What's the difference between HDR and PDF?

Radiance HDR (.hdr) stores high-dynamic-range images using an RGBE encoding — a shared exponent per pixel that captures a far wider range of brightness than ordinary 8-bit formats. PDF is the universal document format.

What quality should I pick?

For PDF, quality 75-85 is the sweet spot — small files with no visible difference from the original. Lower than 60 starts to show artifacts. Higher than 90 mostly just makes the file bigger.

Why convert away from HDR?

Radiance HDR (.hdr) stores high-dynamic-range images using an RGBE encoding — a shared exponent per pixel that captures a far wider range of brightness than ordinary 8-bit formats. Where it falls down: direct display on the web (needs tone-mapping first); general-purpose photo sharing. PDF addresses that for most workflows.

When is PDF the right format?

PDF is a good choice for: documents that need to print or render identically across devices; multi-page reports and contracts; combining multiple images into a single shareable document. It is a poor choice when anywhere you need to edit the content after the fact (PDFs are read-mostly).

Anything surprising about HDR or PDF?

Converting HDR to an 8-bit format tone-maps it — the extreme highlights/shadows are compressed to fit. And on the PDF side: browsers can render PDFs in-page — no plugin required since around 2015.

Does this work on mobile?

Yes. The drop zone falls back to your phone's file picker, and conversions run on-device just like desktop. Large files may be slower on mobile due to CPU and memory constraints, but the workflow is identical.

What's the maximum file size?

No hard limit — the browser handles it. Files under 50MB convert in a few seconds. Larger files work but may take longer as the browser allocates memory. If you hit issues, batch in smaller groups.

Can I combine multiple images into one PDF?

Yes. Drop multiple HDR images and they'll be combined into a single PDF, one per page. Drag the queue to reorder pages before exporting.

Convert HDR to PDF

Combine HDR images into a single PDF in your browser. Useful for archiving photo sets, building report PDFs, or compiling a portable shareable document. Free, no upload.

Drop images to combine into a PDF

PNG, JPG, WebP — reorder with ↑/↓ then build

Images stay on your device.

Page size

Overview

Why convert HDR to PDF

PDF is a more practical choice than HDR for most modern workflows: documents that need to print or render identically across devices. Coming from HDR, the thing to know is that direct display on the web (needs tone-mapping first).

Comparison

HDR vs PDF: what actually differs

HDR compared with PDF across encoding, fidelity, file size and support.
Attribute	HDR	PDF
Compression	Lossless	Lossy or lossless
Transparency	No	Yes
Animation	No	No
Typical file size	Varies	Varies
Browser support	Not natively displayable in browsers — convert to PNG, JPG, or WebP to view or share.	Every browser can display PDFs natively. PDF.js (built into Firefox and Edge) is the same engine that powers most in-page PDF viewers.

How to

How to convert HDR to PDF

01
Drop your HDR files
Drag one or more HDR files onto the dropzone above, or click to browse. Files stay on your device — nothing uploads.
02
Convert in your browser
convert.now decodes each HDR and re-encodes it as PDF via WebAssembly. The conversion runs in a Web Worker so the page stays responsive.
03
Download the result
Download the assembled PDF document. For multiple inputs, all images are combined into one PDF.

Why here

Why convert.now

Private
Files stay in your browser. No upload step. Nothing for anyone to see.
Fast
No queue, no upload wait. Conversion starts the moment you drop a file.
Free
No ads. No file-count limit. No sign-up wall. Just the converter.

FAQ

HDR to PDF: common questions

No. The conversion from HDR to PDF runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. Files never leave your device. Open DevTools' Network tab if you'd like to verify — there are no network requests with file contents.

Related HDR converters

Last updated 27 August 2026

Why convert HDR to PDF

HDR vs PDF: what actually differs

How to convert HDR to PDF

Drop your HDR files

Convert in your browser

Download the result

Why convert.now

HDR to PDF: common questions

Related HDR converters