To convert a worksheet photo to PDF for Google Classroom, take a flat, evenly lit photo of the page, upload it to Image to PDF and download the PDF. Then open the assignment in Classroom, attach the PDF under Your work and press Turn in.
Image to PDF is free and takes one JPG, PNG or BMP of up to 25 MB, which it puts on an A4 page. Worksheet runs to several pages? Then JPG to PDF is the better pick, since it merges all the photos into one PDF.
Convert a Worksheet PhotoTake a Worksheet Photo the Teacher Can Read
Finish the worksheet first and check that every answer, unit and graph label is where the teacher asked for it. Write in dark ink or press hard with a pencil, because faint marks are the first thing a photo loses.
Yale's Canvas team gives three tips in its student guide to PDFs of handwritten work: use dark ink on light paper, lay the page on a flat surface with high contrast, and hold the phone directly above it. They work just as well for a Classroom worksheet.
Use daylight from a window or two lamps, not the flash, which can leave a bright patch that hides pencil marks. Keep all four corners in the frame, tap the screen to focus on the writing, and if a photo is blurred or cut off, take it again.
Check the smallest marks
Zoom into the photo before you convert it. Decimal points, minus signs, fraction bars, exponents and graph labels should all be clear at full size.
A scanning filter in your camera app can straighten the page, but strong contrast settings may wipe out grid lines or pale pencil. Hold the filtered photo up against the paper before you use it.
How to Convert a Worksheet Photo to PDF for Google Classroom
- Open Image to PDF and choose the worksheet photo, a JPG, PNG or BMP file.
- Press Convert To PDF and wait for the download button.
- Download the PDF and open it on your device.
- Check that the whole page is there and you can read every answer.
- Rename the file the way your teacher asked, for example with the class and worksheet name.
If the camera saved a rotation tag, Image to PDF turns the photo the right way up, and it uses a landscape page when the photo is wider than tall. In our test run, a 35.6 KB test JPG became a one-page PDF of 36.9 KB.
Photos from an iPhone
iPhones can save photos as HEIC, which Image to PDF won't take. Use HEIC to PDF for those, and don't bother renaming a file from .heic to .jpg: that doesn't change what's inside it. Our guide to converting HEIC to PDF on an iPhone walks through the whole job in Safari.
Worksheets With More Than One Page
Take one photo per page. Squeezing two sheets into one picture halves the detail on each, and if you wrote on the back of a page, photograph that too.
Then open JPG to PDF, add all the photos, drag them into page order and leave "Merge all images in one PDF file" ticked. Our guide to combining screenshots into one PDF has more tips on keeping images in order.
Attach and Turn In the PDF in Google Classroom
Google's Classroom help page on turning in work describes the steps. Open the assignment, click Add or create under Your work, choose File, select your PDF and click Add.
Then click Turn In and confirm. Once the status says Turned in, you know Classroom has the file and it isn't just sitting in your downloads folder.
The same page says you can unsubmit, make changes and turn the work in again. Do that before the due date, and tell your teacher if there's no Unsubmit button.
Classroom takes photos straight from your camera roll too, so you only need a PDF when the teacher asks for one or when several pages should arrive as a single file.
When the PDF Looks Wrong
Blurry writing in the PDF means it was blurry in the photo. Converting again won't fix it, so take a new photo with more light and a steadier hand.
If the page comes out sideways, rotate the photo in your phone's gallery and save it before converting. If the file won't upload to Classroom, write down the exact message and try again on a stable connection or in another browser.
Also on Canvas? Its upload steps differ, so follow our guide to preparing a PDF for Canvas LMS upload. Photos of signed forms for a home purchase need even more care, as the guide to scanned documents for a real estate closing explains.
Frequently Asked Questions about converting a worksheet photo to PDF for Google Classroom
Will converting a blurry photo make it readable?
No. The PDF shows the photo exactly as it is, so take it again with steadier focus and more even light.
Can Image to PDF convert several worksheet photos at once?
No, it's one image per run. Use JPG to PDF to merge several photos into one PDF.
Can I upload the photo to Classroom without making a PDF?
Yes, Classroom takes photos from your camera roll. Make a PDF when the teacher asks for one or when several pages belong in one file.
How do I know the worksheet was turned in?
Open the assignment and check that your file is listed under Your work and that the status says Turned in.
Is my worksheet photo stored?
Image to PDF uploads the photo to our server to convert it. The photo and the PDF are deleted automatically within two hours.