Converting PDF files into image formats like JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, etc. is a common requirement for many users. There are several reasons why you may need to convert a PDF document to an image –
- To extract images from a PDF document
- To take screenshots of PDF pages
- To share PDF content in image format on social media or messaging apps
- To edit or annotate PDF screenshots using image editing tools
- To OCR a PDF document after converting it to image
- To reduce PDF file size and convert it to images
- To convert PDF presentation slides to images
- To convert PDF to image for better viewing on mobile devices
In this detailed guide, we will explore the top methods and tools to convert or export PDF files into common image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF with step-by-step instructions.
Methods to convert PDF to Image
Here are the major methods you can use to convert or extract images from PDF documents:
1. Use PDF Converter Software
The easiest way to convert PDF to images is to use a specialized PDF to image converter software. There are many premium and free PDF converter tools available that allow batch converting PDFs to image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, etc.
Some of the top PDF to image converter software options include:
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC – The full-featured PDF editor by Adobe also allows exporting PDFs as image formats JPG, TIFF, PNG, and more.
- Wondershare PDFelement – PDFelement allows you to convert entire PDFs or specific pages to JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF image formats.
- ApowerPDF – A lightweight PDF converter tool to batch export PDF to JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF image files.
- Nuance Power PDF – Power PDF offers an Image Export feature to convert PDF pages into JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, and TIFF images.
- PDFMate PDF Converter – PDFMate can bulk convert PDF documents to common image formats like JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, and multi-page TIFF.
The advantage of using PDF converter software is that they provide additional options like customizing image resolution, output format, image compression, and other advanced settings when exporting PDF as images.
2. Use Online PDF to Image Converters
Several free online PDF to image converters are available that can be used to quickly convert PDF to JPG, PNG, TIFF, or other common image formats. Some popular PDF to image converters include:
- PDF2JPG – A free online tool to convert PDF to JPG images
- PDF2GO – Supports PDF to JPG, PNG, BMP and TIFF conversion
- Zamzar – Allows converting PDF to JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF image formats
- ILovePDF – Online platform with a PDF to JPG converter tool
- PDF Candy – Has a web-based PDF to Image converter with download and email delivery
The benefit of using online converters is that you don’t need to install any software. However, they have limited options and you can only convert a few pages at a time. Image quality also depends on the specific tool.
3. Use Office Software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint)
Microsoft Office apps like Word and PowerPoint include built-in options to insert or convert PDF pages into select image formats:
- Microsoft Word – You can insert a PDF file into Word as an image by going to Insert > Pictures > PDF document. Word will convert each page of PDF to an individual JPG image by default.
- Microsoft PowerPoint – Open a PDF file in PowerPoint using Insert > Object > Create from File > PDF document. This will insert the PDF as images editable in PowerPoint.
While Office apps provide basic PDF to image conversion, the image quality may not be very high. But it’s handy when you quickly want to capture your PDF content as images.
4. Use Image Editing Apps (Photoshop, GIMP)
Advanced image editing tools like Adobe Photoshop and GIMP allow opening and converting PDF documents into common image formats like PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP etc.
In both Photoshop and GIMP, you can go to File > Open and select the PDF file. It will open the PDF for editing page-by-page. After editing, you can export each page as an image in your desired format.
This method gives you full control over the output image quality and format settings. But it takes more effort to manually convert each page compared to automated PDF to image converters.
5. Use PDF Printers
Virtual PDF printers are special software that can convert any document into PDF format. Many free PDF printers like Bullzip PDF Printer, PDF24 Creator, PrimoPDF, etc. are available.
Most of these tools also allow “printing” an existing PDF document into an image format like JPG, TIFF, BMP. The basic approach is:
- Open the PDF file in the PDF printer software
- Choose Print and select image format like JPG, PNG, BMP etc. as output instead of PDF
- Configure image quality and other settings
- Save the output image files
PDF printers can be an alternative option if you don’t have specialized PDF software installed. However, the output image quality is not always reliable.
6. Use Desktop Scanning Apps
Desktop scanning apps like CamScanner (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) provide specialized tools to scan paper documents and convert PDF files into images.
To convert PDF to images using CamScanner:
- Open CamScanner and go to the ‘PDF’ tab
- Import your PDF file
- Use the editing tools to optimize images as needed
- Tap the export button and choose image format – JPG, PNG, TIFF
- Select the output image quality and folder
- Save the exported images
The advantage of using a scanner app is the built-in image optimization and enhancement tools. However, they are primarily designed for scanning physical documents and may not work very well for general PDF conversion needs.
