Should You Share Documents as PDFs or Images?

When you need to share a document, receipt, or form, you face a common question: should you send it as a PDF or an image? Both formats have their place, and choosing the right one depends on what you’re sharing and who needs to use it.

When PDFs Are the Better Choice

Multi-page documents are where PDFs truly shine. Whether it’s a contract, report, or presentation, PDFs keep everything organized in a single file. No more “document_page1.jpg” through “document_page47.jpg” cluttering your recipient’s downloads folder.

Text searchability makes PDFs invaluable for lengthy documents. Need to find that specific clause in a 20-page agreement? Just search for it. Images require scrolling through every page manually.

Professional contexts almost always call for PDFs. Resumes, invoices, legal documents, and formal reports should be PDFs. They maintain formatting across any device, preserve fonts exactly as intended, and signal professionalism.

Forms and interactive elements only work in PDFs. If someone needs to fill out fields, sign electronically, or click links within the document, PDF is your only option.

Printing quality is superior with PDFs. They preserve vector graphics and high-resolution text, meaning documents print crisp and clear at any size. Images can become pixelated or distorted when printed.

When Images Are the Better Choice

Quick visual sharing is where images excel. Snapped a photo of a business card, menu, or handwritten note? An image is immediate and requires no conversion. It’s perfect for casual contexts.

Social media and messaging work better with images. Most platforms display images inline but require PDFs to be downloaded. If you want recipients to see your content immediately without extra steps, choose images.

Single-page documents don’t need PDF’s organizational features. A screenshot of a confirmation number, a photo of a receipt, or a scan of a one-page form can be shared as images without any downside.

File size constraints sometimes favor images. While PDFs are often smaller for text documents, a heavily compressed JPG can be significantly smaller than a PDF with high-resolution scans. This matters when you’re on limited data or sending via platforms with file size restrictions.

Universal compatibility is slightly better with images. While PDFs are widely supported, every single device can display JPGs and PNGs. Some older systems or locked-down environments may struggle with PDFs.

Converting Between Formats on iPhone

Your iPhone makes format conversion surprisingly easy:

Image to PDF:

1. Open the Photos app and select your images
2. Tap the Share button
3. Scroll down and select “Save to Files”
4. Tap “Options” at the top
5. Change format to PDF
6. Save to your preferred location

Alternatively, in the Files app, select multiple images, tap the three-dots menu, and choose “Create PDF.”

PDF to Images:

1. Open the PDF in Files or Mail
2. Take a screenshot (side button + volume up)
3. For multiple pages, open the PDF in Preview or a PDF app
4. Export or screenshot individual pages as needed

Third-party apps like Adobe Scan, Microsoft Lens, or Scanner Pro offer more advanced options, including OCR (optical character recognition) that makes scanned images searchable.

Quality and File Size Considerations

PDF advantages: Text remains crisp at any zoom level, file sizes are smaller for text-heavy documents, and you can easily combine multiple scans.

Image advantages: Photos of physical documents can be edited before sharing (adjust brightness, crop out backgrounds), and you have control over compression levels.

For scanned documents, both formats work well, but consider this: a 10-page document as JPGs might be 2-3 MB per page (20-30 MB total), while the same document as a single PDF could be 5-10 MB with no quality loss.

Compatibility Across Devices

PDFs are designed for consistency. A PDF created on your iPhone will look identical on a Windows PC, Android tablet, or Mac. Colors, fonts, spacing—everything stays the same.

Images are nearly as consistent, but interpretation can vary slightly. Different screens and image viewers may handle color profiles differently, and images don’t carry information about intended print size or resolution.

For sharing across platforms where you don’t know what device or software the recipient will use, PDFs are the safer choice for important documents.

Sharing Both Formats Easily

Modern file-sharing services handle both PDFs and images equally well. Whether you’re using email, cloud storage, or dedicated sharing tools like Stash, the format you choose should be based on the content and recipient needs, not technical limitations.

Stash, for example, supports both formats seamlessly. Upload your PDF contract or your JPG receipt, and recipients get a clean, simple download link that works on any device. The service handles the technical details while you focus on getting your documents to the right people.

The Bottom Line

Choose PDFs when:

• You have multiple pages
• Text searchability matters
• It’s for professional or formal use
• Recipients need to print it
• Interactive elements are required

Choose images when:

• It’s a single page or quick visual
• You’re sharing on social media or messaging apps
• File size is critical and you need maximum compression
• It’s a photo of a physical item (not a scan of a document)

Most importantly, don’t overthink it. For casual sharing, either format works fine. For professional contexts, lean toward PDFs. And remember: you can always convert between formats when needed—your iPhone makes it easy.