Convert Screenshot to PDF on Windows

The first how-to part introduces five software tools built into Windows or from third parties to help with screenshot-to-PDF conversion. Explore their capabilities and the step-by-step tutorials.

SwifDoo PDF

SwifDoo PDF is designed to serve all your PDF needs on Windows 10, 8, and 7, including converting screenshots to PDF. It can swiftly convert PNG, JPG, TIF, BMP images, and many other types of files to PDF documents and vice versa in seconds. It is also a PDF editor, PDF annotator, PDF splitter, etc. One of the advantages of using SwifDoo PDF is that the image resolution will remain the same.  

Let’s walk you through how to convert a screenshot to a PDF on a Windows computer.

Step 1: Free download and launch the software. Click Convert in the top bar and choose Image to PDF in the pop-up window.

Step 2: Click Add Files to add the screenshot you need to convert to PDF to the converter, and set the page size to the same as the original.

Step 3: There are three cases when you convert a screenshot to a PDF:

• Turn a single screenshot into a PDF: select the output path and hit Start to convert immediately. 
• Convert and combine multiple screenshots into one PDF: still directly start converting since the Create a New PDF option is selected by default in the Options menu. 
• Convert multiple screenshots to individual PDF files: click the Options button to select Create Multiple PDF Documents, which will change each screenshot to a PDF separately. Then, click the Start button. 

You can also customize the page size and set the page orientation (landscape or portrait) from “Page Size”. The all-inclusive SwifDoo PDF program also lets you combine, sign PDFs, and convert PDFs to image format (such as PNG, JPG). Get SwifDoo PDF to try for free!

SwifDoo PDF also allows you to convert a screenshot to a PDF online for free with its online PDF converter. The online screenshot to PDF converter provides a free service with a limit of up to 2 documents every 24 hours, but you can simply share the page on Facebook and Twitter to get more chances.

• On the converter tools page, tap “PNG to PDF” > “Choose File” to upload your screenshot.
• SwifDoo PDF will convert it automatically, and click Download to save the converted PDF.

Microsoft Print to PDF

If you wonder how to convert a screenshot to a PDF on Windows 10 without using an external PDF application, look no further than Microsoft Printer. The native support allows you to turn multiple screenshots into a PDF or print each picture as a single PDF file.

Step 1: Hold the Ctrl or Shift key to select the screenshot files you want to put into a PDF, right-click on them, and choose Print.

Step 2: Within the Print Pictures dialog box, select Printer as Microsoft Print to PDF. Choose page size and whether to fit the pictures to the frame.

Step 3: Tap Options and then Printer Properties to change the page orientation to landscape or portrait.

Step 4: Hit Print to convert the photos to a PDF. You can even print multiple pictures on one page by choosing the 4x6 in. (2), 3.5x5 in. (4), or similar layout options.

Snip & Sketch

You can convert a screenshot to a PDF immediately after capturing it on Windows, without needing to save it first. To take a screenshot, you need the native Snipping Tool. After that, open it in Snip & Sketch and print to PDF without delay.

Step 1: Press the Windows logo key + Shift + S hotkey to enable the Snipping Tool, and drag to draw an area to take a screenshot.

Step 2: Click the screenshot thumbnail at the bottom right corner of your screen to open it in Snip & Sketch.

Step 3: Press Ctrl + P, select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer, adjust other settings as needed, and then hit Print.

The Windows Photos App

You can open your screenshots with the Photos app on Windows and use the Microsoft Print to PDF to convert them to PDF format.

Step 1: Right-click on a screenshot, choose Open with, and select the Photos app to open it.

Step 2: Press Ctrl + P or tap the three dots on the top bar to choose Print.

Step 3: Pick Microsoft Printer to convert the screenshot to PDF.

The Paint App

Paint is another application or tool included with Windows for users to view and edit images. You can also use it to convert a screenshot to a PDF. The method is similar to that in the Photos app.

Step 1: Open your screenshot with Paint by right-clicking and choosing Open with > Paint.

Step 2: Go to File > Print or tap the Ctrl + P hotkey.

Step 3: Print to create a PDF.

How to Save a Screenshot as a PDF on Mac

The second part covers a Mac native PDF reader and leads you through how to convert screenshots to PDFs with it for free.

Preview

Mac users can resort to the built-in image and PDF viewer on their devices, Preview, to convert a screenshot to a PDF file without the need to install third-party software. The application is also developed to handle basic and standard PDF needs, such as encrypting and annotating PDF files. It also enables you to convert a PDF to a JPG on a Mac. 

