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Make Anki flashcards with pictures from your own notes

Upload a PDF, slide deck, or photo of a page, and DeckOwl builds picture-based flashcards you can study in the browser or export to Anki on Plus.

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Adding pictures to Anki cards, step by step

Pictures carry a lot of exam content, from anatomy diagrams to lab setups and historical maps. Learning how to make an Anki deck with pictures starts with deciding which side of the card holds the image and which side holds the question or label.

Pick one concept per picture so each card tests a single fact.
Crop out irrelevant parts of a photo so the label you want to recall stands out.
Hide one label at a time with image occlusion rather than the whole diagram.
Review picture cards on a spaced schedule so the visuals stick over time.

Example picture flashcards for biology and anatomy

Heart diagram: which chamber receives oxygen-poor blood from the body?The right atrium, which sends the blood to the right ventricle and then to the lungs.

Cell diagram: which organelle is the site of protein synthesis?The ribosome, found free in the cytoplasm or attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Gram stain photo: why do Gram-positive bacteria appear purple?They retain crystal violet dye because their thick peptidoglycan layer holds the stain during decolorizing.

Map of the Roman Empire: which sea bordered it to the south?The Mediterranean Sea, which the Romans called Mare Nostrum.

Simple circuit diagram: which component stores electrical charge?A capacitor, which stores energy in an electric field between two conductors.

Generate the full set

Picture input

Upload PDFs, slides, DOCX files, notes, or photos of pages. Text in images is read with text recognition.

Cards built around visuals

Flashcards are written from the labeled parts, figures, and text in your material, so each card tests one clear fact.

Spaced repetition

Cards come back on a schedule that adjusts to what you remember, so picture cards keep getting reviewed.

How it works

Upload your material

Add the PDF, slides, or photos that contain the diagrams you need to learn.

Review the generated cards

Check that each picture card asks one question and that the answer matches the labeled image.

Study or export to Anki

Study in the browser on the free plan, or export to Anki on Plus to keep your picture deck in Anki.

Anki accepts images on either side of a card through drag and drop or pasting, and its Image Occlusion feature hides labeled parts of a picture so you recall each one. Building those cards by hand takes time, which is where DeckOwl helps: upload a photo or PDF, and it generates picture flashcards from your own material. Exporting to Anki is included in the Plus plan at $39 per year or $7.99 per month.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Anki support image occlusion for labeled diagrams?

Current versions of Anki include Image Occlusion, which hides labeled parts of an image so you can practice recalling each one. It works well for anatomy, maps, and circuit diagrams.

What kinds of pictures work best for flashcards?

Clear images that show one concept, such as a labeled cell diagram or a single chart, work best. Crop out anything that does not relate to the fact you want to memorize.

Can DeckOwl read text from a photo of a textbook page?

Yes, photos of pages are read with text recognition, and the text can be turned into flashcards. Check the generated cards against the page before studying.

Do I need a paid plan to export picture flashcards to Anki?

Yes, exporting to Anki is part of the Plus plan at $39 per year or $7.99 per month. The free plan lets you study generated cards in the browser.

Generate free flashcards

Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.