How to convert a PDF to images
- Drop your PDF. One document at a time.
- Pick a format. PNG keeps text and graphics sharp. JPG makes smaller files of photographic pages. Resolution lives under Options.
- Convert, then Download. A single page arrives as an image. Several arrive as a numbered ZIP.
Choosing a resolution
A PDF page has no resolution of its own. Text and vector graphics are stored as instructions (draw this curve, set this type in this face) and can be drawn at any size without ever going soft. Converting to an image means fixing on one size and rendering the page into pixels at that size, which is why the resolution setting is the only decision that really matters here.
PDF measures pages in points, 72 to the inch, so 1× gives you 72 DPI: an A4 page comes out around 595 × 842 pixels. Each step multiplies both dimensions, and file size grows with the square, so 4× is sixteen times the pixels of 1×, not four. Rough guide:
- 1× (72 DPI): thumbnails and previews. Body text is legible but not comfortable.
- 2× (144 DPI): the sensible default for anything read on screen, and about right for a modern high-density display.
- 3× (216 DPI): presentations, or images someone will zoom into.
- 4× (288 DPI): printing. Print work traditionally wants 300 DPI and this is near enough that the difference is invisible on paper.
When in doubt, go one step higher than you think you need. Downscaling an image later is easy and looks fine; upscaling one that was rendered too small cannot recover detail that was never drawn.
What you lose by rasterising
Turning a page into an image is a one-way trip, so make the choice knowingly. The page becomes a grid of coloured dots, and everything that made it a document goes: text stops being selectable and searchable, links stop working, form fields become a picture of themselves, and screen readers have nothing to read.
Sometimes that is what you want: an image can't be edited casually and reflows nowhere, which is why people send scans of signed pages. But if what you actually want is the words, Extract text gives you those directly. If you want a smaller PDF that is still a PDF, Compress PDF is the tool. And if the goal is a file the recipient can't easily change, password protection or flattening gets you there without throwing the text away.
Common uses for converting PDF to images
- Post a page to social: export a page as a JPG or PNG and share it.
- Insert a page into a slide: turn a PDF page into an image your deck will accept.
- Grab a figure or chart: save one page as a high-resolution image.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a PDF to JPG or PNG images?
Drop the PDF above, choose PNG for sharp text or JPG for smaller files, and click Convert. One page comes back as a single image. More than one and you get a ZIP, numbered in order.
What resolution are the images?
2× by default, or 144 DPI, which looks right on screens and in slides. Options goes up to 4× (288 DPI) when the images are headed for print, and down to 1× for small previews.
Why do I get a ZIP file?
Because a 30-page PDF would otherwise mean 30 separate downloads, and your browser would start asking questions halfway through. Single-page PDFs skip the ZIP and hand you the image itself.
Is my PDF uploaded to convert it?
No. The renderer is PDF.js, the same engine Firefox uses to display PDFs, and it runs inside this page.