How to export a PDF as images on Mac
Every page as a picture — for a deck, for a web page, or for anywhere a PDF simply will not go.
Plenty of places will not take a PDF: a slide, a web page, a chat message, a document template that only accepts images. Exporting page images solves all of them at once, and the result looks exactly like the page because it is a picture of the page.
Exporting page images is part of Premium, so it carries a small lock in the document actions panel and in the menu bar. The lock is a label rather than a barrier — you can open the feature and see what it does before deciding to unlock it. Reading and every page operation stay free.
Export images, step by step
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Narrow it down first if you only need some pages
Extract the pages you want into a new document, then export from that. Otherwise you get a picture of every page and have to sort through them.
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Open Export and choose page images
From the document actions panel, under Protect & Share.
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Choose the resolution
This is the one decision that matters. Higher means sharper and larger; lower means smaller and softer.
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Choose where they go
A folder of your choosing. One file per page, named after the document.
Choosing a resolution
| Use | Roughly | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A web page or an email | 72–150 dpi | Screens do not resolve more, and the file stays small |
| A slide | 150 dpi | Enough to look sharp when projected, without a huge deck |
| Printing | 300 dpi | The usual standard for printed images |
| Archiving or reprinting later | 300–600 dpi | Detail you did not capture cannot be added back |
Exported images contain no text: nothing to select, nothing to search, nothing a screen reader can read. That is fine for a visual — a diagram on a slide — and not fine for a page of text that someone needs to be able to read with assistive technology. For those, keep the PDF.
Images as a privacy measure — and why they are not one
Turning a page into a picture does remove its text, which people sometimes use as a way of hiding something. It is not a redaction: whatever was visible on the page is still visible in the picture. The only thing it removes is the ability to select the words, which is not the same as removing the words.
If something must not be readable, redact it before exporting.
Going the other way
To build a PDF out of images rather than the reverse, insert them onto pages — or place each image on its own page and save. It is the usual route for turning a set of photographs into a single document.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn a PDF page into an image on a Mac?
Export page images from the document actions panel and choose a resolution. You get one picture file per page.
What resolution should I use?
72–150 dpi for screens, 150 dpi for slides, 300 dpi for printing. Higher means sharper and larger.
How do I export just one page as an image?
Extract that page into a new document first, then export images from it.
Is exporting as an image a way to protect content?
No. Everything visible on the page is visible in the picture. It only removes the ability to select text, which is not the same as removing the text. Redact first if something must not be readable.
Can I make a PDF from images?
Yes — place each image on a page and save.