Add an image to a PDF online

Add an image to a PDF by dropping the PDF here: pick Image on the toolbar, choose a PNG or JPG from your device, place it on the page, and press Download. The picture is embedded in the new PDF and shows in every reader; the file never leaves your browser.

How to add an image to a PDF

1. Drop the PDF on this page or press Open a PDF.
2. Click Image on the toolbar and choose a PNG or JPG file.
3. Place the image on the page where it belongs. Go to another page with the thumbnails if you need the same picture elsewhere, and insert it again.
4. Wrong picture or wrong spot? Ctrl+Z, or Eraser and click the image.
5. Press Download to save the PDF with the image inside.

Both files stay on your device throughout: the PDF and the image are read by the browser tab, and the result is written by the browser tab.

Logos, photos, stamps and scanned signatures

The usual reasons to put an image into a PDF:

• A company logo on a quote or letter that was exported without one.
• A photo as evidence in a report, a receipt in an expense claim, a product shot in a one-page spec.
• A stamp such as "Paid", "Approved" or "Draft" saved as a PNG with a transparent background.
• A scanned signature. If you have one as a PNG, Image is the quickest way to place it; if you do not, the Signature tool lets you draw it right in the viewer.
• A screenshot to illustrate a bug or a step in instructions.

For a quick symbol rather than your own file, the Sticker tool on the same toolbar drops a ready-made mark without picking a file.

PNG or JPG: which one to use

Use PNG when the image needs a transparent background (logos, stamps, signatures) or has sharp edges and text. Use JPG for photographs, which are far smaller as JPG. Other formats such as HEIC, WebP, GIF or SVG need to be converted to PNG or JPG first; most image viewers and the Photos apps on iPhone and Mac can export to JPG or PNG.

If your goal is the other way round, turning a picture into a PDF of its own, that is a conversion task rather than an insert; see JPG to PDF or PNG to PDF.

How the image looks in Acrobat, Preview and Chrome

The image is embedded in the PDF when you download, using pdf-lib. Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Microsoft Edge, Chrome and phone readers display it at the position and size you chose, and it prints with the page. A PNG with transparency keeps its transparency, so a stamp over text does not hide the text behind it.

Because the picture lives inside the PDF rather than being linked, it does not go missing when the file is moved, emailed or opened years later. If you want to check, open the downloaded copy in a second reader before sending it.

Limits and gotchas

• File size grows. A 12-megapixel photo adds a few megabytes to the PDF. The viewer does not compress files; if size matters, shrink the photo before inserting it, or see compress a PDF for tools that reduce the result.
• The image is a layer on top. It does not replace an image already in the PDF; it covers it. Place it over the old one if that is the intent.
• Password-protected PDFs that require a password to open cannot be opened here.
• Memory on phones. Large scans plus large photos can be too heavy for a phone browser; a laptop is safer for big jobs.

Alternatives

• Preview on macOS: paste or drag an image onto the page in Markup mode.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader: the free reader can place a signature image through Fill & Sign; arbitrary images need Acrobat's paid editor.
• Microsoft Edge and Chrome: their PDF viewers do not insert images; use the annotation tools here or a desktop app.
• Google Drive: no image insertion in the preview; opening in Google Docs converts the file.
• Xodo, PDF-XChange Editor: image stamps and insert-image tools, with resizing and rotation.
• Smallpdf, iLovePDF: online editors with an image tool; the PDF goes to their servers while you use it.

Frequently asked questions