Images in a PDF are stored differently depending on how the PDF was made. A professionally designed PDF (created in InDesign, Illustrator, or a similar tool) stores embedded images as discrete objects that can be extracted at their original quality. A scanned PDF stores the whole page as a single image — there are no separate embedded graphics to extract, just one large image per page.
Understanding which type of PDF you are working with determines the best extraction method.
Method 1 — Convert PDF pages to images (works for all PDFs)
The most reliable method for any PDF type is to convert the pages to images and then crop out the part you need:
- Open Filero's PDF to PNG tool and upload your PDF. Each page becomes a separate PNG image.
- Download the PNG for the page containing the image you need.
- Open the PNG in any photo editor (Photos on Windows, Preview on Mac) and crop to the image you want.
- Save the cropped image.
This works for every type of PDF and requires no special software. The quality of the extracted image depends on the resolution of the PDF page render — for most documents this is more than sufficient for screen use.
If you need the images as JPG instead of PNG, use Filero's PDF to JPEG tool in step 1.
Method 2 — Take a screenshot of the image
For a quick one-off extraction, a screenshot is the fastest approach:
- Open the PDF in your browser or PDF reader and zoom in to the image until it fills the screen.
- Take a screenshot (Ctrl+Shift+S in Chrome for a region screenshot, or Shift+Cmd+4 on Mac).
- Save the screenshot.
The quality is limited by your screen resolution. For retina or high-DPI screens this is usually fine. For low-resolution screens or very large print use, the screenshot method may not give enough quality.
Method 3 — Adobe Acrobat (paid, extracts embedded images at original quality)
If you have Adobe Acrobat, go to Tools > Export PDF > Image > JPEG (or PNG). Acrobat extracts each embedded image in the PDF at its original embedded resolution — which may be higher quality than what you get from rendering the page. This is the best method when you need the image at the highest possible quality for print use.
What resolution will the extracted images be?
With the PDF-to-image conversion method, quality depends on the render resolution. For most professional PDFs, the result is sharp and clear at normal viewing sizes and adequate for most on-screen uses. For print at large sizes, Acrobat's embedded image extraction is better because it bypasses the page render entirely.
If the original PDF was created from a high-resolution source (a photographic PDF or a press-ready document), the embedded images in Acrobat will often be significantly higher quality than anything you get from a page render.
Frequently asked questions
Can I extract images from a scanned PDF?
A scanned PDF is a single image per page — there are no separate embedded graphics to extract. The best you can do is convert the page to PNG and crop the image you need from it. The quality will match the scan resolution.
Can I extract all images from a PDF at once?
With Filero, converting to PNG gives you one image per page — you then crop from those. For bulk extraction of all embedded images across a multi-page PDF, Adobe Acrobat's export tool is the most efficient option. Free alternatives like pdfimages (a command-line tool in Linux) also handle bulk extraction well.
Will extracted images have a white background?
When you convert a PDF page to PNG and crop, you get whatever background the PDF page has — usually white. If the original embedded image had a transparent background, that transparency is typically lost when the image is placed onto the PDF page. To get images with transparent backgrounds, you need to either use Acrobat's extraction tool or use an image editor to manually remove the background.
Ready to try it?
Use Filero's free PDF to JPEG tool. No account needed, works on any device.
Open PDF to JPEG