How to Convert Images to PDF for Fax

To convert an image to a PDF for fax, open the image in a built-in print or scan tool, choose PDF as the output, save the file, and check every page at full size before you send it. A JPG or a phone photo can be faxed this way in a few minutes, without installing anything. The details that decide whether the fax is readable are page order, page size, lighting and file size. This guide covers each one.

TL;DR

Windows, Mac and iPhone can all save an image as a PDF through the Print menu, with no extra software.
Combine multiple images into one PDF and arrange the pages in the correct order before you convert.
Photograph documents straight on, in even light, and keep the whole page in the frame.
Use US Letter for faxes inside the United States, keep the whole image on the page, and review the PDF at 100% zoom.
Send the PDF, then keep the delivery confirmation as your record that it arrived.

Why a fax needs a PDF rather than a loose image

A fax is a set of pages. A folder of loose JPG or PNG files has no page structure, so the receiving machine has no way to know which image is page one, how large each page should be or where the document ends. A PDF fixes all of that in one file: the pages are in a set order, each has a defined size, and the file opens the same way on any device.

Online fax services accept several file types, and you can read which ones in our guide to supported file types for online faxing. Even so, converting to a PDF yourself gives you control over the result. You decide the order, you see how each page looks, and you catch problems before you pay for pages that arrive crooked or cut off.

This matters most for documents where a bad page has a cost: an IRS form, a signed contract, a court filing or a medical authorization. In these cases, send a single, checked PDF.

Why a fax needs a PDF rather than loose files

Convert an image to PDF without installing software

Your computer or phone already has what you need. The steps below use the print and scan tools built into each system.

On Windows

Open the image in the Photos app or in File Explorer.
Press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog.
Choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer.
Set the paper size to Letter and the layout to full page, then select Print.
Name the file and save it somewhere you can find it.

If you take the picture with a Windows device, Microsoft explains that the Camera app has a document mode that lets you crop and rotate the shot, and that you can export the result as a PDF through its Print dialog. The steps are on the Microsoft Support page for the Windows Camera app.

On a Mac

Open the image in Preview.
Choose File, then Print.
In the lower left corner of the dialog, open the PDF menu and select Save as PDF.
Name the file and save it.

To put several images in one PDF, open them together in Preview, select all the thumbnails in the sidebar and then use the same Print and Save as PDF path.

On an iPhone or iPad

There are two routes. For an image already in your Photos app, tap Share, scroll to Print, then pinch outward on the page preview to turn it into a PDF, and save it to Files. For a paper document, scan it directly. Apple describes how to open a folder in the Files app, tap the More button, choose Scan Documents and then share the resulting file, on the Apple Support page for sending files from the Files app. Our walkthrough on how to create a PDF on iPhone covers the same methods with fax-specific tips.

On an Android phone or any phone with Google Drive

Google states that the Drive mobile app, rather than the web version, provides document scanning, and that scans are saved as PDFs in Google Drive. Details are on the Google Drive Help page about scanning documents. Open the app, tap the plus button, choose Scan, photograph each page and save. Then download the PDF or share it to the device you use for faxing.

With a free tool built for fax

If you already have a PDF that is large, tinted or poorly scaled, our faxify PDF tool prepares it for faxing online. You can find it alongside our other free fax and PDF tools, which cover converting, merging, splitting and organizing PDFs.

Combine several images into one PDF in the right order

Most documents are more than one page. A three-page contract photographed as three separate images should leave you with one three-page PDF, not three faxes. The recipient reads one document, and you avoid paying for stray cover pages or duplicates.

Order is where mistakes happen. File managers sort names alphabetically, so a set called page1, page2 and page10 may appear as page1, page10, page2. Two habits prevent this:

Rename the files with zero-padded numbers before you combine them: 01-contract, 02-contract, 03-contract. Alphabetical sorting then matches the page order.
Arrange thumbnails by eye in the tool you use. Most converters and PDF organizers let you drag pages into sequence, and the first image becomes page one.

When you merge in a PDF tool, the pattern is the same: convert each image, add the files, arrange the thumbnails, then combine. If you have already made a PDF with pages in the wrong order, you do not have to start again. Use a page organizer to move pages, and use a merge tool to join separate PDFs. Both are available in our free PDF tools.

After combining, open the file and look at the first and last pages. Those two checks catch most ordering and layout mistakes quickly. For longer packages that include several separate documents, read our advice on faxing multiple documents, which covers order and verification.

Take a photo that stays readable after faxing

Fax transmission reduces image detail. A page that looks acceptable on your screen can turn gray, blurry or illegible once it passes through a fax line. The simplest protection is a good source image.

Hold the camera parallel to the page. Angled shots produce slanted text and skewed edges.
Fill the frame, leaving a thin border. Crop out the desk, your fingers and anything else around the page.
Use even light from the side. Light from directly above or from your phone’s flash tends to produce glare, and one lamp behind you throws your own shadow across the paper.
Use a plain, contrasting surface. A dark table under a white page makes cropping easier.
Flatten the paper. Curled corners and folds create dark bands that fax poorly.
Avoid screenshots of documents. Start from the clearest original you have, whether that is the paper page, the original file or a direct scan.

