How to send a document to someone who cannot open PDFs

Not everyone can open a PDF. Older phones, some messaging apps and locked down work machines all trip over them. Images work everywhere.

PDF to JPG
Whichever tool you use here, the file stays on your device. How that works

Step by step

  1. 1Add the PDF and export every page as an image.
  2. 2Check the pages are readable at normal zoom.
  3. 3Send the images in order, or combine a short document into one tall image.
  4. 4Keep the original PDF, since it stays the better copy for anything official.

Images are the universal fallback

Every device made in the last twenty years can display a JPG, and every messaging app shows one inline without asking anyone to download or open anything. That is why a document sent as images gets read and the same document sent as a PDF sometimes does not.

You lose real things in the trade. The text stops being selectable and searchable, the file gets larger, and the result is no longer valid for anything that requires a document rather than a picture of one.

So use this for convenience, not for records. Send the images so the person can read it now, and send the PDF as well if it needs to be kept or submitted.

Questions

Will the text still be readable?

Yes, at normal export resolution. Very small print is worth checking before you send.

Is one image per page or one long image better?

One per page for anything over about three pages. A single tall image works well for short documents.

Is the PDF uploaded?

No, the pages are rendered on your device.