Windows 10 and Windows 11 both include a virtual printer called Microsoft Print to PDF. "Printing" to it saves a PDF instead of using paper, and it works for one image or a whole selection at once. Below are the exact steps, the one setting most people get wrong, and when a browser tool is the better choice.
Method 1: Microsoft Print to PDF (built in)
- In File Explorer, select the JPGs you want in the PDF. Hold Ctrl and click to pick several, or press Ctrl+A for the whole folder.
- Right-click the selection and choose Print. On Windows 11, click Show more options first (or press Shift+F10).
- In the Print Pictures window, set Printer to Microsoft Print to PDF.
- Choose the paper size (A4 for UK forms) and, in the layout list on the right, Full page photo for one image per page.
- Untick Fit picture to frame. Left ticked, Windows crops the edges of each photo to fill the page.
- Click Print, choose a folder and file name, and click Save.
Every selected image becomes a page of one PDF. No internet connection is needed.
The catches
- Page order. Pages follow the order Windows lists the files, which is not always the order you clicked. Renaming them 01, 02, 03 first is the reliable fix.
- Cropping. If you forget to untick Fit picture to frame, receipts and documents lose their edges, often the bit with the total or the date.
- Size. There is no target-size option, so a PDF of phone photos can be too big for an upload portal.
- Missing printer. If Microsoft Print to PDF is not listed, search Windows for Turn Windows features on or off and tick it.
Method 2: PDFWhisk in Edge or Chrome (order and page size under control)
- Open pdfwhisk.com/jpg-to-pdf in Edge or Chrome.
- Drag the JPGs onto the page, or click to browse and select several at once.
- Drag the thumbnails into the order you want.
- Choose page size (A4, US Letter or Fit to Image), orientation and margin.
- Click Convert to PDF and download the file.
The conversion runs in the browser tab, so the images are not uploaded to a server. JPGs are placed into the PDF without being re-compressed, so the quality is identical to your photos. Up to 20 images per PDF are free.
Built-in or browser: which to use
| Microsoft Print to PDF | PDFWhisk | |
|---|---|---|
| Several images in one PDF | Yes | Yes (20 free) |
| Drag pages into order | No (rename files instead) | Yes |
| Risk of cropped photos | Yes, unless you untick Fit picture to frame | No, photos are scaled to fit |
| Page size with no border | No | Yes (Fit to Image, Margin: None) |
| Works offline | Yes | Needs the page to load; files stay on your PC |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Two photos on one page
The Print Pictures window can also put two photos on each page: pick one of the layouts with (2) after its name instead of Full page photo. That is handy for both sides of a driving licence. Our guide to putting two photos in one PDF covers the other ways to do it.
If the PDF is too big
Phone photos are often 2MB to 5MB each, so ten of them make a PDF of 20MB or more, too big for many job and council portals. Run the finished PDF through Compress PDF with a 2MB or 5MB target rather than shrinking each photo first; it keeps text and edges sharper.
Windows 11 Photos app
You can also print to PDF from the Photos app: open the image, click the three-dot menu, choose Print and select Microsoft Print to PDF. It handles the image you have open, so for a batch the File Explorer method above is quicker.