PDF Tools
How to Extract Images from a PDF
There are two different things people mean by "extracting images from a PDF." Understanding which one you need takes 30 seconds and saves a lot of frustration.
Two different problems
Method 1 — Convert pages to JPG (fastest)
This works for any PDF. Upload it to the PDF to JPG converter, select your output quality, and download each page as a separate image. No software required, works on any device.
Use 300 DPI if the page contains text or vector graphics. Use 150 DPI for general purposes. The result is a full-page image — you may need to crop out just the part you want.
Method 2 — Extract embedded images
Mac — Preview
Open the PDF in Preview. Switch to the Selection tool. Click directly on the image — if it's a properly embedded raster image, Preview will highlight it. Right-click → Copy, then paste into any image editor. For PDFs with vector graphics, this may not work; convert the page to JPG instead.
Windows — Microsoft Edge
Open the PDF in Edge. Right-click on an image. If Edge detects it as a standalone image, you'll see "Copy image." Paste into Paint or any editor. This works hit-or-miss depending on how the PDF was created.
Command line — pdfimages (any OS)
The most reliable method for batch extraction. Install poppler-utils (Mac: brew install poppler, Ubuntu: apt install poppler-utils), then run:
This extracts every embedded image from the PDF into separate files named output-000, output-001, etc. The -all flag preserves original formats (JPEG, PNG, JBIG2).
Which method should you use?
Convert PDF pages to JPG now
Upload, pick quality, download. Runs in your browser — no upload to any server.
PDF to JPG Converter →Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between converting PDF pages to images and extracting embedded images?
Converting pages to JPG takes a screenshot of each page — text, graphics, and all. You get one image per page, exactly as it looks in the PDF. Extracting embedded images pulls out the actual image files that were placed into the PDF during creation — a photo, a logo, a chart. These may be higher resolution than a page screenshot, but the PDF might also contain vector graphics that don't exist as standalone image files.
How do I extract images from a PDF for free?
For page-as-image extraction: upload the PDF to a browser-based PDF to JPG converter, choose your quality setting, and download each page as a JPG. For extracting actual embedded image files: use a tool like pdfimages (command-line, free, ships with Linux and macOS Homebrew) or open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader and use Edit → Copy Image on individual images. On Mac, Preview lets you select and copy images directly.
How do I extract a specific image from a PDF on a Mac?
Open the PDF in Preview. Switch to the Selection tool (the arrow or dotted rectangle). Click on the image you want. If it's a properly embedded image, Preview will let you select it. Right-click → Copy, then paste into an image editor. Alternatively, use the PDF to JPG converter to convert the whole page to a high-resolution image, then crop out the part you need.
Can I extract images from a PDF on Windows without software?
The quickest method without installing anything: open the PDF in Microsoft Edge, right-click an image and choose 'Copy image', then paste it. This works for photos and graphics that Edge recognizes as images. For more control, convert the PDF page to JPG using a browser tool and crop from there. For batch extraction, the free command-line tool pdfimages (part of poppler-utils) works on Windows with WSL.
Why do some images from PDFs look blurry when extracted?
Two possible reasons. First, the image was embedded in the PDF at low resolution to begin with — a 72 DPI image in the PDF can't be extracted at higher quality than 72 DPI. Second, you're converting the page to JPG at a low DPI setting (e.g. 72 DPI), which renders the whole page at screen resolution. Switch to 150 or 300 DPI to get a crisper result, especially for text-heavy pages.
Can I extract all images from a multi-page PDF at once?
Yes. The PDF to JPG converter converts every page in one go — upload the PDF, hit 'Download all', and you get one JPG per page. If you need the actual embedded image assets rather than page screenshots, pdfimages -all filename.pdf output_prefix is the fastest batch method on the command line. It extracts all embedded images across all pages with a single command.