Coverton BlogPrepare PDFs for print: images, tables and page layout
Check paper size and page layout as well as content. For photo PDFs, review image order and cropped edges. For tables, inspect column widths and page breaks. Existing PDFs can be resized or arranged with print-layout tools.
Use the free tool →Turn photos and table values into pages
An image PDF does not make the words in a photo editable. Exporting a PDF as JPG or PNG also creates page images. Table printing uses cell values and cached formula results; it does not reproduce every Excel print setting or recalculate every formula.
Test booklet and N-up printing
Booklets are imposed on landscape A4, with blank pages added to reach a multiple of four. Test duplex short-edge printing first. N-up places several pages on one sheet and does not preserve the original interactive forms or signatures.
Understand crop and compression limits
Cropping a PDF changes its visible area, not secure deletion of hidden content. Image compression recompresses supported RGB JPEG objects only. PNG, CMYK and text-heavy PDFs may not shrink; the original is returned when there is no saving.
Choose the right tool
Example inputs illustrate the workflow; they do not promise a particular file size, recognition accuracy or compatibility.
Convert images to PDF
Arrange scanned photos into one submission document. Reading text in those photos requires a separate OCR step.
Example
page-1.jpg + page-2.png → 2-page PDF- Choose files in JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP, BMP format. Maximum files per batch: 100.
- Review Paper size, Page orientation, Margin, then start processing.
- Download the PDF result and check its content and quality.
What to check
Images are rendered on white and encoded as JPEG, with a maximum long edge of 3200 px. Text is not made searchable.
Convert JPG to PDF
Combine JPEG scans in submission order. Each image becomes one PDF page.
Example
scan-1.jpg + scan-2.jpg → 2-page PDF- Choose files in JPG, JPEG format. Maximum files per batch: 100.
- Review Paper size, Page orientation, Margin, then start processing.
- Download the PDF result and check its content and quality.
What to check
JPG photos are re-encoded at the chosen quality and limited to a 3200 px long edge. Existing compression artifacts are not repaired.
Convert PNG to PDF
Place screenshots on PDF paper with chosen margins. Check the PDF workflow's transparency and quality limitations.
Example
screen-1.png + screen-2.png → 2-page PDF- Choose files in PNG format. Maximum files per batch: 100.
- Review Paper size, Page orientation, Margin, then start processing.
- Download the PDF result and check its content and quality.
What to check
Transparent PNG regions become white. Graphics are embedded as JPEG, so this is not lossless PNG embedding.
Convert WEBP to PDF
Print or share WEBP images as a document. The PDF is image-based and does not create searchable text.
Example
web-1.webp + web-2.webp → 2-page PDF- Choose files in WEBP format. Maximum files per batch: 100.
- Review Paper size, Page orientation, Margin, then start processing.
- Download the PDF result and check its content and quality.
What to check
Only a still image is embedded. WEBP animation is not preserved and transparent pixels are flattened onto white.
PDF to JPG or PNG
Export selected PDF pages as pictures with a chosen resolution. Text in the picture is not editable text.
Example
PDF + pages 1,3 → two JPG/PNG imagesOpen the tool →Optimize images inside a PDF
Recompress supported JPEG objects in a photo-heavy PDF. Text-heavy or unsupported-image PDFs may not shrink.
Example
photo-heavy PDF → optimized PDF or unchanged originalOpen the tool →PDF booklet
Impose pages for a folded booklet and test duplex short-edge printing before the complete run.
Example
document PDF → landscape A4 booklet layoutOpen the tool →PDF N up
Print several handout pages per sheet and check reduced text size and page order.
Example
multiple PDF pages → landscape A4 multi-page sheetsOpen the tool →Crop PDF margins
Adjust the visible page margins. Cropping is not secure removal of information outside the visible area.
Example
PDF + top/right/bottom/left margins → cropped view- Choose files in PDF format. Maximum files per batch: 1.
- Review Top crop (mm), Right crop (mm), Bottom crop (mm), then start processing.
- Download the PDF result and check its content and quality.
What to check
Cropping the page box can hide content without securely deleting it. Do not use cropping for redaction.
Resize PDF pages
Fit mixed page sizes to a standard paper size. Inspect print legibility after scaling down.
Example
mixed-size PDF → selected paper-size PDF- Choose files in PDF format. Maximum files per batch: 1.
- Review Paper size, Paper width (mm), Paper height (mm), then start processing.
- Download the PDF result and check its content and quality.
What to check
Page contents are scaled as a whole; paragraphs are not reflowed to the new paper size.
Add page numbers to PDF
Apply consistent page numbers with a chosen starting number and position. Check that the stamp does not cover existing content.
Example
3-page PDF + start 1 → page labels 1,2,3- Choose files in PDF format. Maximum files per batch: 1.
- Review Number position, Starting number, Font size, then start processing.
- Download the PDF result and check its content and quality.
What to check
Added numbers are page content and may overlap existing text. Editing can invalidate digital signatures.
Spreadsheet print to PDF
Print selected spreadsheet values and columns as a table. This does not clone the complete workbook styling or charts.
Example
selected sheet rows/columns → A4 table PDFOpen the tool →This guide describes the public web tools and their support limits. Keep your original and check the downloaded result. Coverton · Corrections and contact