What is Image PDF Mail Merge?
Image PDF mail merge lets you dynamically insert photos, logos, and signatures into merged PDFs based on spreadsheet data. Instead of manually placing images one at a time, you upload them to a Media Album and reference them by filename in your spreadsheet. Each row produces a PDF with the correct image embedded automatically.
This turns static PDF templates into visually rich, personalized documents — employee ID cards with photos, product catalogs with item images, contracts with authorized signatures, and branded letters with client logos.
Who uses this?
- HR departments — Employee ID cards with headshots and badges
- E-commerce teams — Product catalogs with item photos
- Legal teams — Contracts with authorized signatures
- Marketing agencies — Branded documents with client logos
- Event organizers — Attendee badges with profile photos
- Schools and universities — Student ID cards and certificates with photos
How to Add Images to Merged PDFs
Step 1 — Upload Images to a Media Album
Go to Assets → Media Albums and create an album (or use an existing one). Upload your PNG or JPEG images. Each image’s filename becomes its lookup key during the merge.
Naming convention
Use a consistent naming convention that matches your spreadsheet data. For example, if your spreadsheet has employee IDs like EMP001, name the corresponding photo EMP001.png. This makes matching reliable and easy to maintain.
Step 2 — Prepare Your Spreadsheet
Add a column containing image filenames. You can include or omit the file extension:
| Spreadsheet Value | Matches Album Image |
|---|---|
photo1 | photo1.png, photo1.jpg |
Photo1.JPG | photo1.jpg |
EMP001.png | EMP001.png |
Matching is case-insensitive with stem fallback — so Photo1, photo1, and PHOTO1.PNG all resolve to the same album image.
Step 3 — Link the Album to Your Template
In the editor’s Media tab, select the album to link. This tells Mergram which album to search when resolving image field values. Each template links to one album at a time.
Step 4 — Place an Image Field
Drag the image filename column from the sidebar onto your PDF canvas. Click the field and change its render type to Image. Resize the bounding box to control how large the image appears.
Step 5 — Preview and Generate
Use the row selector to preview individual rows with real images. Verify sizing, alignment, and matching before running the full merge.
Preview is local
Single-row previews run entirely in your browser — your images and data don’t leave your machine until you trigger a bulk merge.
How Image Scaling Works
Images are rendered to cover the bounding box width, maintaining their original aspect ratio:
- Width — The image fills the full width of the bounding box
- Height — Proportional to width, based on the image’s aspect ratio
- Alignment — Top-left corner of the bounding box
- Margin — Optional padding inside the bounding box
The bounding box height does not control the image height — the image’s aspect ratio determines that. Adjust the bounding box width to make images larger or smaller.
Aspect ratio
Portrait and landscape images render differently in the same-sized bounding box. A tall headshot will extend further down than a wide logo. Test with representative images from your dataset before generating the full batch.
Common Use Cases
Employee ID Cards and Badges
Upload headshots to a Media Album named by employee ID. Your spreadsheet has columns for name, department, title, and photo filename. Each row generates a complete ID card with the employee’s photo embedded.
Product Catalogs
Upload product photos to an album. Your spreadsheet lists product names, descriptions, prices, and image filenames. Generate a multi-page catalog where each product page shows the correct product image.
Contract Signatures
Upload scanned signatures (PNG with transparent background works best). Your contract spreadsheet includes a column for the signer’s signature image filename. Each generated contract has the correct signature embedded.
Branded Documents with Client Logos
Upload partner or client logos to an album. Your spreadsheet includes a logo filename column. Generate branded letters, proposals, or reports with each recipient’s logo automatically placed.
Best Practices
- Use consistent naming — Match image filenames exactly to your spreadsheet values to avoid unmatched fields
- Optimize images before upload — Resize to approximate display dimensions and compress to keep file sizes manageable
- Use JPEG for photos — JPEGs are smaller than PNGs for photographic content
- Use PNG for logos and graphics — PNGs support transparency and render sharp edges
- Test with previews — Preview a few rows to verify image sizing and positioning before running a full merge
- Organize albums by project — Keep images in separate albums per template or project rather than one massive collection
- Use the copy filename button — In the Media tab sidebar, copy exact filenames to your spreadsheet to eliminate typos
Limitations
- PNG and JPEG only — SVG, GIF, BMP, WebP, and TIFF are not supported
- 10 MB upload limit — Individual image files must be under 10 MB
- No URL-based images — Images must be uploaded to a Media Album; remote URLs are not supported
- One album per template — Each template links to a single Media Album at a time
- Missing images skip silently — Unmatched filenames produce a warning but do not halt the merge
Get Started
Upload your images, connect your spreadsheet, and generate personalized PDFs with dynamic images in minutes. No desktop software, no plugins — everything runs in your browser.
Try Mergram free and create your first image-enriched mail merge today.