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Images to PDF

How to make a portfolio PDF from images

By DeckleUpdated

To make a portfolio PDF from images, export each piece of work as a PNG or JPG, open PNG to PDF or JPG to PDF, add the images in the order you want to present them, choose Fit inside A4 with Landscape and choose Create PDF. You get one page per piece, at full image quality. If your work is in both formats, convert each group and join them with Merge PDFs.

PNG 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.

How to make a portfolio PDF with Deckle

  1. Export every piece at its final size, with consistent proportions where you can. Use PNG for illustrations, interface designs and anything with text; use JPG for photography.
  2. Make a cover and, if you want one, a contents or contact page as images in the same format and proportions.
  3. Open PNG to PDF or JPG to PDF and choose Select files, or drop the images onto the page.
  4. Put the cover first, then the pieces in presentation order, using the up and down arrows.
  5. Under Page size, choose Fit inside A4, then Landscape and a margin of Narrow or Standard. Use Match each image instead if the portfolio is only for screens.
  6. Type a name in Output PDF name, such as jane-smith-portfolio-2026, and choose Create PDF.
  7. Download the PDF and page through it on the kind of screen the reader will use.

The result screen says how many pages were created and from how many images. Count your pieces plus cover and contact pages to check nothing was left unticked.

Plan the sequence

A portfolio is read in order, often quickly. Decide the order before you add the images, because Deckle follows the list, not file names.

A common structure:

  1. Cover with your name, discipline and contact details
  2. Your strongest piece
  3. Four to eight further pieces, grouped by project or type
  4. A closing page with contact details again

Example: a 12-page design portfolio. Page 1 is the cover, pages 2–4 are a brand identity project, pages 5–8 are a website redesign, pages 9–11 are illustration, and page 12 is contact details. If one piece needs moving after you convert, open the PDF in Organize PDF pages, drag the page and choose Save pages.

Choose page size for how it will be seen

The portfolio will be Choose
Sent by email or uploaded to a job application Fit inside A4, Landscape, margin Narrow
Printed for an interview Fit inside A4, margin Standard
Viewed full screen on a laptop or tablet Match each image
Mostly tall pieces, such as posters Fit inside A4, Portrait

Fit inside A4 gives every page the same size, which looks tidy when someone scrolls. Large images shrink to fit and smaller ones are centred, never cropped or enlarged. Orientation applies to every page, so a mix of tall and wide pieces is best exported onto a consistent canvas first, for example by placing each piece on a 1600 × 1131 pixel landscape background, which has the same proportions as A4.

Match each image gives each page the exact size of its image. That keeps every piece edge to edge with no white border, which works well on screen.

Keep the work looking its best

  • PNG for anything sharp. Logos, typography, UI designs and line illustration keep exact pixels in PNG to PDF.
  • JPG for photography. JPG to PDF copies each JPEG within the pixel limit unchanged, so the photo keeps the quality you exported.
  • Large enough to zoom. Reviewers zoom in. Export at least 2000 pixels on the long side, within the pixel limit of 16 megapixels on a computer. Anything larger is scaled down to fit, and a scaled JPEG is re-saved at quality 90.
  • Transparent backgrounds. PNG transparency is kept and usually shows as white in viewers. Export on the background colour you want if it matters.

See how to convert images to PDF without losing quality for the detail of what each tool keeps.

Mind the file size

Job portals and email services often cap the size of an upload or attachment, so check the limit before you export. The PDF is roughly the size of the images together. If it is too big, export the images smaller or as JPG at a lower quality setting from your design app, then convert again. Fit inside A4 does not reduce the size, because the pixels are kept.

Tips

  • Make the cover an image. Deckle does not add text, so design the cover and contact pages in your design app and export them with the rest.
  • Remove location data from photos. JPG to PDF copies each JPEG within the pixel limit with its EXIF data, including any GPS location.
  • Check on a phone. Some reviewers will open the PDF on a phone. Page through it there once to see how the pages read.
  • Keep one master list. Save the order as a numbered list of file names so you can rebuild the PDF when you add work.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add text or captions to the pages?

No. Deckle places each image on its page as it is. Add captions to the images in your design app before exporting.

Can I mix PNG and JPG pieces?

Yes, in two steps. Convert each format with its own tool, then join the PDFs in Merge PDFs and reorder pages if needed.

Will the links in my work be clickable?

No. Each page is an image, so any web address in it is only a picture. Write the address out in full so reviewers can type it.

Can I put two pieces on one page?

No. Each image becomes one page. Arrange two pieces on one canvas in your design app if you want them side by side.

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