Converting a PDF to images is handy when you need to drop a page into a slide deck, post a document preview, or feed a page into software that only accepts pictures. The two decisions that matter are the image format and the resolution.
PNG or JPEG?
- PNG is lossless and keeps text and line art perfectly sharp. It is the better choice for documents, screenshots, and anything with sharp edges, at the cost of larger files.
- JPEG is lossy and produces much smaller files, and it suits pages dominated by photographs. At high compression it can blur small text and add halos around edges.
Picking a resolution (DPI)
A PDF page is vector-like and has no fixed pixel size, so the tool renders it at a resolution of your choice. A standard A4 page is about 8.27 by 11.69 inches.
- 72 to 96 dpi: roughly screen size, fine for quick previews (about 595 by 842 pixels at 72 dpi).
- 150 dpi: a good balance for sharing and web use (about 1240 by 1754 pixels for A4).
- 300 dpi: print quality, about 2480 by 3508 pixels for A4, with much larger files.
Step by step
- 1Open the PDF in a converter that works in your browser.
- 2Choose PNG or JPEG and a resolution that matches how you'll use the images.
- 3Convert, then download the pages individually or as a bundle.
- 4Open a page and zoom in to check that small text is readable.
Related tasks
- Need just one page? Extract it first, then convert.
- Want the text, not a picture? Use a PDF text extractor instead of converting to images.
- Need the images back as a PDF? Combine them with an images-to-PDF tool.
Frequently asked questions
+What DPI should I use to convert a PDF to an image?
Use 150 dpi for general sharing and web, 300 dpi for print, and 72 to 96 dpi for small previews.
+Is PNG better than JPEG for PDFs?
For text-heavy documents, PNG stays sharper. JPEG is smaller and better for pages made mostly of photographs.
+Can I convert only some pages?
Extract the pages you want into a new PDF first, then convert that file.
+Will converting to an image keep the text selectable?
No. The result is a picture, so the text can't be selected or searched unless you run OCR on it.
PDF to Images
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