How to extract images from a PDF
Last updated: September 6, 2026
Extract supported raster images from a PDF locally as canvas-rendered PNG files. The output does not preserve the original source bytes or format, and tiny or unsupported images may be skipped.
Use our free Extract Images from PDF tool. It runs in your browser.
Getting the images out, step by step
- Open the Extract Images tool.
- Drag in the PDF that contains the pictures, or click to select it.
- Supported raster images are decoded through pdf.js and drawn to a browser canvas.
- Download a zip of PNG files, named by page, then compare the images you need with the source PDF.
Extracting is not the same as screenshotting
A screenshot captures the displayed page at your current zoom and often needs cropping. This tool instead works with supported raster images exposed by pdf.js, using their decoded pixel dimensions for the canvas. That can provide more useful detail than a screen capture. However, the PDF exporter may already have resized or compressed the picture, and this process does not recover a camera original or reverse earlier quality loss.
Why some PDFs give you nothing
Charts, vector logos and line diagrams can be drawing instructions rather than raster images. This extractor does not capture those instructions as pictures. It also skips images under 8 pixels in either dimension and unsupported decoded formats, so an empty result does not prove the PDF contains no images. When you need the visible page as a picture, use PDF to JPG instead.
When extracting raster images helps
- Recovering usable copies of your photography from a brochure or annual report when the source files are lost.
- Retrieving a raster logo from a supplier's PDF, with permission and a check of its resolution and colors.
- Reusing product shots or figures from a document you own in a new deck or web page.
Extracting other things from a PDF
- PDF to Text: pull supported text into a plain text file.
- PDF to JPG: render whole pages rather than extracting their embedded photos.
- PDF to Excel: attempt to rebuild tables of data into a spreadsheet.
Frequently asked questions
What quality are the extracted images? The canvas uses decoded image dimensions rather than your screen zoom. The output is a converted PNG, not a guarantee of original bytes, profiles, compression or unchanged appearance.
Why PNG rather than the original format? The browser path exports the decoded canvas as PNG. It does not recover the original JPEG or other source file.
Is there a limit? PDFs may have up to 100 pages, and extraction stops at 200 images. Tiny images and unsupported decoded formats may be skipped.
Will I get duplicates? Repeated references to an image object are skipped, but separately embedded copies can still appear. Review the page-based filenames and the images themselves.
Can I extract from a scanned PDF? A scan can be exposed as a supported raster image, sometimes in multiple pieces. It will not automatically be split into individual figures, and some scans may not be supported.
A word on copyright
Being able to extract an image is not the same as being free to reuse it. Pictures in a PDF can be copyrighted even when the document is freely shared. Extract from files you own or are authorized to use; get permission before reusing someone else's images.
Processing stays on your device
The PDF is read, supported images are decoded, and the PNGs are zipped inside your browser without uploading the source file. Local processing avoids that upload, but you should still follow your organization's rules for sensitive material. See are online PDF tools safe.