JPEG 2000 to PDF converter

JP2 → PDF makes an archive scan or a JPEG 2000 photo printable and shareable, with page size set by the dpi option rather than the scan's own resolution.

Converted with Image engine · input deleted within 24 h
Free: 5 conversions a day · 5 MB each
Higher limits →

From real runs

What you get — and what changes

Element	Result	What happens
Page size	Changed	Pages are laid out at 96 dpi unless you set dpi: the 2717×3701 balloon print became a 28.3 × 38.55 in page by default and 9.06 × 12.34 in at dpi 300.
Compression inside the PDF	Changed	The JPEG 2000 data is decoded and stored in the PDF as an ordinary JPEG, so the PDF opens in older readers but is larger: 628,654 bytes of JPX became a 1,543,261-byte PDF.
Text	Lost	A scanned page becomes a picture on a page; the PDF has no text layer to search or copy.
16-bit images	Changed	Images inside the PDF are 8-bit, so 16-bit JPEG 2000 is scaled to 8-bit greys before it is placed on the page; fine tonal steps in scientific images are merged.
Transparency	Lost	Alpha is flattened onto white, or onto the background colour you set, because the embedded image has no transparency.
One file, one page	Changed	Each JP2 becomes a single-page PDF; a book delivered as hundreds of page files needs a separate merge step.
Archive metadata	Lost	XML boxes with catalogue or rights information are not copied into the PDF's document properties.

Page size Changed
Pages are laid out at 96 dpi unless you set dpi: the 2717×3701 balloon print became a 28.3 × 38.55 in page by default and 9.06 × 12.34 in at dpi 300.
Compression inside the PDF Changed
The JPEG 2000 data is decoded and stored in the PDF as an ordinary JPEG, so the PDF opens in older readers but is larger: 628,654 bytes of JPX became a 1,543,261-byte PDF.
Text Lost
A scanned page becomes a picture on a page; the PDF has no text layer to search or copy.
16-bit images Changed
Images inside the PDF are 8-bit, so 16-bit JPEG 2000 is scaled to 8-bit greys before it is placed on the page; fine tonal steps in scientific images are merged.
Transparency Lost
Alpha is flattened onto white, or onto the background colour you set, because the embedded image has no transparency.
One file, one page Changed
Each JP2 becomes a single-page PDF; a book delivered as hundreds of page files needs a separate merge step.
Archive metadata Lost
XML boxes with catalogue or rights information are not copied into the PDF's document properties.

Sample conversions

Scanned print at print size

Input: balloon.jpf, 628,654 bytes, 2717×3701 RGB, with options {"dpi":300}.
Output: 1,543,257-byte PDF in 2.4 s with one 9.06 × 12.34 in page.

Solar image

Input: aia171.jp2, 1,078,612 bytes, 4096×4096 grayscale.
Output: 962,447-byte PDF in 1.3 s with a 42.67 in square page at the default 96 dpi.

A real JPEG 2000 → PDF run

We converted our JPEG 2000 sample (42 KB) with Image engine on 2026-10-20. It took 87 ms and produced a 35 KB PDF file, 17% smaller than the input. The engine raised 1 warning, listed below.

Input · sample.jp2 · 42 KB

43,179 bytes

Output · sample.pdf · 35 KB

PDF 1.4, 1 page, no text layer, 1 image object

Version: 1.4
Pages: 1
Images: 1
Text layer: no

Image metadata stripped from output.

Is your file a scan?

Archive JP2 files are usually page scans, so the PDF contains pictures of text. Run the PDF through make-pdf-searchable (AI Deep Read) to add a text layer.

Options and when to change them

dpi: Set it to the scanning resolution, often 300 or 400 for library scans, so the page matches the paper it was scanned from.
background: Only for JPEG 2000 files with an alpha channel; it sets the colour under transparent areas.
width: Shrink large scans before they go into the PDF when the result must fit an email limit.

Do it yourself

img2pdf

bash

img2pdf --pagesize A4 scan.jp2 -o scan.pdf

Embeds the JPEG 2000 data unchanged, so the PDF stays as small as the JP2. A few older viewers and printers cannot render JPEG 2000 inside a PDF.

JPEG 2000 to PDF by API or MCP

The HTTP API and the MCP server run the exact engine this page uses (Image engine); the response carries the same warnings the web converter shows. Check support first with GET /api/v1/pairs?from=jp2&to=pdf.

curl

curl -X POST https://filetypeconverters.com/api/v1/convert \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FTC_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@input.jp2" -F "from=jp2" -F "to=pdf" \
  -F 'options={"width":0}' \
  --output output.pdf

Options this engine accepts for JPEG 2000 → PDF

Key	Applies to	Type	Default
width	Writing PDF	number	0
height	Writing PDF	number	0
fit	Writing PDF	contain · cover · fill	contain
quality	Writing PDF	number	90
background	Writing PDF	string	#ffffff
stripMetadata	Writing PDF	boolean	true

API reference

When this is the wrong conversion

If you need to search or copy the text of scanned pages, use the make-pdf-searchable or scanned-book-to-epub workflow; this conversion gives image-only pages.
If the PDF is for long-term archiving, see the PDF/A guide and keep the JP2 masters as well.

JPEG 2000 to PDF questions

Why is the PDF bigger than my JP2?

We store the picture as a standard JPEG inside the PDF so every reader can display it. JPEG needs more bytes than JPEG 2000 for the same image; img2pdf keeps the original compression if size matters most.

How do I get the original paper size?

Set dpi to the resolution the page was scanned at. Library scans are commonly 300 or 400 dpi; at 300 the 2717×3701 print came out 9.06 × 12.34 inches.

Can I turn a folder of JP2 pages into one PDF book?

Each JP2 becomes its own one-page PDF here, so a book needs a merge afterwards. If you want readable text as well, the scanned-book-to-epub workflow is the better route.