Convert JPG to PDF (Contact Sheet)

A contact sheet is a digital or physical gallery of thumbnail images that allows photographers to view a complete series of photographs on a single page. Originally used in film photography to preview negatives before printing, modern digital contact sheets serve a similar purpose. They provide an efficient way to review a photoshoot, select the best images, and share previews with clients for proofing. By compiling multiple images into one accessible document, photographers can streamline their culling process and present their work professionally without sending large batches of individual high-resolution files.

Drop your JPG files onto the area labeled Drop JPG images here or click to browse, or click it and select several at once. You can keep adding files; they appear in the list in the order they will be placed, and there is no reordering, so add them in the sequence you want. Under Grid Layout, set Columns per page with the slider, from 1 to 8. Press Generate PDF and each photo is placed with its file name underneath, adding pages as needed, then contact_sheet.pdf downloads.

A single PDF is easier to send, and easier for clients to keep track of, than dozens of separate image files. It opens on virtually any device without special software, keeps the layout exactly as you set it, and shows every frame with its file name, so clients can name their picks precisely. Note that the photos are placed at their full resolution, so the PDF does not prevent printing; add small, web-sized JPGs if you only want to show proofs.

The ideal time to use the Convert JPG to PDF (Contact Sheet) tool is immediately after your initial image cull and basic color correction, but before you begin extensive retouching. Once you have narrowed down a session to the viable proofs, export these selections as low-resolution JPGs. You can then run these files through the tool to generate a comprehensive PDF gallery. This allows you to send the document to your clients so they can select their favorite poses or expressions. You will save valuable time by only performing detailed, time-consuming edits on the specific photographs the client has chosen to purchase or finalize.

Both PDF contact sheets and online proofing galleries are valuable tools for client review, but they serve slightly different needs. An online gallery requires an internet connection, often involves monthly hosting fees, and relies on the client navigating a web interface. A PDF contact sheet is a static, offline document that you can easily attach to an email. It is completely free to generate and provides a permanent record of the proofs that the client can save directly to their hard drive. Many photographers prefer PDFs for quick, straightforward jobs or for clients who prefer a simple, traditional proofing method without logging into a website.

If your PDF is too large for standard email attachments, the cause is the size of the original JPG files, because the tool places each photo at its original resolution. Before converting, export your images from your editing software as smaller, web-sized JPGs rather than full-resolution print files. Resizing to a lower pixel dimension and lowering the JPEG quality slightly will drastically reduce the input size. Once you add these optimized images to the tool, the resulting PDF will be much smaller and easier to deliver by email.

Yes, the number of columns is yours to choose. The Columns per page slider under Grid Layout runs from 1 to 8 and starts at 3. The tool then works out the rest: every photo gets a square cell sized so the columns fill the width of an A4 portrait page with even margins, the image is fitted inside the cell with its proportions kept, and as many rows as fit go on each page. Fewer columns give larger thumbnails, while more columns fit more frames on a page.

Cameras and phones often store a vertical shot sideways, with an orientation tag telling software how to display it. A PDF ignores that tag, so the tool checks each JPG and redraws any rotated photo upright before placing it. If an image still appears sideways, its orientation tag was probably lost in an earlier export, or it was rotated in an app that did not save the change. Rotate and re-export it from your editing software, then add it again.

There is no fixed cap on the number of images. Each JPG is read and placed at its full resolution in your browser, so hundreds of large files can use a lot of memory, slow the page and produce a very large PDF. For full-day weddings or large events, export smaller JPGs first, or split the job into logical groups, such as getting ready, ceremony and reception, with a separate contact sheet for each. Smaller sheets are also easier for clients to review.

No. The PDF is built entirely in your web browser, on your own device, and your JPG files never leave it. Nothing is sent anywhere, so there is no copy to delete and nothing that could be published or used to train AI models. You keep full copyright and control over your work, which matters for private portrait sessions and commercial shoots. The tool is free; you just need a free Imagen account, created once after confirming you are a photographer.