Sometimes you need a PDF page as a plain image — to drop into a slide deck, post online, or send to someone who cannot open PDFs easily. Converting pages to JPG or PNG is straightforward, and resolution is the setting that matters most.
How to convert PDF to images in PDFelly
- Open the PDF to Image tool and add your PDF.
- Choose a format (JPG for photos, PNG for crisp text and line art).
- Pick a resolution — higher DPI means sharper, larger images.
- Convert and download the images, usually as a ZIP for multi-page files.
JPG or PNG?
- JPG is smaller and ideal for pages dominated by photographs.
- PNG is lossless and keeps text edges and diagrams perfectly sharp, at the cost of size.
Choosing resolution
72–96 DPI is fine for on-screen use; 150 DPI is a good general default; 300 DPI is print quality and produces large files. Rendering happens in your browser using the same engine that displays PDFs, so what you see is what you get.
The reverse and related tasks
To build a PDF from images instead, see Image to PDF. If you only need a smaller PDF rather than separate images, compression is usually the better choice.
Picking a resolution that fits the use
Resolution is the setting that most affects your results. For posting a page online or dropping it into a slide, 96–150 DPI is plenty and keeps files small. For printing an exported page, aim for 300 DPI. Going higher rarely helps on screen and quickly produces very large images. Decide where the image will be used, then set DPI accordingly rather than maximising it by reflex.
When to choose PNG over JPG
JPG is the right default for pages dominated by photographs, where its compression is efficient and artefacts are hard to spot. PNG is lossless and far better for pages that are mostly text, diagrams or screenshots, because it keeps edges razor-sharp with no compression fuzz. If a converted page with small text looks slightly smeared, switch from JPG to PNG.
Handling multi-page documents
Converting a long PDF produces one image per page, which PDFelly bundles into a single ZIP so your browser does not fire dozens of separate downloads. If you only need a couple of specific pages as images, extract those pages first, then convert — it is faster and produces a tidier result.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best format, JPG or PNG?
JPG for photo-heavy pages (smaller files), PNG for text, diagrams and screenshots (sharp, lossless).
What resolution should I use?
96–150 DPI for screens, 300 DPI for printing. Higher resolutions mainly just increase file size.
How are multiple pages delivered?
As a ZIP archive containing one image per page, to avoid many separate download prompts.
Is the conversion done on a server?
No. Pages are rendered to images inside your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Using exported pages in slides, posts and messages
Turning a PDF page into an image is usually about getting it into a context that does not handle PDFs well. Presentation software accepts images cleanly, so exporting a chart or a single key page as PNG lets you drop it onto a slide without awkward embedding. Social and messaging platforms display images inline while treating PDFs as downloads, so an exported page is far more likely to actually be seen. Documentation and wikis often want screenshots rather than attachments. For each of these, choose the format to match the content — PNG for anything with text or sharp lines so it stays legible, JPG for photo-like pages to keep the file small — and pick a resolution suited to the screen it will appear on. If you only need one or two pages, extract them from the PDF first and convert just those, which is quicker and avoids generating a large archive you have to dig through.
Related guides
- What Is PDF/A and When Do You Actually Need It?
- How to Convert Images to a Single PDF
- How to OCR a Scanned PDF to Make It Searchable