Step 1: Hold the Ctrl key to select all the screenshots you wish to save as a PDF and right-click to choose Open with, Preview.

Step 2: Tap File, then Print.

Step 3: In the Print dialog box, hit Show Details and set page size, orientation, and other options.

Step 4: Click the PDF drop-down button to select Save as PDF, then save and print the pictures as a PDF document.

The application also helps separate or merge multiple PDFs into one.

How to Turn a Screenshot into a PDF on iPhone

The next two screenshot-to-PDF converter apps let you deal with your urgent work on the go. They are fast and easy. 

SwifDoo PDF iOS

The SwifDoo PDF for iOS app enables you to convert any image into a PDF, regardless of where you are and at any time. It is a tiny and fast mobile app that can convert multiple screenshots to a single PDF or save them individually. The app supports JPG, PNG, TIFF, and any other image formats. It also lets you convert various other files, such as Word, Excel, and CAD, to PDFs.

Step 1: Start the image and PDF converter, and tap Tools.

Step 2: Choose the Image option under the Convert PDF from section.

Step 3: Import the screenshots you need to convert, and click the Convert button. 

The Photos App

We don’t bring a computer with us everywhere we go, thus there may be times when we need to convert a screenshot to a PDF file on mobile. Fortunately, you can make it natively without installing any app. 

Step 1: Open your photo album from the Photos app, then tap Select on the upper right to select the screenshots you want to convert to PDF.

Step 2: Hit the up arrow icon at the bottom corner, and scroll the pop-up page to choose Print.   

Step 3: Select page size, then use your two fingers to zoom in on a screenshot thumbnail to turn the images into a PDF.

Step 4: Save the PDF to your folder or share it with somebody via an application.

How to Make a Screenshot a PDF on Android

Learn about the two image-to-PDF converters for Android to convert a screenshot to a PDF without fuss. You can utilize the Android gallery function or a handy downloadable app. 

SwifDoo PDF Android

Users can download the SwifDoo PDF for Android app to turn a picture into a PDF on an Android on the go. The app is multi-feature but lightweight and allows you to create PDFs from all the widely used office files and documents. It offers free PDF reading and annotating features. The conversion method is similar to that on iPhones: Choose Tools > Convert PDF from > Image, add your captured images, adjust the conversion settings, and start converting. 

The Gallery App

The screenshot to PDF conversion on Android is also as easy as falling off a log. You can get it done without turning to any mobile app or network connection. The tutorial below shows how to make a screenshot into a PDF with your Android phone.

Step 1: Open the screenshot album in Gallery, tap and hold a screenshot to select it, and tick other screenshots you wish to convert to PDF.

Step 2: Hit the More icon in the lower right corner to choose Print or export to PDF.

Step 3: Click the drop-down arrow to show all print options, select page size, and orientation. Tap the save icon.

Why Convert a Screenshot to a PDF

According to the PDF Association and its executive director, Duff Johnson, there have been more than 338M PDF users and 19.5 billion PDF files opened in Adobe Reader in 2018. These two figures show that Portable Document Format (PDF) is one of the most extensively used file formats globally, and PDF files have many advantages over other file formats.

Take a brief look at several benefits of converting screenshots to PDF:

Professionalism: PDF is considered the most professional and formal file format by many people. As you may know, most patent, academic, and government documents are in PDF format.

Consistency and compatibility: Unlike Word files, PDF documents are independent of operating systems and can be shared across different platforms or browsers without losing formatting and layout.

Multi-purpose use: After you turn a screenshot into a PDF, you can easily add text, shapes, signatures, insert hyperlinks to it, and more.  

Small size: PDF documents are easily compressed to a smaller size so that you can save more storage space.

Apart from what has been mentioned above, PDF is also the go-to format for e-documents' long-term preservation. In addition, PDF documents are more secure than other editable files, and easy to access with any browser or a free PDF reader. So many advantages of the PDF format and documents lead to the need for screenshot to PDF conversion and saving many other documents as PDFs.

Final Thoughts

More people work remotely and use electronic documents more frequently now. To boost your document management and manipulation efficiency, investing in software like SwifDoo PDF is a wise decision, as it serves as one of the best PDF converters, PDF editors, and annotators, making it a comprehensive all-in-one productivity tool.