How to Easily Extract Images from PDF Documents In 6 Clicks

Summary: PDF Documents have become a fundamental medium for exchanging information in daily digital workflows. They are a standard and widely accepted document format and are used by anyone from individuals to businesses. Copying text from a PDF is easy. However, it can be challenging to extract images from PDF. This blog talks about two approaches by which users can easily extract images from their PDF documents. We will also talk about a professional PDF Extractor Tool that automates the process and ensures a smooth and seamless experience. 

Why Do You Need to Extract Pictures from PDF?

PDFs are used for sharing things like brochures, reports, and digital publications. But, what if you just want the images? No need to share the entire file. Extracting the images separately is a smart solution. The following are the advantages of extracting pictures from a PDF file:

1. Use the extracted images from PDFs in professional presentations, websites, or digital content.
2. Minimize your file size and optimize your storage space by saving only the required images. No need to save the entire PDF File.
3. Save time by quickly finding pictures rather than searching through the full document.
4. Use the existing visuals in educational training materials or promotional campaigns.
5. Preserve the original resolution by extracting images from PDFs instead of taking screenshots.

How to Extract Images from PDF?

PDF Image extraction can be done either manually or by using an image extractor tool. Manual methods include taking screenshots, using the macOS Preview app, and Google Docs. For a more efficient approach, use a professional image extractor tool. Take a look at both methods to better understand them in depth.

Manually Extract Photos from PDF By taking Screenshots

It is a quick and simple method that manually captures an image from a PDF file using the operating system’s screenshot tools. It does not require third-party software. 

To extract pictures from a PDF file, perform these simple steps:

1. Open the desired PDF in any PDF Viewer or your browser.
2. Now, zoom in on the image.
3. Press Alt+PrtScn, edit the screenshot in the Image Viewer app.
4. Lastly, save the captured screenshot manually to your desired location.

Limitations: This approach may degrade the image quality and, therefore, make it unsuitable for sharing or printing.

Manually Download Images from PDF Using macOS Preview App

MacOS built-in PDF and image viewer, Preview, supports simple image selection and copying images from PDFs. It lacks advanced export functions but is useful for small tasks.

Given below are the steps to begin extracting images from a PDF File:

1. Right-click on your PDF file and choose Open with > Preview. 
2. Press on the Markup Toolbar and select the Rectangular Selection tool.
3. Now, drag a rectangle around the image that you want to extract.
4. Once the image gets selected, press Command+C to copy it.
5. Then, open any image editor and press Command+V to paste it into it.
6. Navigate to File > Save to save it in your preferred format. 

Limitations: It may not preserve the original resolution of the image. This technique is not suitable for extracting multiple images in one go. The images extracted may not be suitable for printing purposes due to it’s quality.

Manually Extract Pictures from PDF Using Google Docs

With Google Docs, you can extract images from a PDF for free. Although it lacks a built-in option to directly export images, you can open the PDF and save each image manually.

Instructions to extract images from a PDF document:

1. Visit Google Drive and sign in with your Google account.
2. Now, click on the “+ New” button and select File upload to load your PDF File.
3. Once it is uploaded, right-click on the PDF File and choose Open with > Google Docs.
4. Right-click on the image in the PDF and choose Save image as.
5. Select a location and save the image on your computer. 

Automated Method to Extract Images from PDF Documents

The PDF Image Extractor is an all-in-one extraction tool that extracts images, texts, and fonts from PDF files. The tool supports batch operations, selective page range extraction, and skips duplicates. It smartly unlocks the password-protected PDFs and offers a preview feature to confirm the content before extracting. The software can also capture hyperlinks and bookmarks. 

To extract visuals from a PDF, follow these steps:

1. Download and open the tool as an administrator.
2. Click the Add File button, find your PDF File, and hit Open to add it.
3. Under the Check PDF Preview section, select Preview Image.
4. In the Data Extraction Filter, select Images > Save Images into > JPEG. Select the Page Filter as per your requirement.
5. Enable Skip previously processed data. 
6. Finally, click on Extract to begin the process.

Conclusion

Business professionals often need to extract images from PDF to quickly find them and use them in presentations. Through this blog, we’ve explained why there is a need for extracting images. Also, we have explored multiple solutions, both manually and by using a professional tool. The user can now choose the best-suited method as per their requirements.

Related Post: Extract Text from PDF Scanning.

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About The Author

Rohit Singh

Rohit Singh is an Email Backup, Recovery, and Migration Expert with over 6 years of experience in the software industry. He specializes in data migration solutions for Microsoft Outlook, Office 365, Google Workspace, and other popular email clients. Rohit regularly shares practical insights and technical guides to help users simplify complex email management tasks.