Add Photos to Your Notes
Keepsake notes aren't only about text. You can add photos directly — from your camera, your file picker, your clipboard, or by drag and drop. Photos are compressed automatically, stored privately, and rendered in a clean, readable layout. Pair them with Markdown formatting to turn a note into a small photo post.
Capture from your camera or photo library
Tap the photo icon
The photo icon sits in the QuickNote bar at the top of the Inbox, whenever the field is empty. One tap opens the native sheet: Photo Library, Take Photo, or Choose File.
Pick one photo — or several
Select as many photos as you like from your library: they all land in a single QuickNote, in the order you picked them. Taking a new photo works exactly as before.
Instant feedback
While your photos upload, the bar shows it. Then it turns green with a confirmation — the note is in your Inbox, no extra step.
On desktop, the button feeds the field
The same photo button on desktop opens the file picker and inserts the selected images into the capture bar, so you can add a caption or a tag before sending.
Tip
Use this on the go to photograph a whiteboard after a meeting, a page from a book you want to quote later, or anything you'd normally keep in a camera roll full of context-less images.
Add a photo via drag & drop
Open any editor
It works everywhere you write: the QuickNote bar, the note detail page, journal entries, task descriptions, day notes, contact and company files, and page descriptions.
Drop the image
Drag an image from Finder, the desktop, or even another browser tab, and drop it into the editor. A short upload indicator appears, then the image is inserted inline.
Combine with text
Add a caption, a tag, or a Markdown heading before or after the image. A single note can contain multiple images interleaved with text.
Tip
You can drop multiple images at once — they'll be inserted in the order you dropped them.
Paste an image from the clipboard
Copy the image
Use your OS screenshot tool (Cmd+Shift+4 on Mac, Snipping Tool on Windows), or copy any image from a browser, from Preview, Photos, etc.
Paste into the editor
Place your cursor in any Keepsake editor and press Cmd+V / Ctrl+V. The image uploads and is inserted inline at the cursor — same as drag & drop.
Shortcut
Cmd+V (Mac) or Ctrl+V (Windows / Linux) to paste an image
Tip
Perfect for capturing a quick screenshot of an error, a design, or a chart without leaving your keyboard. The round trip from screenshot to saved note takes two seconds.
How photo notes render (single, grids, and zoom)
One photo — native ratio, full width
A note with a single image renders the photo at its native aspect ratio, full width of the column. Nothing is cropped. The caption (any text after the image) appears below in italic.
Multiple photos in a row — auto grid
Paste two or more photos with nothing (or only whitespace) between them and they automatically form a grid. The layout adapts to the count and orientation: 2 side-by-side portraits (or stacked if both are landscape), 3 with a hero on top and two below, 4 in a 2×2, 5 with a square hero + 4 squares, 6 or more in a 3-column grid that fills the last row cleanly.
Photos separated by text — each inline
If you write text between two photos, the grid is broken intentionally. Each photo renders individually, inline with the text around it. Use this when you want to annotate or tell a story around each image — like a photo essay.
Click to zoom on the note page
On the full note page (keepsake.place/@you/note-slug), click any photo to open an elegant full-screen zoom view. Navigate between photos with the arrow buttons, the ←/→ keys, or by swiping on mobile. Press Esc or click outside the image to close.
Tip
To compose a tight photo series, paste your images in the order you want them to appear, with no text in between. To break the grid and comment on individual photos, insert a paragraph of text between them. Your note on the public Keepsake Page will render exactly as you composed it.
What happens when you delete a photo note
Delete the note
Delete a note like any other — menu > Delete. The note goes to the trash (30-day retention) and its images go with it.
Permanent cleanup after 30 days
Once the note is permanently removed from the trash (automatically after 30 days, or manually), the associated images are deleted from storage. No orphaned files are left behind.
Restoring a note restores its photos
If you restore a note from the trash before the 30 days are up, its images come back with it. Nothing is lost.
Formats, size, and compression
Supported formats
JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC (from iPhone), and GIF. HEIC images are converted to JPEG on upload for broader compatibility.
Automatic compression
Every image is resized to a maximum of 1600px on the longest side. JPEGs are saved at quality 85%; PNGs stay PNG (lossless — screenshots and infographics keep crisp text); WebP stays WebP. Uploads stay fast and notes light, with no perceptible loss for on-screen reading.
Storage
Images are stored privately in your personal folder on Keepsake's servers. They are only accessible via the note they're attached to — and, if you choose to make a note public, via your Keepsake Page.
Maximum file size
Images larger than 25 MB before compression are rejected with a clear message — roomy enough for the 48-megapixel photos of recent phones. Since everything is resized on upload, the input size costs you nothing in storage.
Tip
If image quality matters for your use case (fine typography, artwork), keep the original elsewhere and use Keepsake for a working copy. The compression is tuned for readability, not archival fidelity.
Related guides
Capture Ideas Instantly with QuickNotes
Learn how to use QuickNotes to capture thoughts, ideas, and reminders in seconds. Works offline, syncs automatically, and connects to your contacts.
Notes: Capture, Process, and Organize
Understand the full lifecycle of notes in Keepsake. From quick capture in the Inbox to archiving, transforming into tasks or entries, and finding them on contact profiles and tag pages.
Slash Commands — Format Notes Without Leaving the Keyboard
Type / in any Keepsake editor to open a command palette. Insert headings, lists, tasks, images, quotes, code blocks, or split and duplicate notes — all without touching the mouse.
Your Keepsake Page — Publish Notes Publicly
Share notes with the world from your Keepsake Page. Learn how to set up your username, add a bio and links, publish notes in one click, and manage what's public.
Format Your Notes with Markdown
Learn how to use Markdown in Keepsake to format your notes with bold, lists, checkboxes, headers, and more. Simple syntax guide for beginners.
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