Images from a PDF: originals or page snapshot?
Decide between the photos exactly as the file stores them and a snapshot of the page, with the settings for each and the cases where one of them fails.
There are two ways to get images out of a PDF, and they give different results. For the photos exactly as the file stores them, extract the images from the PDF: regular JPEGs (RGB or grayscale) come out byte for byte, with no re-compression, while those with a mask or in CMYK are exported as PNG. For the page as it looks, text and background included, convert the PDF to an image. Both run in your browser, so the PDF isn't uploaded anywhere.
The rest of this guide helps you choose, and covers the settings that matter.
Extract or convert: what's the difference?
Extracting recovers the embedded images, the actual image files the PDF carries. Converting draws each page and saves that drawing as a new image. They are not interchangeable.
| You need | Use | You get |
|---|---|---|
| The document's photos at their original quality | Extract Images | Each embedded image, without the page around it |
| The whole page as an image | PDF to JPG | One image per page, text and graphics included |
| Vector graphics such as a chart | PDF to JPG | The chart as drawn on the page |
| A page to post on a site that rejects PDFs | PDF to JPG | JPG, PNG or WebP |
Getting the original images
- Open Extract Images from PDF and drop the file (up to 500 MB).
- Pick the minimum size to ignore, from "Don't ignore any" up to 128 px. The recommended 32 px skips icons, bullets and decorative lines, and is measured on the shortest side.
- Click Extract images. The tool scans the pages and shows a gallery.
- Select the ones you want, or all, and download them one by one or as a ZIP.
JPEGs are saved as-is, without recompressing. Everything else, like PNGs, scans and masks, is exported as PNG with its original pixels. A logo repeated on every page appears once, since duplicates are skipped, and the summary tells you how many it skipped and how many were too small.
One useful result: an extracted image can have more resolution than what you see on the page, because the PDF often displays it scaled down. That's what makes it better for reuse in a design or a slide deck.
What if it finds nothing?
"No images found" means the PDF has no embedded images above the minimum size. Text and vector drawings aren't images: a chart exported from a spreadsheet is usually drawn with lines, not a photo. Lower the minimum to "Don't ignore any", and if nothing turns up, render the page instead.
Rendering a page as an image
- Open PDF to JPG and drop the file (up to 500 MB).
- Choose the output format: JPG, PNG or WebP. PNG keeps text and graphics crisp, while JPG or WebP weigh less for pages full of photos.
- Choose the resolution: 72, 150, 300 or 600 DPI. More DPI means more detail and more weight per image. 150 works on screen and 300 for print.
- For JPG or WebP, set the quality between smaller size and better quality.
- Tick the pages you want and download each image or a ZIP.
The DPI you pick sets the pixel size of each page, since the page is rendered at the chosen DPI divided by 72. For a US Letter page (8.5 x 11 in) and an A4 page (8.27 x 11.69 in), that works out to roughly:
| DPI | Letter (pixels) | A4 (pixels) |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | 612 x 792 | 595 x 842 |
| 150 | 1275 x 1650 | 1240 x 1754 |
| 300 | 2550 x 3300 | 2480 x 3508 |
| 600 | 5100 x 6600 | 4961 x 7016 |
Scanned PDFs are a special case
In a PDF that came from a scanner, every page is already a single image. Extracting gives you that image as it was stored, usually the most faithful version. Rendering the page is useful when you want to pick the format and resolution yourself. Either way you're holding a photo of text, not text. To copy it you need OCR, as explained in can't copy text from a PDF?.
Once you have the images
You'll probably want to shrink them with Compress Image or change their format with Convert Image. And if you plan to share the original PDF, remember that its images can show more than you intended: hidden data in PDFs explains what to check.
Frequently asked questions
How do I save the photos from a PDF without recompressing them?
Use a tool that extracts the embedded images instead of taking a screenshot. Regular JPEGs inside the PDF are saved as they are, with no recompression, and everything else (CMYK or masked images, for example) is exported as PNG with its original pixels.
What's the difference between extracting images and converting PDF to JPG?
Extracting gives you the image files the PDF contains, without the page. Converting draws each full page as a new image, text and graphics included.
Why does nothing get extracted from my PDF?
There are no embedded images above the minimum size. Text and vector drawings aren't images. Try "Don't ignore any", or use the page-to-image conversion.
Which resolution should I pick when converting a PDF to an image?
150 DPI is a middle ground for screens, 300 DPI suits printing, and 600 DPI is only for maximum detail at the cost of much heavier files. 72 DPI is the light option for the web.
Can I pull images from a password-protected PDF?
First remove the password with the unlock tool, if you know it, then extract or convert.
Are my PDFs uploaded to a server?
No. Everything is processed in your browser. You can check the Network tab in developer tools: analytics requests show up, but no POST or PUT the size of your file.
Extract the images from your PDF
Download the original photos as a ZIP, with JPEGs untouched. Runs locally, free, no signup.
Open Extract Images from PDF →Related tools
- Extract Images from PDF: the original images in a ZIP, with JPEGs untouched.
- PDF to JPG: each page as JPG, PNG or WebP at the resolution you choose.
- Compress Image: shrink what you just extracted.
- Convert Image: switch the extracted images to another format.
You might also like: PNG vs JPG: which one to use and edit a PDF without installing anything.