7. Use the Print Screen Key
You can take screenshots of a PDF document page-by-page using the Print Screen key:
- Open the PDF file
- Press Print Screen to copy screenshot of current page
- Paste the screenshot in an image editor
- Crop the image if required
- Save image in desired format – JPG, PNG, GIF etc.
- Repeat the process for all pages of the PDF
While this basic approach works, it can be extremely tedious for long PDFs. The image quality may also not be very high.
Some PDF viewers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge also allow taking screenshots of the full web page, which enables capturing PDF pages easily. But the Copy/Paste method gives better quality over full page screenshots.
Factors for choosing the best PDF to Image conversion method
When picking the right way to convert your PDF document to images, keep these key considerations in mind:
- Image quality – Ensure the output image quality meets your requirements. Software converters usually offer better quality and customizable settings.
- Output formats – JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF etc. Different use cases may require saving PDF pages in different image formats. Verify converter tool supports your needed output format.
- Batch conversion – Converting a 100+ page PDF to images can be tedious without batch processing support. Prioritize tools that can bulk convert all pages easily.
- Advanced features – Specialized software offer additional features like OCR, image compression, PDF security handling etc. Useful for complex needs.
- Platform support – Choose PDF to image converter available for your platform – Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android etc.
- Cost factor – While paid tools like Adobe offer better features, free converters can work for basic needs.
Evaluating these aspects will help you determine whether you need a dedicated converter app or an online tool will serve the purpose.
Step-by-step guide to convert PDF to JPG using PDFelement
Let’s take a detailed look at how to use Wondershare PDFelement to convert a sample PDF document to a JPG image file format. PDFelement provides an efficient and customizable way to export PDFs as image files.
Pre-requisites
- Download and install the Wondershare PDFelement app on your Windows or Mac computer
- The PDF file you want to convert
Step 1: Import PDF in PDFelement
Launch PDFelement on your computer and click on the ‘Convert’ tab. Now click on the ‘To Image’ option.
This will open the PDF to Image conversion window. Click on the ‘Add file’ button and select the source PDF file you want to convert.
Step 2: Select output image format
In the ‘Output Format’ section, choose your desired image format for the PDF conversion. Let’s select JPG for this demo.
You can also choose PNG, BMP, TIFF, and GIF formats based on your requirements.
Step 3: Configure output settings
Next, you can customize a few output settings for optimal image quality:
- Resolution – Higher resolution means larger image size but better quality. 72 or 150 dpi is good for web usage while 300 dpi suits print requirements.
- Color mode – Choose between Color, Grayscale or Black & White based on needs. Grayscale creates smaller images.
- Compression – Higher compression reduces image size but can affect quality. 60-80% is a good level for JPG.
Ensure the settings are appropriate for your use case. For online sharing, smaller JPGs may work better.
Step 4: Select output folder
Specify the folder location where you want to save the converted JPG images. You can also provide a filename prefix to tag the exported images.
Step 5: Convert PDF to JPG
Finally, click on the ‘Convert’ button to start the PDF to JPG conversion. The progress will be shown with the number of pages converted.
Individual JPG images for each page of the original PDF will be created in the output folder once conversion is completed.
Bonus Tip: Extract images from PDF as JPG
If your source PDF contains embedded images that you want to extract and save as JPG/PNG files, do the following:
- Open the PDF in PDFelement and switch to the ‘Convert’ tab
- Choose ‘To Image’ and pick an image format like JPG
- Check the ‘Extract embedded images’ option
- Specify an output folder and click ‘Convert’
This will extract all images contained within the PDF into the selected image format. A handy way to reuse PDF images across apps and websites!
Conclusion
Converting PDF documents into editable and sharable image formats can be useful in many scenarios. As we have seen in this guide, you have multiple options available – from dedicated PDF to image converters to using Office apps, online tools, print screen and more.
For reliable quality and batch converting multiple PDF files, a specialized converter like PDFelement is recommended. With customizable resolution, compression and output format settings, it provides greater control over your converted images.
Online PDF to image converters can also be handy for one-off quick conversions. And ‘Print to Image’ options in PDF printers are an alternative if you don’t want to install new software.
Choosing the right PDF to image conversion methodology based on your specific requirements can save considerable time and effort. Utilize the appropriate tool for your needs to extract maximum value from your PDF content.