How to convert PDF to PNG
- Press Choose PDF or drop the file onto the box.
- Pick a resolution. Tick Transparent background only if you need to put the page over something else.
- Optional: enter pages such as
2-4, 7in the Pages box. - Press Convert to PNG. A single page downloads as
name-page-1.png; more pages come asname-png.zip.
When PNG is the right choice
- Slides and diagrams. Flat colours and sharp lines compress very well as PNG and stay perfect at any zoom within the rendered size.
- Text you want to read or OCR. No compression fuzz around letters, so text-recognition tools read it more accurately.
- Logos and figures that you'll place into a document or website. With a transparent background they sit on any colour.
- Pages with photos. The files get large. If you only need to view or email them, the PDF to JPG converter gives images several times smaller.
Transparent background, explained
PDF pages don't have a background colour of their own. A page looks white because viewers paint white behind it. By default this tool does the same, so your PNGs look like the page. With Transparent background ticked, it leaves that white out, so only what the PDF draws is kept, and everything else is see-through. That is ideal for a logo or a chart exported from a design tool. Many PDFs (especially scans and Word exports) contain a full-page white rectangle in the file itself, and those stay white either way.
Resolution and pixel size
| DPI | A4 (595 × 842 pt) | US Letter (612 × 792 pt) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 595 × 842 px | 612 × 792 px | Previews, thumbnails |
| 150 | 1,240 × 1,754 px | 1,275 × 1,650 px | Screen and web (default) |
| 300 | 2,480 × 3,508 px | 2,550 × 3,300 px | Print, fine detail |
PNG file size follows the pixel count, so 300 DPI files are about four times the size of 150 DPI ones. Browsers also limit canvas size (about 16.7 million pixels on iPhone). A page that would exceed that is drawn at a slightly lower DPI, and the status line tells you.
More PDF tools
- PNG to PDF turns images back into a PDF.
- Merge PDF combines several PDFs into one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a PDF to PNG?
Press Choose PDF, select your file, pick a resolution and which pages you want, then press Convert to PNG. One page downloads as a PNG image. Several pages come as a ZIP, and each page also has its own download link.
Why choose PNG over JPG for a PDF page?
PNG is lossless, so the edges of text, lines and logos stay clean, with no fuzz around the letters that JPG compression adds. It is the better choice for text pages, slides, diagrams and screenshots. JPG is better for photographs and when you need small files.
Can I get a transparent background?
Yes. Tick Transparent background and areas the PDF page leaves unpainted come out see-through. Most PDF pages do paint a white background, in which case you still get white. Leave the box unticked to always get a white page.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The page is drawn on your device by pdf.js, the same PDF engine used inside Firefox, and the PNG files are created in your browser. Your PDF is never sent to a server.
What DPI should I pick?
72 DPI gives a small preview, 150 DPI (the default) is crisp on screens and in documents, and 300 DPI is for printing or when you need to zoom in on small text. On an A4 page these give 595 by 842, 1,240 by 1,754 and 2,480 by 3,508 pixels.
Why are the PNG files so large?
PNG stores every pixel without loss, and a page with photos or gradients has a lot of detail to store. Plain text pages stay small. To cut the size, use 150 or 72 DPI, or switch to the PDF to JPG converter for pages that are mostly photos.
Can I convert only some pages?
Yes. Type pages like 1-3, 5, 8- into the Pages box, where 8- means page 8 to the last page. A blank box converts everything.
Is there a limit on page size or count?
We don't limit pages. Very large pages are limited by the browser: a canvas can hold about 16.7 million pixels on iPhone, so a poster-size page at 300 DPI is lowered to the nearest resolution that fits, and the tool tells you which. Long PDFs use memory, so on phones start with a few pages at a time.
Does it work on a phone, and with password-protected PDFs?
It works on iPhone and Android. A PDF that needs a password to open cannot be converted; the tool names the file so you can remove the password in the app that made it, or print it to a new PDF, and try again.
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up, watermark or daily limit from us.