Easy Ways to Turn a PDF into an Image File

This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.

This article has been viewed 1,398,012 times.

This wikiHow teaches you how to convert each page of a PDF file into its own image file, such as a JPG, PNG, or TIFF. You can do this on any computer using a free online PDF to image converter, or using software on your Windows or Mac computer. If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can use its "Export PDF" feature to convert PDF to image formats.

• To convert a PDF to an image file for free on any platform, try Adobe's Online PDF Converter.
• On a Mac, you can convert a PDF to an image file using Preview.
• Other options include Any PDF to JPG (Free) and Adobe Acrobat Pro (Paid).

Using Adobe's Online PDF Converter

• You can also use this service to convert PDF to image files on any device, including your Android, iPhone, or iPad.

• Alternatively, you can click Continue with Google, Continue with Facebook, or Continue with Apple, to log in with your Google, Facebook, or Apple account.

Click Select files . It's the blue button below the heading that says "Convert PDF to JPEG." This opens a file browser that allows you to select a file you can convert to a PDF.

Select an image format." width="460" height="344" />

• JPG images have larger amounts of image compression to produce optimal file sizes. They are the standard image format for internet usage, such as posting to websites, email, social media, or blogs.
• PNG images balance file size and image quality. They also support transparent and semi-transparent backgrounds. These images are best used for charts, graphs, and logos.
• TIFF images have the largest file sizes and highest image quality. They are mostly used by graphic designers using image editing software like Photoshop.

Select the image quality. Use the second drop-down menu at the bottom to select the image quality. You can select "Min," "Low," "Medium," "High," or "Max." Lower image quality will produce an image that doesn't look as good but will have smaller file sizes. High-quality images will be bigger files but look better.

Click the blue Convert button. It's the blue button in the lower-right corner. This processes the PDF and converts it.

Open the ZIP file. By default, the ZIP file containing your converted images should be in your Downloads folder or web browser. You can open a ZIP file on a PC or Mac by double-clicking it. Each page of your PDF will be a separate image file.

Using Any PDF to JPG (Windows 10 & 11)

• Simply open the Microsoft Store and click the search bar.
• Enter "Any PDF to JPG" into the bar and select the top result. The app's developer is "AnywaySoft, Inc.," and the app features a red box that says "PDF" pointing down to a green box that says "JPG."
• Click Get and the app will begin downloading and installing on your computer.

Click Open . This button appears in the place of the Get button once PDF to JPEG finishes installing. Doing so opens the app.

• Alternatively, click once to select it, then click Open in the bottom right corner of the File Explorer window.
• Once the PDF is loaded, you will see a preview. Click the arrows at the bottom to look through the PDF's pages.

• Another window will open where you can decide on a save location for your image(s) and how many pages you want to convert. You can also choose if there's a page in the middle of the PDF that you want to save as an image.

• When the app is done, you'll see a confirmation window with the option to open the folder to see your images or close the program without doing anything else.

Using Preview on Mac

• You can use your Mac's built-in Preview program to convert PDF pages into images, but you can only convert one page at a time.

• You may have to scroll down to find the page.

Click Export… . You'll find this near the middle of the File menu. This prompts a new window to open.

Click the "Format" drop-down box. It's near the bottom of the window. Doing so opens a drop-down menu.

Select an image format." width="460" height="348" />

Select an image format. [2] X Expert Source

• JPEG: JPEG files have a smaller file size but lose quality each time they are replicated. JPEG images are the standard image file for internet websites, emails, blogs, and social media posts
• PNG: PNG files do not lose quality, but they are larger file sizes. They also support transparent backgrounds. PNG images are best used for charts and logos.
• JPEG-2000 JPEG-2000 have a large compression rate that does not lose image quality. They support very large file sizes. However, unlike regular JPEG files, most web browsers do not support them. [3] X Research source
• OpenEXR: OpenEXR images are most commonly used in the film industry. They support High Dynamic Range, stereoscopic images, and 32-bit color graphics.
• TIFF TIFF images are high-quality images that tend to be larger. They are most commonly used by graphic designers using image editing software like Photoshop.

• You can also enter a file name at the top of this window and then select a folder in which to save the image before you click Save.

• If your PDF has a lot of pages, you might want to use Adobe's online tool.

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro

• This will only work with the paid version of Adobe Acrobat Pro. If you do not have an Adobe Acrobat subscription, you cannot use this method. You may be able to sign up for a free trial.

• On a Mac, click File in the upper-left corner of the screen instead.

• On a Mac, select Export To in the File drop-down menu instead.

• On a Mac, select Image in the pop-out menu.

Select an image type." width="460" height="347" />

Select an image type. Click the checkbox to the left of the type of image that you want to use. Popular image types include JPEG and PNG. [5] X Expert Source

• JPG images have larger amounts of image compression to produce optimal file sizes. They are the standard image format for internet usage, such as posting to websites, email, social media, or blogs.
• PNG images balance file size and image quality. They also support transparent and semi-transparent backgrounds. These images are best used for charts, graphs, and logos.
• TIFF images have the largest file sizes and highest image quality. They are mostly used by graphic designers using image editing software like Photoshop.

Save your file. Enter a new name for the file if you like, then click Save at the bottom of the pop-up window. This will save each of your PDF file's pages as its photo.

Expert Q&A

Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Most free PDF converters are relatively safe. But, just to be sure, make sure you aren't uploading any PDFs with sensitive personal information, such as your Social Security Number, birthday, or a credit card number.

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The amount of time to complete the conversion varies widely depending on: The size and complexity of the source PDF file. The method of conversion (online or offline) that you choose. For offline methods, it should be reasonably quick. A few seconds for a small simple PDF file. Generally a minute or perhaps two at the most for a large complex PDF file. Perhaps several minutes for a very large multipage or very complex PDF file.

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Yes. You can open a PDF file in either program, make your edits, then export as a different format (including JPEG).

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JPEG files are best used for emails, presentations, and low-impact forms of storage, while PNG files are best for preserving images in their original quality.

Tips from our Readers

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• You can use http://www.talkpdf.com to perform conversion more easily. Here you can drag multiple files in same time and convert them in one shot.

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