How to Convert PDF to JPG Images Online for Free
Sometimes a PDF is the wrong format: a website wants a picture, a chat app will not preview a PDF, or you want one page on a slide. This guide shows how to turn PDF pages into JPG images and what quality to expect.
When you want an image instead of a PDF
PDF is excellent for documents and poor for situations that expect a picture. Online forms for identity photos and signatures usually accept only JPG. Messaging apps show a picture inline but make you download a PDF. Presentation software takes images more happily than PDFs. And if you want to post a single page of a notice on a social network, you need an image.
Step by step: convert PDF to JPG
- Open PDF to JPG.
- Choose your PDF. A small picture of each page appears.
- Leave Pages empty to convert every page, or tap the pages you want, or type them, for example 1-3, 5.
- Choose the resolution and quality. Tick Limit size of each image if a form has a KB limit.
- Press Convert to JPG. One page gives you one JPG, named after your file, such as receipt-page-2.jpg. Several pages give you several images, which you can save one by one or all together as a ZIP.
What quality do you get?
You choose the resolution: 72 DPI for small files, 150 DPI for screens (the default), or 300 DPI for printing. A quality slider sets the JPG compression; 85 percent is a good balance. At 150 DPI, pages look sharp on a screen and normal-size text is easy to read. At 300 DPI, small print stays crisp when you zoom in, but files are about four times bigger.
A higher resolution cannot add detail that the PDF does not have. A soft scan stays soft, and a small photograph inside the PDF will not gain detail.
Convert only some pages
Type or tap just the pages you need. Converting two pages of a 60-page document is faster, uses less memory on a phone, and saves you unzipping 60 images. If you want the pages as a PDF rather than as pictures, use Extract PDF pages instead.
JPG, PNG or something else?
JPG is the right format for pages that contain photographs and for sharing, because files are small. Its drawback is lossy compression: text edges can show faint blocks when you zoom in. If you need perfect text edges, or a transparent background, use PDF to PNG. If you want the original photos that are inside the PDF, not pictures of whole pages, use Extract images from PDF, which saves them at their original quality.
Common uses and what to watch
- Uploading a signature or ID to a form. Convert the page, then check the size limit. Tick Limit size of each image, or use Resize image in KB if the form also sets pixel dimensions.
- Putting a page on a slide. Insert the JPG into your slide. If you want editable text instead, use PDF to PowerPoint.
- Sharing a notice in a chat. Convert, and send the picture. Remember that the text is now part of the picture and cannot be selected or searched.
- Archiving a form as a picture. Fine for a visual record. Keep the PDF as the master copy.
Privacy: converting sensitive pages
Everything happens in your browser. The pages are drawn on your device and the images are created there, so the document is not uploaded to our servers. If a page contains information that should not be shared, mark it out first with Redact PDF and then convert the redacted file.
Troubleshooting
The tool asks for a password. Type the password you use to open the PDF. It is used only in your browser.
The browser becomes slow or the page reloads. Very long PDFs at 300 DPI need a lot of memory. Convert fewer pages at a time, or use 150 DPI.
The picture is smaller than I expected. The size in pixels follows the page size and the DPI. Choose 300 DPI for a bigger, sharper image.
The ZIP will not open. Try saving it to your files first, then open it with your device’s files app, or save the images one by one instead.
Worked example: a form that accepts only images
A student must upload a one-page fee receipt to a portal that accepts JPG files under 500 KB. The receipt is a 3-page PDF. The student opens PDF to JPG, types 2 in Pages (the page with the payment details), keeps 150 DPI, ticks Limit size of each image and types 450. The tool produces one JPG of about 300 KB. A quick look confirms the transaction number is readable, and the upload goes through.
Tips for sharp results
- Start from the original PDF, not a screenshot of it, since the tool draws pages directly.
- If text looks soft after conversion, check the original PDF at the same zoom. A scan that was soft to begin with stays soft.
- Avoid compressing the JPG repeatedly. Each re-save loses a little more detail. Set the size limit in the converter instead.
- Keep the PDF as your master copy and treat the JPG as a disposable copy for sharing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert only one page of a PDF to JPG?
Yes. Type the page number in Pages, or tap that page, and you get a single JPG.
What resolution are the images?
You choose 72, 150 or 300 DPI. 150 DPI is good for screens and 300 DPI for printing.
Can I get PNG instead of JPG?
Yes. Use PDF to PNG for sharp, lossless images, with an optional transparent background.
Is the text in the image searchable?
No. Once a page is a picture, the text can no longer be selected or searched.
Keep reading
- Guide to Splitting PDFs: Page Ranges, Batch Cuts & Avoiding Numbering Mistakes
- How to Convert JPG to PDF (and PNG, Photos) Online
- How to Redact a PDF: Black Out Sensitive Information
Written by the iLoveDocuments team and checked against how the tools behave today. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it. See our editorial standards.