Notes on Making a PDF from Photos of ID Cards
Key points
- Put the front and back in one PDF, in order
- Watch for glare and cut-off text
- Share only with the recipient, and delete leftover photos
You may be asked for photos of a driver's license, student ID or insurance card to verify your identity. They contain sensitive information, so be careful about how you shoot and handle them.
Shooting
- Shoot in a bright place, from directly above
- Place the card on a plain desk with all four corners visible
- Check that light or flash is not creating glare that washes out text; tilt slightly if needed
- Shoot both the front and the back
Combine into one PDF
Recipients often ask for front and back in one file.
- Choose the photos in the order front, back.
- Check the order.
- Set the page size to "A4" and tap "Make PDF".
Handling
- The tool processes photos only on your device and never sends them out.
- Still, double-check the address when emailing the PDF.
- After submitting, delete photos and PDFs you no longer need.
- If the recipient asks you to mask part of the card, follow their instructions.
For documents with parts that must not be shown, such as the back of some national ID cards, check the recipient's instructions carefully.
Use "Photos to PDF" (free)
Tools that go well with this
- Compress PDF: Shrink a PDF to fit under a size you choose, for upload limits.
- Rotate & Reorder PDF Pages: Fix sideways pages, change the page order, or remove pages.
- Merge PDFs: Combine several PDF files into one, in the order you choose.