Print-2-image

Software applications install "virtual printers" on your operating system. To your computer, these look like a real printer (e.g., "HP LaserJet"). However, instead of spooling paper, the driver renders the data into a pixel grid and saves it as an image file.

This bridges the gap: you get the visual immutability of an image with the functional searchability of a document.

Standard mobile galleries often restrict printing to one image per page.

: Web portals often use image versions of documents to provide fast, lightweight previews for users.