.

JPG to PDF
Illustrated document pages containing a chart, photograph and text.
Illustration · a document can contain more than its visible pages.

How to make a PDF of your ID with Deckle

  1. Photograph the ID on a plain, dark surface, straight from above, with all four corners in the frame and no glare across the text.
  2. Open JPG to PDF and choose Select files, or drop the photos onto the page. For an iPhone photo saved as HEIC, use HEIC to PDF instead.
  3. Put the front first and the back second with the up and down arrows. Press the rotate button on a photo that is on its side.
  4. Under Page size, choose Fit inside A4 and keep Portrait. Each photo is placed on its own A4 page without being cropped.
  5. Set Output PDF name, for example passport-jane-okafor.pdf, and choose Create PDF.
  6. Download the PDF and zoom in to check that every number on the card is readable.
  7. If you will email it, open the PDF in Password protect PDF, set a password of at least 6 characters and choose Protect this PDF.

The result screen confirms how many pages the PDF has: one for a passport photo page, two for a card with a front and back.

Location data in phone photos

Phone cameras often store where a photo was taken inside the JPEG file. JPG to PDF places a JPEG that fits the device's limit in the PDF exactly as it is, so that location data travels into the PDF too. For an ID copy you would rather not include your home location.

You have two simple options:

  • Turn off location before you take the photo, in your camera settings, or remove it from the photo in your phone's photo app before converting.
  • Use HEIC to PDF for iPhone photos. It re-encodes the photo for the PDF and does not carry the camera and location metadata across.

Remove PDF metadata deletes PDF properties such as Author and Title, but it does not edit the photo data inside the page.

Who should get a copy, and how

Only send an ID copy when an organisation needs it, such as a landlord, employer, bank or visa office, and use their secure upload if they have one. An upload portal has to open the file itself, so upload it without a password.

For email:

  1. Protect the PDF with a password.
  2. Send the file by email.
  3. Send the password by a different route, such as a text message or phone call.

That way, one intercepted message does not give anyone your document. See how to share a password-protected PDF.

Some people also add a line such as "Copy for ABC Lettings only, May 2026" across the photo before converting it. Do this in your photo app, then convert the edited photo; JPG to PDF does not add text.

Phone limits

Deckle runs in your phone's browser, but phones keep fewer pixels per page: 4 megapixels on iPhone and iPad, and 16 megapixels on most Android phones. A larger photo is scaled down to fit, and the review says so before you convert. A 12- or 24-megapixel iPhone photo of an ID card converts on the phone at 4 megapixels, which is enough to read the card. For a sharper copy, crop the photo tightly to the card first, so the pixels you keep are the card's, or convert on a computer, where photos keep up to 16 megapixels. A 48-megapixel photo is over the 25-megapixel ceiling on iPhone and iPad and is refused there.

Tips

  • Photograph the card, not a photocopy. A photo of the real card is sharper than a scan of a copy.
  • Keep both sides together. Put front and back in one PDF so the recipient never receives half a document.
  • Delete spare copies. Once the PDF is sent, delete extra photos and unprotected copies from shared folders and downloads.
  • Check the expiry date first. Many organisations reject an expired ID, and the date is the first thing they check.

Other ways to turn an ID photo into a PDF

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to make a PDF of my passport?

Deckle converts the photo in your browser on your device; it is not uploaded. The risk is in where the PDF goes next, so protect it with a password before emailing it and send it only to organisations that need it.

Can I put the front and back of my ID on one page?

No. JPG to PDF puts each photo on its own page, so a card with two sides gives a two-page PDF with the front first.

Why is my photo blurry in the PDF?

The photo was blurry. The PDF keeps the JPEG exactly as taken, so retake the photo in better light with the phone held steady.

Does a password stop the recipient from saving the ID?

No. Anyone with the password can open and save the file. The password protects it while it travels by email.

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