How to Add an Image to a PDF Online Free (2 Methods)
You have a PDF that needs an image. A company logo on a quote you are sending a client. A photo of damaged goods in an insurance claim. A signature image on a contract. A scanned receipt added to an expense report. The image is sitting in your downloads folder. Adobe Acrobat costs $239 a year for the Pro version that can do this. Going to a print shop to physically combine pages is absurd.
iHatePDF gives you two free paths, each suited to a different goal. Editly places the image inside an existing page at any position with crop, resize, and rotate controls. Merge PDF adds the image as its own full page, alongside any other PDFs or Word documents you want to combine. This guide covers both methods, when to use which, and how to handle the common cases (logos, signatures, watermarks, photo portfolios).
Image inside a page (logo, photo in paragraph, signature): Editly → upload PDF → Image tool → place, resize, crop, rotate → export
Image as its own page (combine receipts, portfolio, mix with PDFs/Word): Merge PDF → drop images + PDFs + Word files → arrange order → download combined PDF
Method 1: Editly (image inside an existing page)
The right choice when the image needs to sit within an existing page: a logo in a contract header, a photo embedded in a report paragraph, a signature on a signature line, a product photo next to a description.
- Open Editly and upload your PDF. Cloud import works from Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
- Click the Image tool in the toolbar.
- Upload your image (JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, BMP, HEIC, including transparent PNGs).
- The image appears on the current page. Drag to reposition anywhere.
- Drag corner handles to resize (Shift for proportional). Use the rotation handle to rotate. Use the crop tool to trim.
- Adjust opacity if needed (useful for watermark-style images).
- Click export and download the modified PDF.
Method 2: Merge PDF (image as its own page, mixed with documents)
The right choice when the image should become its own full page: a stack of scanned receipts for an expense report, a portfolio of photos, photo evidence in an insurance claim, or any case where you want to combine images with existing PDFs and Word documents into one file.
- Open Merge PDF.
- Drop your files into the upload area: images, PDFs, Word documents, or any mix.
- Each image, PDF, and Word document becomes a page (or set of pages) in the final file.
- Drag to reorder. Put images between PDF pages, before, or after, anywhere you want.
- Click Merge. The output is a single PDF combining everything in your chosen order.
- Download the merged PDF.
This is why Merge PDF is more powerful than most "merge" tools: it does not only combine PDFs with PDFs, it mixes PDFs with images and Word documents in any order. See the mixed merge guide.
When to use which method
| Use case | Best method |
|---|---|
| Add company logo to a contract or quote header | Editly |
| Insert a product photo into a catalogue page | Editly |
| Add a signature image to a signature line | Editly (or Sign PDF for formal signing) |
| Place a watermark image behind text | Editly (or Watermark for multi-page) |
| Combine scanned receipts into an expense PDF | Merge PDF |
| Photo portfolio (photos as pages) | Merge PDF |
| Insurance claim: contract + damage photos | Merge PDF |
| Job application: resume PDF + portfolio images | Merge PDF |
| Chart screenshot inline in a report paragraph | Editly |
| Word draft + PDF appendix + cover photos | Merge PDF |
Common image-in-PDF scenarios
- Adding a logo to a contract or invoice. Save your logo as a transparent PNG. Open the document in Editly, click Image, upload the logo, position in the header area, resize, export. 30 seconds.
- Embedding a signature image. Photograph or scan your handwritten signature on white paper. Crop tightly. Save as transparent PNG. Add via Editly at the signature line. For formal multi-party signing, use Sign PDF.
- Building a portfolio PDF. Drop all your work images into Merge PDF, arrange the order, optionally add a Word cover letter or PDF resume in front, merge.
- Insurance claim with photo evidence. Merge the claim form PDF with photos of the incident, damage, and supporting documents.
- Recipe collection from photo notes. Photograph handwritten recipe cards. Merge into a single recipe PDF organised by section.
- Watermark across a contract. For "Draft", "Confidential", "Sample" visible on every page, use Watermark PDF. For a single-page watermark, use Editly.
