Converting your photos into PDF documents is a useful skill for anyone who wants to share images in a universally accessible format, create portfolios, or archive visual content. If you’re a Mac user, you’re in luck! macOS offers a couple of straightforward methods to achieve this without needing to download any extra software. Let’s explore how you can easily turn your photos into PDFs using built-in Mac tools.
Method 1: Quickly Convert Photos to PDF with Preview
Preview, the default image and PDF viewer on macOS, isn’t just for viewing files. It’s also a surprisingly powerful tool for basic image editing and, importantly, converting images to PDF. This method is incredibly simple and perfect for quickly creating PDFs from a selection of photos.
Here’s how to do it using Preview:
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Select your images: Open Finder and navigate to the folder containing the photos you want to convert. Select all the images you wish to include in your PDF. You can do this by holding down the Command key and clicking on each image, or by clicking and dragging to select a group of images.
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Open with Preview: Right-click on your selected images, hover over “Open With,” and choose “Preview.” All selected images will open in the Preview application.
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Select thumbnails in Preview’s sidebar: In Preview, ensure the sidebar is visible (if not, go to View > Sidebar > Show Sidebar). Select all the image thumbnails in the sidebar. This is crucial for converting all of them into a single PDF.
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Print to PDF: Go to the “File” menu and select “Print Selected Images…”. Do not select just “Print…”. Choosing “Print Selected Images…” is key to getting the desired output.
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Save as PDF: In the Print dialog window, in the bottom-left corner, you’ll see a “PDF” dropdown menu. Click on it and select “Save as PDF…”.
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Choose your save location and filename: A save dialog box will appear. Choose where you want to save your PDF, give it a name, and click “Save.”
That’s it! Preview will create a multi-page PDF document where each photo is placed on a separate page. This method is fast, efficient, and requires no extra software, making it ideal for everyday use.
Method 2: Using Automator for Batch Photo to PDF Conversion
For users who frequently need to convert photos to PDF, especially in batches, Automator provides a more streamlined and automated workflow. Automator is a built-in macOS application that lets you create custom workflows to automate various tasks. Setting up an Automator workflow for converting images to PDF can save you time in the long run.
Here’s how to set up an Automator workflow for converting photos to PDF:
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Open Automator: Launch Automator. You can find it by searching for “Automator” in Spotlight (Command + Spacebar).
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Choose Workflow Type: When Automator opens, you’ll be prompted to choose a type of document. Select “Workflow” and click “Choose.”
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Add “Get Specified Finder Items” action: In the left sidebar of Automator, under “Library,” find “Files & Folders.” Drag the “Get Specified Finder Items” action to the workflow area on the right. This action will allow you to select the images you want to convert.
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Add “New PDF from Images” action: In the left sidebar, find “PDFs.” Drag the “New PDF from Images” action below the “Get Specified Finder Items” action in your workflow. This action will convert the images into a PDF.
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Configure “New PDF from Images” action: In the “New PDF from Images” action, you can customize the output PDF. You can choose:
- Save Output to: Select the location where you want to save the PDF.
- Output File Name: Specify a default name for your PDF file.
- Page Size: Adjust the page size if needed. Leaving it as “Automatic” usually works well to fit the images.
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(Optional) Add “Open Finder Items” action: If you want to automatically open the newly created PDF after it’s created, find “Open Finder Items” under “Files & Folders” in the Library and drag it to the end of your workflow.
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Save your Automator Workflow: Go to File > Save. Give your workflow a descriptive name (e.g., “Photos to PDF”) and choose where to save it. You can save it as an application for easy access.
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Run your Workflow: To use your workflow, you can either:
- Run within Automator: Click the “Run” button in the top-right corner of the Automator window and then add files when prompted.
- Drag and Drop (if saved as Application): If you saved it as an application, simply drag and drop the photos you want to convert onto the Automator application icon.
Automator offers a more efficient way to handle batch conversions and can be saved for repeated use, making it a powerful tool for those who frequently convert photos to PDF.
Choosing the Right Method
Both Preview and Automator provide effective ways to convert photos to PDF on macOS.
- Preview is ideal for quick, one-off conversions when you need a PDF from a few images without any extra setup. It’s fast and readily accessible.
- Automator shines when you need to perform batch conversions regularly. Setting up the workflow initially takes a bit more time, but it saves time in the long run, especially if you frequently deal with converting multiple photos to PDF.
No matter which method you choose, converting your photos to PDF on a Mac is a simple process thanks to these built-in tools. Start converting your images today and enjoy the benefits of this versatile file format!
