Convert PDF pages to JPG images

What converting a page to JPG really does

A PDF page is not a picture; it is a set of instructions for drawing text, shapes and images. To make a JPG, the tool draws each selected page onto a canvas at the resolution you chose, using the PDF.js rendering engine, and then saves that canvas as a JPEG file. The result is a flat photograph of the page.

That is why this is rendering, not extracting. Text on the page becomes pixels, so it can no longer be selected or searched in the JPG. If you only need the photos that are embedded in a PDF, Extract Images from PDF pulls them out at their original quality instead.

Nothing is sent anywhere: the PDF is read and drawn on your own device. One page produces one JPG; several pages are bundled into a single ZIP so you download one file.

Choosing the right resolution

Resolution decides how many pixels each page gets. An A4 page is about 8.3 by 11.7 inches, so 72 DPI gives roughly 595 by 842 pixels, 150 DPI about 1240 by 1754 and 300 DPI about 2480 by 3508. Doubling the DPI quadruples the pixel count, and the file grows accordingly.

Pick the lowest setting that still looks right for how the image will be used. Higher values are slower and use more memory, especially on phones.

• 72 DPI: thumbnails and quick previews on a screen.
• 150 DPI: sharing pages by message or email, and reading on a laptop.
• 200 DPI: sharper detail, such as small print and forms, that still stays reasonably small.
• 300 DPI: printing, or zooming into fine detail.

JPG quality and file size

JPG compresses by discarding detail the eye is least likely to miss. Lower quality gives a much smaller file, but pages with small text or thin lines show blurry halos around edges before photographs do. For photographs and colorful pages a mid-to-high quality is usually indistinguishable from the original, while for text-heavy pages it pays to keep quality higher or choose a larger DPI.

If the result is still too heavy to send, lower the quality a little rather than the resolution, or run the images through a compressor. If you need crisp edges on a chart or a logo, use PDF to PNG instead.

Rendering versus extracting images

Converting a page renders everything on it: the background, the text and every picture, merged into one flat image at the size you choose. Extracting images instead takes out each embedded picture at its stored resolution and ignores the rest of the page.

Choose PDF to JPG when you want the whole page as it looks. Choose Extract Images from PDF when you want the individual photos or a scanned page at its native quality without the page composition.