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Images to PDF

HEIC to PDF or JPEG first: which route is better?

By DeckleUpdated

Convert HEIC photos straight to PDF with HEIC to PDF unless you also need JPEG copies for something else. Both routes end the same way: a PDF cannot hold HEIC data, so each photo becomes a JPEG inside the PDF either way. Going direct is one step shorter, and it leaves camera and location data out of the PDF.

HEIC to PDF

Choose a source for the job

Photograph

Inspect colour and detail

Diagram

Inspect lines and labels

Scan

Inspect frames and text

A static PDF page does not preserve motion

Conceptual illustration · image format and output page behaviour are separate decisions.

The two routes compared

HEIC to PDF directly Export JPEG first, then JPG to PDF
Steps One Two
HEIC-to-JPEG conversions One, at quality 90 One, at the quality your export app uses
Page preview in Deckle No Yes, with Preview
Camera and location data in the PDF Not carried over Copied in with the JPEG, if the export kept it
You also get JPG files No Yes
Works with HEICs holding several images No, refused Only once you export a single image

How to convert HEIC directly

  1. Open HEIC to PDF and choose Select files, or drop the .heic or .heif photos onto the page.
  2. Put them in order with the arrows and rotate any that are sideways.
  3. Choose Fit inside A4 for a document, or Match each image for photo-sized pages.
  4. Choose Create PDF and download the PDF.

Each photo is decoded in your browser and saved into the PDF as a JPEG at quality 90, which looks the same as the photo at normal zoom. The first HEIC conversion downloads the decoder.

How to go through JPEG first

  1. Export the photos as JPEG. On a Mac, select them in Photos, choose File > Export > Export Photos and pick JPEG in the Photo Kind menu (Export photos on Mac), or open one in Preview and choose File > Export.
  2. Open JPG to PDF and add the exported JPGs.
  3. Press Preview on a row to check its page, then choose Create PDF.

JPG to PDF copies each JPEG into the PDF unchanged, so the PDF matches the JPEG files exactly.

Which looks better?

Neither route has a clear quality advantage. In both, the photo is decoded from HEIC and encoded once as JPEG. What differs is who chooses the JPEG quality: Deckle uses 90, and your export app uses its own setting, often adjustable. A higher export quality gives a slightly sharper, larger PDF; a lower one gives a smaller, softer PDF.

What does not help is exporting several times. Each extra JPEG save loses a little more detail, so export once, from the original HEIC.

When to go direct

  • You only need the PDF. One step, no leftover JPG files to tidy up.
  • You are sharing the PDF widely. HEIC to PDF does not carry the photo's camera or GPS data into the PDF.
  • You are on Windows without HEIF support. Deckle decodes HEIC with its own decoder in the browser, so you do not need another app to make JPEGs first.

When to export JPEG first

  • You need JPG files as well, for a website, an email or an app that does not take PDFs.
  • You want to see the page layout before converting. JPG to PDF has a page preview; HEIC to PDF does not.
  • You want to control file size. A lower export quality gives a smaller PDF.
  • The HEIC holds several images. HEIC to PDF refuses files with more than one image. Export the one you want as a JPEG.
  • The photo is too large for your device. HEIC to PDF scales a photo over the pixel limit down for you, but a 48-megapixel photo is refused on iPhone and iPad. Exporting from Photos lets you choose a smaller size at the same time.

A third option: let the phone save JPEG

If you regularly need JPEG, you can avoid HEIC altogether. Apple's steps: Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPEG, at the cost of more storage. Apple also notes that sharing by AirDrop, Messages or email may send JPEG automatically when the receiving device does not support HEIF, so check the extension of what arrived.

Both routes have the same pixel limits. Each page keeps up to 16 megapixels on a computer or Android device, and 4 megapixels on iPhone and iPad; a larger photo is scaled down to fit. Apple notes that on supported models the main camera saves 24-megapixel photos by default (Change advanced camera settings on iPhone). Those convert everywhere, but on iPhone and iPad they keep about a sixth of their pixels, so use a computer when detail matters. A 48-megapixel photo is refused on iPhone and iPad; convert it on a computer, or choose 24 MP or 12 MP under Settings > Camera > Formats > Photo Mode. On the JPEG route, a photo that is scaled down is re-saved at quality 90 without its EXIF data, just as HEIC to PDF always does.

Tips

  • Export once, from the original. Do not convert a JPEG that was already converted from HEIC.
  • Remove location data from JPGs before sharing. If you go through JPEG, check whether your export app kept GPS data; JPG to PDF copies it in.
  • Keep the HEIC originals. They are the best copy you have.
  • Mixing both is fine. Convert HEIC photos and JPG photos separately and join them in Merge PDFs.

Frequently asked questions

Does converting HEIC to JPEG first improve the PDF?

No. Either way the photo is converted to JPEG once. Going direct avoids an extra step.

Will HEIC to PDF keep my photo's location?

No. Camera and location metadata from the HEIC file are not carried into the PDF.

Why can I preview JPGs but not HEIC photos?

The page preview reads the image size from JPG and PNG files only, so HEIC to PDF shows no page preview. Check the downloaded PDF instead.

Is quality 90 good enough for documents?

Yes. Text and edges stay clear at normal zoom. Differences appear only when zooming far into fine detail.

Related tools

Sources