How to extract pages from PDFs in 2024: 6 quick ways

Most of us deal with PDF files regularly. There are always instances when you need to extract specific pages from large PDFs — an expense claim from a bulk download, an email attachment, a page from an academic paper, a table from a lengthy report, or even a recipe from a large cookbook.

So, how do you extract a page or a few pages from a PDF? Nobody wants to resort to copying-and-pasting or printing and scanning. These methods are tedious, time-consuming, and can result in loss of quality.

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This article will list five different methods to extract pages from a PDF document. We'll guide you through each technique step-by-step so you can choose the one that's right for you or even combine them for maximum efficiency.

Overview of PDF page extraction methods

Why do we need to extract pages from PDFs?

PDF is widely used because it is portable, offers security, and preserves formatting. However, a large PDF can be cumbersome, especially when you only need certain pages. The need to extract pages from a PDF could arise for several reasons:

• Sharing specific parts of a document
• Removing confidential information
• Sending only relevant information to conserve space and time
• Creating a new document from parts of an existing one
• Extracting only the summary or brief of a comprehensive report

No matter your reason, extracting pages from a PDF can make your work significantly more straightforward. Now, let's dive into the different methods to extract pages from a PDF.

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1. Extract pages from a PDF manually

This is the most straightforward method to extract a page from a PDF. You don’t need to download or install any software. Most PDF readers have a print function that allows you to select the pages you want and print them to a new PDF file.

Let’s look at how to extract a page from a PDF using Adobe Reader:

1. Open the PDF file from which you wish to extract pages
2. Click on ‘Menu’
3. Choose the 'Print' option
4. Specify the pages you want to extract in the field next to 'Pages to Print'
5. Set the ‘Printer’ as 'Adobe PDF'
6. Click 'Print'
7. Choose the location where you want to save the extracted pages and rename the new PDF file
8. Click 'Save'

This will create a new PDF file containing the pages you specified. You can enter individual pages, page ranges, and a combination of both (should be separated by commas).

While this method is simple and doesn't require special tools, it has a few drawbacks. Misaligned page numbers could lead to wrong pages being extracted. Bulk processing may be complicated because you must manually enter each page number.

There's no option to rearrange the pages post-extraction. And the output remains a PDF — you cannot choose a different output format.

Note: This method will not work if the PDF is password-protected or printing is disabled.

2. Automate data extraction with an AI-powered OCR tool

Most PDF page extraction methods work great when information extraction is based on page numbers. But what if you need to extract pages based on the page's content?

For instance, you want to extract and process all the invoices with a value of over $500 or all the pages with a specific name or term. An AI-powered OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool can be helpful in such cases.

Nanonets, an AI document processing tool, can automatically extract data from multiple pages of a PDF at once. By leveraging machine learning and natural language processing, Nanonets can recognize and extract specific content from your pages, making information extraction more efficient and precise.

You can seamlessly extract pages from a scanned PDF using Nanonets. The software can automatically detect and extract text, images, and other elements from scanned PDFs, making it easier to select and extract specific pages. Once the scanned PDF has been processed with OCR, you can use any of the methods discussed in this article to extract the desired pages.

Here's a general guide to automate the extraction of data from PDFs using Nanonets:

1. Sign up for a free account on Nanonets
2. Upload your PDF files
3. Configure the AI model by selecting the data fields you want to extract
4. Train the model by providing some examples
5. Once the model is trained, extract your desired data from the uploaded PDF
6. Download the extracted data in your preferred format (CSV, JSON, etc.)

Upload any number of PDFs and let Nanonets do the heavy lifting for you. The tool can process multiple files simultaneously, saving you considerable time and effort.

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Nanonets combines advanced OCR and AI technology to recognize text, numbers, and other data in your receipts, invoices, claim documents, form entries, bank statements, purchase orders, customer orders, user complaints, export forms, and other documents. It can make your PDFs searchable and process complex documents with multiple layouts, languages, and structures.

This enables the tool to handle structured and unstructured documents and accurately extract only the information you need. Moreover, it learns from your intervention and improves over time.

What’s more, Nanonets comes with pre-built, low-code automation workflows. You can automate the entire process from extraction, verification, and validation to creating audit trails, processing payments, or any other operation. This allows you to process documents faster, reduce manual errors, and save valuable time.

