How to Create a Professional PDF Portfolio — Designer and Photographer Guide

Portfolio PDF Best Practices

Image Quality

• Use high-quality images (JPEG quality 90-95%)
• Resize to A4 at 150 DPI (1240 x 1754 px) for screen viewing
• Use 300 DPI only if the portfolio will be printed

Layout

• One project per page (or per spread)
• Consistent margins and padding
• Brief captions describing each piece
• Table of contents for 10+ pages

File Size

• Aim for 5-15 MB total
• Recruiters and clients may not download 50+ MB files
• Use "Fit to Image" page size to eliminate unnecessary white space

Step-by-Step Creation

1. Select your best 15-20 pieces — Quality over quantity
2. Resize all images to consistent dimensions
3. Create individual page PDFs from each image
4. Merge all pages into one PDF in desired order
5. Add a cover page with your name and contact info
6. Compress the final PDF to under 15 MB
7. Test — Open on phone and desktop to verify

Common Mistakes

• Including too many pieces (20 is better than 50)
• Images too low-resolution (looks unprofessional)
• File too large to email or download quickly
• No contact information in the document
• Not ordering strongest pieces first