Tips for clean image-in-PDF results
- Use high-resolution source images. Start with the largest version available. You can always shrink in the tool, you cannot scale up cleanly.
- Prefer PNG for logos and graphics with text. PNG preserves edges crisply. JPG is for photographs where lossy compression is fine.
- Use transparent PNG for logos and signatures. Avoids the ugly white box when placed over coloured backgrounds.
- Keep file size in check. Compress the image first if resolution is overkill, or run the final PDF through Compress PDF.
- Maintain aspect ratio when resizing. Hold Shift while dragging corner handles for proportional scaling.
- Position images near related text. Readers expect a photo near the paragraph that mentions it.
- Match style across pages. Keep size and positioning consistent for a professional look.
- Test print before final delivery. Images look different on screen vs paper.
Image formats supported
| Format | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| JPG / JPEG | Photographs, screenshots | Smaller file size, lossy |
| PNG | Logos, graphics, signatures | Transparency support, lossless |
| HEIC | iPhone photos | Auto-converted |
| WEBP | Modern web images | Smaller than JPG |
| GIF / BMP | Older formats | Supported for compatibility |
Privacy and security
Files upload over HTTPS, process on our server, return to you with the image embedded, delete automatically at session end. No human review, no AI training, no third-party sharing. GDPR-compliant. Full picture in the privacy and security guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which method should I use: Editly or Merge?
Depends on whether you want the image inside an existing page or as its own page. Use Editly when you want to insert a logo, photo, signature image, or any picture within an existing page, positioned anywhere, sized, cropped, rotated. Use Merge PDF when you want the image to become its own full page in the PDF, useful for combining scanned receipts, photo portfolios, or mixing images with PDF and Word documents in a single output file.
What image formats are supported?
JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, BMP, and HEIC across both Editly and Merge PDF. Transparent PNGs are supported with transparency preserved in the final PDF, useful for logos and signature images with transparent backgrounds.
Can I resize or rotate the image after adding it?
In Editly: yes. After placing the image, click it to select, then drag the corner handles to resize (Shift for proportional), drag the rotation handle to rotate, drag from the centre to reposition. In Merge: each image becomes its own page sized to fit the page automatically.
Can I crop the image inside the PDF?
In Editly: yes. The crop tool lets you trim the image to keep only the part you want, after it is placed. In Merge: crop the image before uploading using any image editor on your device.
Can I add multiple images at once?
Editly: add them one by one for fine positioning control on each. Merge: upload all images simultaneously, they become separate pages in the final PDF, arranged in the order you drop them.
Will adding an image affect the PDF file size?
Yes, especially with high-resolution photos. A 5 MB image will add roughly 5 MB to the PDF. For large images, compress first using any image editor, or run the final PDF through Compress PDF to reduce size by 50-90 percent.
Can I add transparent PNG images?
Yes. PNG transparency is preserved in both Editly and Merge. Useful for logos with transparent backgrounds, signature images saved as transparent PNG, or watermark-like overlays where the underlying PDF content should show through.
Can I add an image to a password-protected PDF?
You need the password to open the file first. Once unlocked, adding the image works normally. Re-apply password protection with Protect PDF after if you want the final file to remain protected.
Can I add an image as a watermark behind text?
Yes, using Editly. Place the image, set lower opacity (typically 20-40 percent), and send it behind text. For multi-page watermarks, use the dedicated Watermark tool instead.
Are my files kept private?
Yes. Files upload over HTTPS, process on our server, return to you with the image embedded, delete automatically at session end. No human review, no AI training, no third-party sharing. GDPR-compliant.
Is this really free?
Yes. Editly free tier: 20 MB without account, 50 MB with free account. Merge free tier: 15 files at 50 MB each (100 MB total) without account, 20 files at 60 MB each (150 MB total) with free account. No watermark, no daily cap.
Inline (Editly) or as pages (Merge). JPG, PNG, transparent PNG, HEIC. Free.
Open Editly →Open Merge →Use other tools
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