How to actually do it.
Image and PDF how-to guides
Step-by-step guides for common image and PDF jobs, such as getting a file under a size limit or removing GPS data, plus format comparisons and how File4Edit compares with iLovePDF, Smallpdf and TinyPNG, each linked to a free tool that runs in your browser.
Common jobs and the tools to point at them, plus format and service comparisons.
How to get an image under a file size limit
An upload form wants under 2 MB, or an email bounces. Type the limit and let the quality be found for you, then shrink the dimensions if that is not enough.
How to prepare photos for a website
A camera photo is thousands of pixels wide and several megabytes. Resize it to the size it is shown at, save it as WebP, and add a placeholder, in that order.
How to remove the location from a photo
Phone photos record where they were taken. See what your photo carries, save a copy with the GPS position and other EXIF tags removed, and check the result.
How to make a favicon for your website
Browsers, phones and home screens each want a different icon size. Start from one square image of 512 pixels or more and get the ICO, PNGs and HTML tags.
How to post a photo without it getting cropped
Each platform crops to its own shape, and a centered crop can cut off a head. Pad the photo out to the platform's shape, or choose which part of it to keep.
How to clean up a scan or a screenshot
Scans come with margins, specks and a tilt, and screenshots with dead space. Trim, straighten, sharpen and save each in the format that keeps its edges crisp.
How to turn a pile of photos into one PDF
Someone wants one PDF, not a dozen attachments. Put the photos in order, pick a page size and a margin, and resize them first if the PDF has to go by email.
How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows
Windows often cannot open iPhone HEIC photos. Convert them to JPG in Chrome, Edge or Firefox with nothing to install, or add Microsoft's two extensions.
How to make a PDF small enough to email
Gmail allows 25 MB, Outlook's desktop app 20 MB, and many forms far less. Shrink the photos inside the PDF and keep its text, or split it into smaller parts.
JPG vs PNG: which should you use?
Use JPG for photographs and PNG for screenshots, logos and anything transparent. What each format keeps, what it throws away, and when neither one is right.
WebP vs JPG: which is better for a website?
WebP is usually smaller than JPG at the same quality, and every current browser shows it. When JPG is still the safer choice, and how to convert either way.
WebP vs PNG: size, transparency and support
Both keep transparency, but a WebP is usually the smaller file. When PNG is still the right choice, what lossy WebP gives up, and how to switch between them.
JPG vs JPEG: is there any difference?
JPG and JPEG are one format with two spellings of its file extension. Why both exist, whether renaming a file is safe, and what really changes image quality.
Is it safe to upload files to online converters?
Usually, for everyday files and a reputable service. What happens to a file you upload, what to check before sending anything private, and what never uploads.
An iLovePDF alternative that never uploads your PDFs
Compare iLovePDF and File4Edit on where your PDF goes, free-plan limits, apps and OCR, using iLovePDF's own pages, and see which jobs each one handles better.
A Smallpdf alternative with no daily limit
Compare Smallpdf and File4Edit on file handling, the free plan's daily download limit, Pro features and apps, from Smallpdf's own pages, and when to use each.
A TinyPNG alternative that compresses images on your device
How TinyPNG and File4Edit compare on uploads, free-plan limits, PNG compression and formats, from TinyPNG's own pages, and when TinyPNG is the better pick.
How to use Image and PDF how-to guides
- Find the job you arrived with Each guide is titled by the problem rather than the tool: a file that is too large, GPS data in a photograph, a favicon to build, a scan to clean up, or a choice between two formats. The last pages in the list set File4Edit beside services you may already use, such as iLovePDF, Smallpdf and TinyPNG.
- Read the answer at the top Each page opens by answering its question in a few sentences, in the words you would use, so you can tell it is the right one before reading on.
- Open the guide Each guide is a page of its own, and every step that names a tool links straight to it, so the guide is a route into the app rather than a description of one.
- Watch for the 'worth knowing' notes Several guides mark the mistake that undoes the work, such as re-saving a photo that has already been compressed or saving a screenshot as JPEG, in a note of its own.
Image and PDF how-to guides: common questions
Which guide should I start with?
Start with the one titled by your problem. A file that is too big is How to get an image under a file size limit, and a choice between two formats is a comparison such as JPG vs PNG.
Do the guides need an account or an upload?
No. Every tool a guide links to runs in your browser, so the files you follow along with stay on your device.
Why compare File4Edit with iLovePDF, Smallpdf and TinyPNG?
So that someone looking for an alternative to one of them finds the facts in one place. Each comparison cites the other service's own pages, with the month they were read, and lists what that service does that File4Edit cannot.
What is the difference between the guides and the format guide?
The guides each answer one question, most of them a job done step by step. The format guide compares the formats themselves and links to a page explaining each of HEIC, WebP and AVIF.