How to Fix Blurry Images in a PDF
Separate a poor source image from an overly compressed export before trying again.
Compare the source and the output
Open the original photo and the PDF at a similar viewing size. If the original text is already unreadable, exporting at higher quality will not recover it. Retake or rescan the page with steadier framing, flatter alignment, and better light. If the original is sharp but the PDF is not, focus on export settings.
Make a one-page test
Choose the page with the smallest text. Export it with a larger image width or less aggressive JPEG compression. Read it at normal size and then zoom in enough to inspect letters and punctuation. Avoid judging the result solely from a low-resolution thumbnail.
A school worksheet and a photo presentation have different needs. For the worksheet, preserving narrow strokes and punctuation matters more than making a tiny file. For a photo, smooth gradients and fine detail may reveal compression first.
Prevent repeat degradation
Return to the original for every new export. Repeatedly compressing an already compressed copy can compound the damage. Keep a master and name reduced copies according to their use, such as worksheet-email.pdf. If a sending app changes the attachment, inspect a downloaded recipient-side copy to locate that extra conversion step.
Sources & further reading
- Apple · Checked Oct 1, 2026
