How to Convert PNG to PDF for Free

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a common format for screenshots and pictures. Sometimes you need the same image as a PDF instead, for example to attach a receipt to a form, send a scanned page or print several pictures as one document. You don't need to install anything: Windows already has the tools to do it for free.

1. Convert One PNG With Microsoft Print to PDF

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Windows has included a built-in printer called Microsoft Print to PDF since Windows 10, and it's installed by default. Instead of printing on paper, it saves whatever you "print" as a PDF file. Microsoft Edge is an easy way to use it with a picture.

1. Right-click the PNG in File Explorer and select Open with > Microsoft Edge.
2. Press Ctrl + P, or select Settings and more (…) > Print.
3. Under Printer, choose Microsoft Print to PDF.
4. Under Layout, choose Portrait for a tall image or Landscape for a wide one.
5. Set Scale to Fit to printable area so nothing is cut off. To let the image fill more of the page, open More settings and set Margins to None or Minimum.
6. Select Print, choose a name and folder for the PDF, and select Save.

The same printer works from any app with a Print option, so you can also print the PNG from the app you normally view pictures in and choose Microsoft Print to PDF.

Expected result: a new PDF appears in the folder you chose, with your image on the page.

2. Combine Several PNGs Into One PDF With Word

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If you have Microsoft Word, it's the simplest way to put several images into one PDF, in the order you want.

1. Open a new blank document in Word.
2. Select Insert > Pictures > This Device.
3. Select a PNG, then select Insert. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each image you want to add.
4. Resize or reorder the pictures on the pages if you need to.
5. Select File > Save a Copy (or Save As), then Browse.
6. In the file type list, choose PDF and select Save.

Want only some pages in the PDF? In the save window, select Options and set a Page range.

Expected result: one PDF that contains all your images, in the same order as in Word.

3. Check Your New PDF

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• Open it: double-click the PDF. It opens in Microsoft Edge's built-in PDF reader or your usual PDF app.
• Zoom in: use the zoom buttons in the toolbar to check that text in the image is still easy to read.
• Count the pages: if you combined several images, make sure they're all there and in the right order.

Not happy with how it fits on the page? Go back and change the Layout, Margins or Scale settings in step 1, or resize the pictures in Word.

4. Convert a PDF Page Back to PNG

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Windows doesn't have a "save PDF as PNG" button, but the built-in Snipping Tool can capture a page as a picture.

1. Open the PDF in Microsoft Edge and zoom so the page you want fills the screen.
2. Press Windows logo key + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool.
3. Drag around the part of the page you want to capture.
4. On Windows 11, your snip is saved to your Screenshots folder automatically. To save a copy somewhere else, open the snip in Snipping Tool, select Save as, choose a name, folder and file type, and save it.

Expected result: a picture of the PDF page in the folder you chose.

Still Not Working? What to Try Next

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• Microsoft Print to PDF isn't in the printer list: use the Word method in section 2 instead, which saves straight to PDF without the printer.
• The image is cut off: set Scale to Fit to printable area and switch between Portrait and Landscape.
• The PDF is too big to email: see How to Compress PDFs for free ways to make it smaller.

New to PDFs? What Does PDF Stand For? explains the format and how to open, edit and protect PDFs for free.