Convert PNG to PDF in Chrome, Word and Google Docs

To convert a PNG to PDF with apps you already have, open it in Chrome and print to PDF, or insert it into Word or Google Docs and export the document. Chrome is the fastest for one image. Word and Docs help when the picture sits on a page with text. All three place the picture on a paper-sized page, so page setup is where most problems start.

Convert PNG to PDF in Chrome

Chrome prints any page, image or file you open. Google’s Chrome Help describes the flow: open the page, image or file, press Ctrl+P (Windows, Linux) or ⌘+P (Mac), choose a destination and adjust settings. Google’s Docs help uses the same window and says to select Save as PDF next to Destination.

1. Drag the PNG into a Chrome tab, or press Ctrl+O (Cmd+O) and choose the file.
2. Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P).
3. Set Destination to Save as PDF.
4. Check the preview, adjust margins, scale or paper size if the dialog offers them, and click Save.

What the dialog offers depends on the file and the Chrome version: Chrome Help does not list the margin and scale controls, and Chromium’s public bug tracker has reports of margin options missing for some documents. If a control is missing, use another route below.

Convert PNG to PDF in Word

Word embeds the picture in a document and exports it. Microsoft’s help says to place the cursor, open the Insert tab, choose Pictures > This Device and select the file. To export, Microsoft’s guide for Word on Windows says to choose File > Save a Copy (or Save As), pick PDF in the file-type list and select Save. Under More Options > Options you can set a page range, bookmarks, accessibility tags or PDF/A. Microsoft’s page describes no image-quality setting for Word, so check the result against the PNG. Link to File in the Insert Picture dialog keeps the Word file small, but the exported PDF still includes the picture.

Convert PNG to PDF in Google Docs

Google’s help for images says to open the document, choose Insert > Image and pick Upload from computer. To export, open the document and choose File > Download, then the PDF option; a fallback on Chrome is File > Print with Save as PDF as the destination. The PDF follows the Doc’s page and margins, so the picture sits inside the page layout instead of filling a page of its own shape.

Which app for which job

Job	App
One image, quickest	Chrome print dialog
Picture with a caption or text	Word or Google Docs
Several images in one PDF	A tool built for lists, such as the PNG to PDF Chrome extension

The extension lists PNG, JPG and HEIC, offers an arrange step and processes files inside the extension on your computer; the site publishes no limits and does not say how it fits an image to a page. Create PDF from images explains page size and margins, convert PNG to PDF free covers command-line tools, and save photo as PDF explains why print dialogs behave the way they do. The overview of PNG methods is in PNG to PDF, and logos with transparent backgrounds are covered in make a picture to PDF.

FAQ

How do I convert a PNG to PDF in Chrome?

Open the PNG in a tab, press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac), choose Save as PDF as the destination and click Save.

Why is there a white border around my PNG in the PDF?

The print route places the image on a paper-sized page with margins. Change the margins, scale or paper size if your dialog offers them.

Does Word compress the PNG when it saves a PDF?

Microsoft’s Word instructions describe no image-quality setting, so you cannot rely on one. Compare the PDF with the PNG at 100% zoom.