Quick verdict
JPG for a single photo or screenshot. PDF for documents (anything with text, multiple pages, or a need to preserve layout and fonts). Convert JPG to PDF when you need to combine images into a single signed-feeling document.
JPG and PDF look interchangeable for sharing a document — but they're built for completely different problems. JPG is an image format: one page, no text layer, optimized for photos. PDF is a document container: any number of pages, embedded fonts, vector graphics, searchable text.
The right format depends on what's in the file: photo content goes in JPG, anything with text or multiple pages goes in PDF.
| Feature | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for | Photographic images | Documents |
| Multi-page | No (one image per file) | Yes (any number) |
| Text searchability | No (text is just pixels) | Yes (text is real characters) |
| Embedded fonts | No | Yes |
| Vector graphics | No (raster only) | Yes |
| Compression | Lossy | Mixed (PDF can embed JPG inside) |
| Editability later | Pixel-edit only | Text & layout editable in proper editor |
| Signing | No native support | Native digital signatures |
| Best for | Photos, social media | Invoices, reports, contracts, ebooks |
Use JPG when
- It's a single photograph or single-page screenshot.
- You're sharing on social media or messaging apps.
- The recipient needs to view it inline (preview without opening a viewer).
- You don't need text inside to be searchable or selectable.
Use PDF when
- It's a document — invoice, contract, report, resume, lecture notes.
- It has multiple pages and you want them in one file.
- You need the recipient to print it exactly as you laid it out (fonts and margins preserved).
- You want the text inside to be searchable and copy-pasteable.
Convert between JPG and PDF in your browser
FAQ
- Should I send a scan as JPG or PDF?
- PDF. Multi-page scans (a passport, an ID and proof of address, several receipts) need PDF's multi-page support. Even single-page scans are usually better as PDF because OCR'd text inside becomes searchable.
- Can I send an invoice as a JPG?
- You can, but PDF is the professional standard. JPG invoices can't be electronically signed, the text isn't selectable, and printing rescales unpredictably. Most accounting systems expect PDF.
- Does converting JPG to PDF make it editable?
- No. A JPG-to-PDF conversion embeds the JPG image inside a PDF page — the text inside is still just pixels. To get editable text, you need an OCR pass after conversion.
- Is a PDF bigger than the JPG inside it?
- Only marginally. A PDF that contains a single JPG is typically 5–15% larger than the JPG alone (PDF overhead + a small structural index).