PDF Conversion

How to Extract Images From a PDF

Last updated · By the PDFSolution team

Two different jobs get called the same thing. Extracting images pulls the picture files that are embedded inside the PDF back out at the resolution they were stored at. Converting to JPG or PNG photographs the finished page, text and all.

If you want the product photo from a brochure, extract. If you want a picture of the whole brochure page, convert.

Ready to do it now? Open the tool this guide describes.

Extract images

Step by step

  1. 1

    Open Extract Images and add the PDF

    The document is parsed in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

  2. 2

    Let it scan the document

    Every embedded image object is located, page by page.

  3. 3

    Review what was found

    Expect background textures, logos and decorative fragments alongside the pictures you actually want.

  4. 4

    Download the images

    A single image comes down on its own; several arrive in a ZIP.

Useful tips

  • A scanned document contains exactly one image per page — the scan itself — so extraction and page rendering give much the same thing.
  • Extracted images are limited by what was embedded. A picture placed at low resolution cannot come out sharper than it went in.
  • If a graphic was drawn as vectors — most charts and logos in professionally produced PDFs are — there is no image object to extract. Render the page instead.

Common problems

No images were found
The visuals are vector drawings rather than embedded bitmaps. Use PDF to PNG to capture them from the page.
One picture came out in pieces
Some producers slice large images into tiles. The tiles are genuinely separate objects; rendering the page is the practical route.
The extracted image is lower quality than the page looks
The page may show it scaled down. What you get is the stored resolution, which can be lower than expected.

Frequently asked questions

What format do I get?
Extracted images are saved as PNG so nothing is re-compressed on the way out.
Is my file uploaded?
No, extraction runs in your browser.
Can I extract from a password-protected PDF?
Unlock it first with the correct password.
Does this include text?
No. Use Extract Text for the text layer.
Can I use the images however I like?
Technical access is not permission. Copyright in the images still belongs to whoever owns it.

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