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How to put reference images into one PDF

By DeckleUpdated

To put reference images into one PDF, open JPG to PDF or PNG to PDF, add the images grouped in the order you want to study them, choose a page size and choose Create PDF. You get a single paginated PDF you can flick through on a tablet, print, or share with a class or team. If the set mixes formats, convert each group and join them with Merge PDFs.

JPG to PDF

Keep reference identity outside the image importer

Source images

Record order, captions and source attribution

PDF pages

Check that images remain readable at the chosen size

The importer does not invent captions or citations

Conceptual workflow · page assembly does not establish permission to reproduce an image or preserve its source context.

How to build a reference PDF with Deckle

  1. Collect the images in one folder and sort them into groups by topic, such as poses, hands, lighting, or one folder per building.
  2. Check the formats. JPG and PNG are accepted by their own tools; WebP, GIF and BMP files from the web must be saved as PNG or JPG first.
  3. Open the tool for the largest group, for example JPG to PDF, and choose Select files, or drop the images onto the page.
  4. Put the images in order with the up and down arrows, keeping each topic together.
  5. Choose Fit inside A4 for printing or Match each image for screen use. With A4, pick Portrait or Landscape and a margin.
  6. Name the part in Output PDF name, such as refs-1-poses, and choose Create PDF.
  7. Repeat for the other groups, then select all the parts in Merge PDFs, put them in order and choose Merge PDFs.

The result screen of each run says how many pages were created and from how many images, so you can check each group before merging.

Organise the pack before converting

A reference pack is only useful if you can find things in it. Decide the structure first, because Deckle follows the order of the list and never sorts by name.

Example: a 40-page figure-drawing pack.

Pages Group Source format
1 Title page made in a drawing app PNG
2–16 Standing poses JPG
17–28 Seated poses JPG
29–34 Hand studies PNG
35–40 Lighting studies JPG

That is two PNG runs and three JPG runs, or one run per format followed by reordering. With five parts, naming them 1-title, 2-standing and so on makes the merge order obvious. If a page lands in the wrong group, fix it afterwards in Organize PDF pages.

A simple divider page, an image with the group name in large type, makes a long pack much easier to navigate. Make it in any drawing or slide app and export it as PNG.

Choose a layout for how you will use it

Use Page size Why
Tablet beside your sketchbook Match each image Each image fills the screen at its own shape
Printed handouts for a class Fit inside A4, margin Narrow Every image fits the paper and nothing is cut off
Mostly landscape images, such as architecture Fit inside A4, Landscape Wide images print larger

Fit inside A4 shrinks large images to fit and centres them, and keeps small images at their own size. Nothing is cropped. Every run in a pack should use the same setting, so the merged PDF has consistent pages. How to put images on A4 pages explains the margins.

What to check before you share it

  • Page count. Add up the images in each group; the merged PDF should have that many pages.
  • Small images. Thumbnails saved from the web stay small, because Deckle never enlarges an image. Replace them with larger copies if they are hard to read.
  • Transparent PNGs. Transparency is kept and usually shows as white. Cut-out references on a transparent background look fine in most viewers.
  • Rights. Images you collected from the web may belong to someone else. Check you may share them before sending the pack to others.

Tips

  • Keep originals in their groups. When you add new references, rebuild only the group that changed and merge again.
  • Use PNG for line work. Line drawings and diagrams stay crisp as PNG; photos are fine as JPG.
  • Mind the pixel limit. Each page keeps up to 16 megapixels on a computer, 4 megapixels on iPhone and iPad. Larger images are scaled down to fit, and the review lists them before you convert.
  • Name the final file clearly. A name such as figure-refs-2026-11 helps when you have several packs.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put several reference images on one page?

No. Each image gets its own page. Arrange several images on one canvas in a drawing app first if you want a contact sheet.

Can I add WebP images from the web?

Not directly. Save them as PNG or JPG in an image editor first, then add them to the matching tool.

Can I add pages to the pack later?

Yes. Convert the new images, then merge that PDF with the pack in Merge PDFs and move the new pages into place with Organize PDF pages.

Are the images uploaded anywhere?

No. Each PDF is built in your browser and the images stay on your device.

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