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I want to shoot a few photos using the smartphone. I will receive JPEG files. Next step I will move this photos to desktop computer (Windows 10 Home 64-bit). Now I want to edit this photos: some of them I will crop, scale, rotate. In some photos I will adjust brightness and contrast. I don't know which software I will use for it. Maybe GIMP, ImageMagick or something else.

Next step I will import edited photos to some software in which I will arrange photos on pages and add few lines of text to each of them - explanation what is on the photo. On every page I will arrange a few photos and text to each of them. I will have approximately 9 or 10 pages. Maybe I will use LibreOffice Writer, Scribus or something else. Next I will make a PDF file.

Next step I will send PDF file to friend. Friend will read it on smartphone or desktop computer. He will use Adobe Acrobat Reader or something equivalent. Maybe friend wants to print this PDF on printer. In this case photos on paper should not have pixelated, jagged edges. Maybe friend will want to copy some lines of text from PDF to text file.

During editing I don't want to use JPEG because JPEG has lossy compression. It affects on editing and artifacts. If I will edit photos I will save them few times. If I will edit photos in JPEG and will save them few times I will receive artifacts in it. I don't want artifacts in photos. Because of it right after I will move photos from smartphone to desktop computer I want to batch convert JPEG files to some another file format.

What file format it will be? I need to use the following criteria:

  • Lossless format
  • Maybe without any compression. Maybe with lossless compression.
  • Suitable for editing in GIMP or ImageMagick.
  • Suitable for many times saving during editing.
  • No any artifacts have to appear because of many times saving during editing.
  • Suitable to import to LibreOffice Writer or Scribus.
  • Suitable to arrange photos on pages.
  • Suitable for making PDF from LibreOffice Writer or Scribus.
  • Suitable for reading PDF on smartphone or desktop computer.
  • Suitable for printing PDF on printer and photos on paper should not have pixelated, jagged edges.

What file format to use taking in attention described situation and described criteria?

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    "JPEG has lossy compression" only if you compress the photos, otherwise there is no loss
    – DavidPostill ♦
    Apr 13, 2020 at 11:41
  • @DavidPostill. Thank you, David, for your reply. I took in attention your explanation. My smartphone makes photos - JPEG files with lossy compression
    – Konskoo
    Apr 14, 2020 at 12:08

1 Answer 1

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You do not have to batch-convert your images on your PC.

This workflow should be working:

  1. Making the photos on mobile device (JPG)
  2. Importing them in GIMP
  3. Editing the photos
  4. Exporting them as TIFF or JPG (100% quality)
  5. Layouting your document with Scribus/Indesign
  6. Exporting the document as PDF with High-Quality-Images (each program has a different export dialog with a lot of settings)

This PDF you should be able to display on desktop computers and mobile devices, independent from the PDF-Reader.

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  • Thank you, Michael, for editing the post and thank you for your reply. "Suitable for printing PDF on printer and photos on paper should not have pixelated, jagged edges". "Exporting the document as PDF with High-Quality-Images (each program has a different export dialog with a lot of settings)". What DPI I need to set when I will export the document as PDF to avoid pixelated, jagged edges in photos on paper?
    – Konskoo
    Apr 14, 2020 at 11:51
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    Sorry for my late answer, but for your usage 200-300dpi are good. Try out both settings and check how big the filesize gets and if the quality is ok for you.
    – michael
    Apr 17, 2020 at 18:12
  • Thank you, Michael."What DPI I need to set when I will export the document as PDF to avoid pixelated, jagged edges in photos on paper?". "for your usage 200-300dpi are good". This is about output PDF. I took into consideration. And what about resolution of TIFFs which I will export from GIMP? How much PPI I need for TIFFs?
    – Konskoo
    Apr 19, 2020 at 13:27

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