Make a flipbook from images: JPG, PNG or WebP instead of a PDF

Most flipbooks start from a PDF, but they don’t have to. A portfolio, a photo book, a scanned brochure or pages exported from a design tool can go straight into a flipbook as a set of images, one image per page.

Images or a PDF?

Use images when the pages are pictures anyway: photography, artwork, scans of old print, or a lookbook with little text. Use a PDF when readers will search for product codes, copy a phone number or click links. For those, see how to turn a PDF into a flipbook on WordPress.

1. Prepare the images

The flipbook shows each image as one page, so the work is mostly in the export.

• One image per page. Don’t export two-page spreads as one wide image. The flipbook pairs the pages itself.
• The same size for every page. Mixed sizes work, but the book looks uneven as pages turn.
• 1500 to 2000 pixels high. That is sharp on most screens, including when readers zoom in a little.
• JPG or WebP, not PNG. PNG files of photos are many times larger. Save at 60 to 80% quality: the difference is barely visible and the files get much smaller.
• Number the files. Names like 01.jpg, 02.jpg make it easy to keep the pages in order.

As with any flipbook, the first page shows on its own as the cover, then pages 2 and 3 face each other, and so on. Use an even number of pages so the last one is a back cover.

2. Create the flipbook

In WordPress:

1. Go to Real3D Flipbook → Add New.
2. Click Select PDF or images, then choose the images in the media library. You can select many at once.
3. Click Send to Flipbook, check the page order, and publish.

You can then place it with the block or the shortcode, like any other flipbook. Images work in the free Lite version too.

On Shopify, the app makes flipbooks from images on every plan, including the free one. See how to add a PDF to Shopify for where the flipbook can go in your store.

3. Add what images don’t have

An image has no text and no links, so the flipbook adds them.

• Page titles. Give pages a title in the flipbook’s Pages tab, and the table of contents is built from them. Or make your own list in the Table of Contents tab. Navigating a long flipbook covers both.
• Links and video. With the Page Editor addon, you can draw links, videos and audio on top of any page, such as a “buy” link over a product photo. See interactive flipbook pages.
• Thumbnails. For a photo book or a portfolio, the thumbnail panel is often the fastest way around, because readers recognize the pictures.

Already have a PDF? Let the server make the images

If you have the document as a PDF but want the speed of an image flipbook, you don’t need to export images by hand. The PDF Tools addon converts the PDF into page images and data on your server. The flipbook then loads images, but search, text selection and links from the PDF still work. You can even remove the PDF from the server afterwards, so the original file can’t be downloaded. See why a flipbook loads slowly for when that’s worth doing.

Questions about image flipbooks

Which image formats can I use?

JPG, PNG and WebP. JPG or WebP keeps the files small. Use PNG only for pages with flat colors and sharp text, such as illustrations.

What size should the images be?

Around 1500 to 2000 pixels high. Larger images look the same on most screens but take longer to load.

Can readers search an image flipbook?

No. Search reads the text in a PDF, and an image has none. If search matters, use the PDF, or convert it with PDF Tools, which keeps the text.

Can I sell or protect an image flipbook?

Yes, the same way as a PDF flipbook. See sell or protect a flipbook.