Black text on white paper is the best case for a fax. Colored paper, light pencil, highlighter marks and pale stamps lose contrast. If a page has any of these, retake the picture with stronger lighting, or scan it in black and white if your scanner app offers that mode.

After conversion, open the PDF and zoom to 100%. Read the smallest text on the page, such as a form number, a date or a signature line. If you cannot read it comfortably, the recipient will not either. Retake the photo instead of trying to repair a poor one.

Page size, orientation and file checks before you send

Use this short checklist on every PDF before it goes out.

Check	What to look for
Page size	US Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) for faxes inside the United States. A4 is the standard in most other countries.
Fit or fill	Choose a fit option so the whole image sits on the page. A fill option can crop the edges, including margins and signatures.
Orientation	Portrait pages should be upright. Rotate sideways photos before you convert.
Page order	Check page one and the last page, then scroll through the rest.
Readability	View at 100% zoom and read the smallest text.
File size	Keep the file reasonably small so it uploads quickly. Compress only after you have confirmed the text is readable.

If the document is longer than Letter, such as a legal-size filing, handle it with care. Our guide on faxing legal-size documents for court and the IRS explains how to keep those pages intact.

Keeping file size under control

Phone cameras produce large files. A few high-resolution photos can add up to tens of megabytes, which is slow to upload and unnecessary for a black-and-white fax. If you need to reduce the size, scale the images down before converting, and then check readability again.

If your source is a PNG, such as a screenshot or an exported form, our page on faxing a PNG lists four checks that help it print clearly.

Our perspective on image-to-PDF faxing

Most failed faxes we see described are not transmission failures. They are preparation failures: a crooked photo, pages in the wrong order, a file cropped at the margin. The fax line is only the last step.

That is why we treat the PDF as the real document. Once you have a clean, ordered, readable file, sending it should be the easy part. We built our service around that idea: no account, no subscription, and a flat $0.50 per page, so you pay for the pages you send and nothing else.

We also think the people who fax most urgently should have the least friction. A freelancer with an IRS form, a small business owner with a signed agreement and a lawyer filing from a courthouse hallway all need the same thing: upload, pay, send, and get confirmation. Our free PDF tools exist so that the preparation step does not need separate software either.

— Engin

Protect sensitive tax and legal documents

Images of tax forms, IDs and legal papers contain personal data, so think about where the file goes at each step.

Convert on your own device where you can. The Print to PDF routes on Windows, Mac and iPhone run locally, so the image is not uploaded to a third-party converter.
Check what an online converter does with your files. Some process images in your browser, and others upload them to a server. Use a browser-based tool that works locally for anything sensitive.
Delete working copies. Remove photos from shared albums and cloud folders once the fax has been delivered and you have saved what you need.
Cover pages should not repeat sensitive details. Put names and numbers on the pages that need them, not in the cover note. Our fax cover sheet builder lets you create a cover page and download it as a PDF.

When you send with us, the fax is transmitted with encryption, and the free tools do not require an account.

Send the PDF and confirm it arrived

Once the PDF is ready, the sending step is short. Upload the file, enter the recipient’s fax number, pay for the pages and send. We charge $0.50 per page, with no account and no subscription. Our system retries delivery automatically, and if a fax fails, you receive a refund.

To send your PDF now, go to PerPageFax and upload it, or use our page for faxing within the United States. If you want a step-by-step example with a PDF, read how to fax a PDF in under a minute.

How to check the fax was delivered

Do not assume the fax arrived because the upload finished. After sending:

Watch the status of the fax until it shows as delivered.
Save the delivery confirmation with the original PDF. For tax, legal and court documents, this is your record of when the fax went through.
Check the page count on the confirmation against the number of pages in your PDF.
If the recipient needs to know it is coming, phone ahead or follow up the next business day.

If you are sending from a phone, our guide on how to fax from your phone walks through the whole process. For a single picture, see how to fax a photo in three steps.

FAQ

Can I fax a JPG directly without converting it to PDF?

Often yes, because online fax services accept common image formats. Converting to PDF is still worth doing for multi-page documents, because it fixes the page order and size. You can also see exactly what the recipient will receive before you pay for the pages.

What is the best way to convert several photos into one PDF?

Name the files with zero-padded numbers such as 01 and 02, or drag the thumbnails into order in your converter, then combine them. On a Mac, open the images in Preview, select all the thumbnails and use Print, then Save as PDF. Afterward, check the first and last pages.

Should I use Letter or A4 for a fax?

Use US Letter for faxes sent within the United States, since it is the standard paper size there. A4 is the standard in most other countries, so use it when the recipient is outside the US and works with that size. Choose a fit option so nothing is cropped.

Why does my faxed photo look gray or blurry?

Fax transmission removes detail, so low contrast and soft focus show up quickly. Retake the photo straight on, in even light, with the page filling the frame. Then review the PDF at 100% zoom before you send it.

Does it cost more to fax a PDF made from images?

No. We charge $0.50 per page, whatever the source of the PDF. The cost depends on the number of pages, so merging duplicates and removing blank pages before you send helps you avoid paying for pages you do not need.