This article will show you how to quickly and easily convert your screenshots to PDF format.

It is possible to export a Microsoft Word or Google Doc with images embedded into a PDF, but this process is time-consuming and laborious. If you want to quickly and easily learn how to convert screenshots to a PDF, then this post is for you.  

Why Save a Screenshot as a PDF

With more than 338 million users and 19.5 billion PDF files opened in Adobe Reader in 2018, the PDF Association and its executive director Duff Johnson report that PDFs are here to stay. Based on these two numbers alone, it's clear that Portable Document Format (PDF) is one of the most widely used file formats in the world.

Look at a few of the pluses of making the switch to PDF screenshots:

Many people consider PDF to be the most formal and professional file format available today. It's common knowledge that PDF is the de facto standard for patents, academic papers, and government reports.

PDF files retain their formatting and layout when transferred to other platforms or browsers, unlike Word files, which can sometimes experience formatting issues when opened in a different application.

After converting screenshots to PDF, you can edit the document in numerous ways, including adding text, shapes, signatures, hyperlinks, and more.   

PDF files can be compressed to a smaller size for greater space efficiency.

In addition to its many other uses, PDF is universally adopted as the format of choice for archiving digital documents. Not only are PDF files more secure than other types of editable files, but they can be opened and viewed in any web browser or with a free PDF reader. Due to PDF's many benefits, it is becoming increasingly common to convert screenshots to PDFs and save other documents in PDF format.

Let's take a look at the 6 simple methods for exporting screenshots as a PDF or several PDF files.   

On Windows, you can use a program to create a PDF from a screenshot.

SwifDoo Portable Document Format

You can convert screenshots to PDF and use SwifDoo PDF for any other PDF task on Windows 10, 8, or 7. In a matter of seconds, it can transform a wide variety of image formats, including PNG, JPG, TIF, and BMP, into PDF files. It's multifunctional, serving as a PDF converter, editor, annotator, splitter, etc. Using SwifDoo PDF to transform a screenshot into a PDF has the added benefit of maintaining the original image's resolution.   

Now I'll show you how to make a PDF out of a screenshot (or multiple screenshots).

One, get the program (it's free) and open it. Access SwifDoo PDF Converter via the PDF to Image button on the main interface;

Secondly, load the screenshots you wish to convert to PDF onto the workspace and select Image to PDF from the left pane of the converter window.

Third, select Create a PDF Document from the Options menu to compile all screenshots into a single PDF file, customize the document's page size and destination, and more.

Step 4: Select Start to begin creating a PDF from your captured images.

You get to choose whether the screenshots are merged into one large file or saved individually. Multiple screenshots can be exported as separate PDF files by selecting "Create Multiple PDF Documents" from the "Options" menu.

SwifDoo PDF also features a free online screenshot-to-PDF converter. Upload your screenshot by selecting "IMAGE to PDF" > "Choose file" on the converter page, and SwifDoo PDF will do the rest.

You can convert up to 2 documents per day for free using the online PDF converter from screenshots, but that number decreases if you don't share the page on social media.    

Access at no cost

As an all-around PDF tool, SwifDoo also allows you to merge PDFs, add digital signatures, and export PDFs as images (in PNG or JPG format). Multiple PDF pages can be rendered as a single image, or individual pages can be rendered as independent images. If you want to know how to turn PDF files into images, have a look at this post.

The Magic of Microsoft's Print-to-PDF

To save a screenshot (or multiple screenshots) as a PDF document on Windows 10 without installing a third-party PDF application, you can take advantage of Microsoft Printer's built-in support. Multiple screenshots can be combined into a single PDF file, or printed individually.

First, select the images you want to include in the PDF by holding down the Ctrl or Shift key while you click on them, and then select Print from the menu that appears.

Second, in the Print Images dialog box, choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer. Pick the paper size and decide if you want your pictures to fill the frame.

Step 3: Go to the menu, then select Options, and finally Printer Properties to alter the page orientation to landscape or portrait.

Fourth, select Print to create a PDF file of the images.

Make a Mac screenshot a PDF

Preview

Without downloading additional software, Mac users can use the device's default image and PDF viewer, Preview, to save screenshots as PDFs. In addition to advanced features, such as document encryption and commenting, the program is built to handle common and standard PDF requirements. Learn the basics of exporting screenshots as PDFs in macOS.    

First, select all of the screenshots you want to convert to a PDF while holding the Ctrl key, and then right-click to select Open with, Preview.

After that, go to Step 2 and select File > Print.

Step 3: Select Show Details in the Print dialogue box to customize page size, orientation, and more;

In Step 4, you'll select Save as PDF from the PDF menu, allowing you to store and print the images in PDF format.  

If necessary, Preview will let you save your screenshot as an HEIC, JPEG, PNG, or other file type. To accomplish these goals, select the format you need by going to "File" > "Export" and then tapping "Format."

Create a PDF from an iPhone screenshot

There are times when we need to convert screenshots to a PDF file on mobile devices because we don't always have access to a computer. Thankfully, you don't need an app to do it; you can make it in-built. Learn how to export an iPhone screenshot as a PDF.

First, open your photo album and use the Select button in the top right corner to pick the screenshots you want to save as a PDF.

Second, select Print from the menu that appears by clicking the up arrow in the bottom right corner.

The third step is to choose a page size and then zoom in on a screenshot thumbnail with two fingers to create a PDF;

The fourth step is to either share the PDF with someone else or save it to a folder.

On Android, you can use a converter app to create a PDF from a screenshot.

On Android, it's as simple as snapping a picture to create a PDF. You don't need a smartphone, app, or internet connection to complete the task. The steps outlined below will teach you how to take a screenshot of a PDF using an Android device.

The first step is to open the screenshot album, tap and hold a screenshot to select it, and then check the boxes next to any additional screenshots you want to convert to PDF.

Second, select Print or export to PDF by clicking the More button in the upper right.

The third step is to choose the paper size and orientation by clicking the arrow that appears when you select "Print." Download the screenshots as a PDF by clicking the "Save" button.

In Chrome, how do I take a screenshot and save it as a PDF?

Last Words

IDC predicts that by 2024, 93.5 million Americans will be working remotely, representing nearly 60% of the country's workforce. As a result, it's possible that more people will start doing remote work and relying on digital files.

Investing in software like SwifDoo PDF, which is not only a PDF converter but also a PDF editor and annotator, is a smart move if you want to improve the efficiency with which you manage and manipulate documents.