Illustration of a photo being centered on a page outline with margin guides and orientation arrows

Image guides

Single-Image PDF Page Layout, Explained

Placing one image on a PDF page involves a few layout decisions: page size, orientation, fit, and margins. This guide explains what each option does.

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Page size

"Match page to image" sizes the PDF page around the image itself. Letter and A4 use standard fixed page dimensions instead, which is usually the right choice when the PDF needs to print predictably.

Orientation and fit

Orientation can be set automatically based on whether the image is wider or taller than it is tall, or forced to portrait/landscape. Fit mode controls how the image is placed within the page margins: "fit within margins" scales the image down to stay fully visible, while "fill page" scales it up to cover the printable area, cropping content that falls outside if the aspect ratios do not match.

Margins

None, small, or medium margins control the blank border around the image. Margins interact with fit mode — larger margins leave less room for the image inside a fixed page size.

Single-Image PDF Layout FAQ

What does "Match page to image" do?
It sizes the PDF page itself around the image, instead of using a fixed Letter or A4 size.
What is the difference between "fit within margins" and "fill page"?
"Fit within margins" scales the image down so it is fully visible; "fill page" scales it up to cover the page, which can crop parts of the image if the aspect ratios differ.
Does transparency survive being placed on a PDF page?
Yes, when the source has an alpha channel — the image is embedded as PNG data inside the PDF.
Can I combine several images into one PDF?
Not with this tool — it places exactly one image on one page. Use the dedicated Images to PDF tool for multiple images.
Where can I try this?
Use PNG to PDF or JPG to PDF, both processed locally in your browser using pdf-lib.

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