PDF or PNG: which carousel export should you choose?

Compare a single PDF with separate PNG images, including sizes, repeat downloads, and final file checks.

Choose the format based on where the files will go. CarouselDraft exports a saved carousel as one PDF or a ZIP containing one PNG per slide. You download the files and publish them yourself. Check the destination’s upload requirements before choosing.

Choose PDF when the pages belong in one document

A PDF keeps the slides together in their saved order. Use it when you want to send one file for review or upload to a service that accepts documents. Open the PDF and step through all its pages; the cover thumbnail only shows the first one.

Choose PNG when you need separate images

Choose PNG when you need individual slide images. Download the ZIP, extract it, and check the filenames and order before uploading. Keep the whole set together so a middle slide does not get missed.

Decide the shape before the final edit

CarouselDraft supports square (1:1) and portrait (4:5) slides. PNGs are 1080 × 1080 pixels or 1080 × 1350 pixels. Pick the ratio before the final edit, because a shape change can affect line breaks and image crops. These sizes describe the files CarouselDraft produces.

Check the saved version and the files

• Wait for All changes saved before exporting.
• Resolve blocking layout or source warnings.
• Choose PDF or PNG images (ZIP), then create the export.
• Wait for Completed and download the file.
• Read every PDF page or extracted image before sharing.

Use export history for a completed result

Each new PDF or PNG ZIP uses one export allowance. Downloading the same successful export again uses no additional allowance. Files expire after 7 days; you can recreate that successful version without another export while its project, saved task, and referenced images remain available. Editing and exporting a new version uses a new allowance.

Keep private documents private

Workspace downloads require the owning account. Once you send a downloaded file or upload it elsewhere, you control that copy. Check for confidential text and images before sharing it.

How to upload a carousel PDF to LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, start a post and choose Add a document. Select the exported PDF, add a clear document title, then write the post text and review before publishing. LinkedIn’s official guide recommends PDF and explains that an uploaded document cannot be edited or replaced within the existing post. Keep the editable CarouselDraft project for later corrections.

How to prepare PNG carousel images for Instagram

Download the PNG ZIP and extract it before uploading. Select the individual images in their intended order, then review the crop, caption, and the complete sequence in Instagram. Keep a consistent ratio across the set. A ZIP is a download container; it is not the image file you select for a slide.

A quick format decision

• LinkedIn document post: one PDF containing the full sequence.
• Instagram image carousel: the individual PNG images extracted from the ZIP.
• File review: use the PDF to read the sequence together, or the PNGs to check each image.

The product’s square PNGs are 1080 × 1080 pixels; portrait PNGs are 1080 × 1350. These are CarouselDraft output sizes. Check the destination’s current requirements rather than assuming they describe every accepted platform format.

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