Combine images into one PDF on your Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To combine images into a PDF on a Mac with FileDial, select the photos in Finder in the order you want, hold the right Option key and choose Combine › Combine into one PDF. You get one new PDF, and you can mix in existing PDF pages too. Scan to PDF… also turns photos of pages, or a folder of them, into a PDF. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it with FileDial
- In Finder, select the images (and any PDFs) in the order you want them.
- Hold right ⌥ and choose Combine › Combine into one PDF.
- Open the new PDF that appears beside the files.
- For a folder of page photos, select the folder, hold right ⌥ and choose Batch › Scan to PDF…
Your original file stays untouched. The result is saved beside it, and every result has Undo.
Which option to pick
| Tool | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Combine into one PDFCombine | Photos, screenshots or PDF pages you want as a single document, in selection order. |
| Scan to PDF…Batch | Photos of paper pages, or a folder of them: makes a PDF from them. It doesn't take a PDF as input. |
Tips for a clean PDF from photos
Most image-to-PDF jobs are paperwork photographed on a phone: receipts for an expense claim, pages of a lease, the front and back of a card for an application. The order matters, so select files one at a time with Command-click, or rename them with leading numbers so Finder sorts them correctly. You can include existing PDF pages in the same selection, which is useful for adding a signed form to a set of supporting photos.
Photos straight from a modern phone are large, so a PDF made from twenty of them can easily outgrow an email limit. If that happens, run one of the PDF compression tools on the result. HEIC photos from an iPhone are a common source too; if a recipient needs JPGs as well, convert those separately.
Plain photos are not searchable. If you photographed pages of a document, Scan to PDF… makes a PDF from those photos or from a whole folder of them. Then run OCR › Make searchable on the result to add a text layer, so you can search and copy the words.
- Receipts and expense claims: Combine into one PDF, then compress if needed.
- Multi-page paper letters: photograph each page, run Scan to PDF… on the photos, then Make searchable.
- Screenshots for a bug report or tutorial: Combine into one PDF in order.
Why not use an online JPG to PDF converter?
Phone photos of documents usually capture more than intended: a passport photo page, the whole of a bank card, a home address on an envelope. Image-to-PDF sites receive all of it. Cybernews reported in July 2024 that two online PDF makers, PDF Pro and Help PDF, left Amazon S3 storage open and exposed 89,062 user-uploaded files, including passports and IDs. Cybernews said the providers did not respond.
FileDial builds the PDF on your Mac and works with Wi-Fi off, so the photos never leave it.
Other ways to combine images into a PDF on a Mac
Finder has this built in. Select the images, Control-click, and choose Quick Actions › Create PDF; macOS makes a single PDF from them. Preview can also do it: open the images together, arrange them in the sidebar, then print and choose to save as PDF.
Both are good free options. FileDial adds a few things: PDFs and images mixed in one selection, a folder of page photos turned into a PDF in one step, OCR to make it searchable, and Undo on every result.
Questions
In what order do images go into the PDF?
Selection order. Command-click files one by one, or number the file names first so they sort correctly. Undo removes the PDF if you want to redo the order.
Can I mix photos and existing PDF pages?
Yes. Combine into one PDF takes photos and PDF pages in selection order and makes one new PDF, so you can add a signed form to a set of supporting photos.
Will the PDF be searchable?
A PDF made from photos is not searchable by itself. Run OCR › Make searchable on the combined PDF, or on one made with Scan to PDF…, to add an invisible text layer you can search and copy.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Every FileDial tool runs on your Mac and works with Wi-Fi off. Your images are never uploaded, including any location data stored inside the photos.
What does FileDial cost?
A 1-day free trial with every tool, no card or account needed, then $20 once for a lifetime licence on 2 Macs, with a 14-day refund.