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Nanonets integrates seamlessly with your existing systems like ERP, CRM, and accounting software. Be it Xero, QuickBooks, Salesforce, Airtable, Zapier, or any other application, you can directly feed the extracted data into these systems with minimal manual intervention.

It also supports document storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and SharePoint, allowing you to access and manage your documents easily.

For those concerned about data security, Nanonets uses encryption for data protection and ensures that your data is processed in a secure environment. It also respects data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

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3. Extract pages from PDFs using Adobe Acrobat

Now, if you’d like to extract pages from a PDF on a more professional scale, you might want to try Adobe’s Acrobat Prp. This software is not free but offers a 7-day free trial.

The Acrobat Pro plan starts at $19.99/month, and it comes with a suite of features that can help optimize your document-handling process.

Here is how you can extract pages using Adobe Acrobat:

1. Open the PDF file you want to extract pages from in Adobe Acrobat
2. Click on the ‘Edit’ menu
3. Choose 'Organize Pages'
4. Press Control (on Windows) or Command (on Mac) and click on the pages you want to extract
5. Right-click on the selected pages
6. Choose 'Extract Pages'
7. In the new dialog box, check 'Extract Pages As Separate Files' if you want each page as a separate PDF
8. Choose the location where you want to save the extracted pages
9. Click 'Extract'

This method works well because it retains all interactive components of the PDF, such as hyperlinks, comments, and forms. It also allows you to extract as many pages as you want and save them as separate files or even split the PDF into multiple PDFs.

However, you have to buy the software after the trial period, and it can be pretty expensive if you only need it for simple tasks. It also does not provide an option to convert the extracted pages into other file formats apart from PDF.

4. Use online PDF splitters

If you're looking to extract pages from a PDF online for free, there are several tools available that can help you accomplish this task without the need for any software installation. These online PDF splitters provide a convenient way to extract specific pages from your PDF files directly from your web browser.

All you have to do is upload your PDF to the website, specify the pages you want to extract and download the new PDF.

Some of the popular online PDF splitter tools include:

• Split PDF
• SmallPDF
• IlovePDF
• PDFConverter
• PDF2Go

Here's a general guide on how to use these online PDF splitters to extract a page from a PDF:

1. Go to the website of the online tool you have chosen
2. Click on 'Select PDF file' or a similar option to upload your PDF
3. Once the PDF is uploaded, select the pages you want to extract
4. Click 'Extract pages' or a similar option
5. Download the new PDF file with the extracted pages

These online tools are simple to use, and most are free. Many of these tools come with additional features, such as merging PDFs, converting between different file formats, compressing PDFs, and more. But be prepared to explore a bit, as each component usually has its page or tab.

One major downside of online tools is the risk of uploading confidential or sensitive documents to a third-party server. Your file could end up in the wrong hands if the website's security is compromised. So, if you're handling confidential data, quickly check the website's privacy policy.

Speed can be another hiccup. Server or network congestion can slow things down, especially with large files. While many online PDF splitters offer free services to extract pages from a PDF, some may have limitations on the number of pages or the size of the file you can process. They may also bombard you with ads, or nudge you to upgrade for speedier processing. Take SmallPDF, for example; you can't rename your extracted file without paying up.

The quality of your output can also be hit or miss depending on the tool, and there might be a cap on how many pages you can extract in one go.

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5. Use an open-source PDF extraction software

Another way to extract pages from a PDF without Acrobat is using open-source software. These tools provide robust features for splitting, merging, and extracting pages, making them ideal for processing confidential documents or handling large volumes of files.

As open-source software runs locally on your machine, it eliminates the security risks associated with online tools while providing greater flexibility and customization options for managing your PDF files.

Some open-source PDF extraction tools include:

• PDFsam Visual
• OCRmyPDF
• PDFMate
• PDFtk
• PDFill

Here's a general guide to extracting pages using open-source software:

1. Download and install the open-source software of your choice
2. Open the software and load your PDF file
3. Choose the 'Extract' or 'Split' function (the exact wording will depend on the software)
4. Specify the pages you want to extract
5. Click 'Extract' or 'Split'
6. Choose the location where you want to save the extracted pages
7. Click 'Save' or 'OK'

With these tools, you can extract, merge, rotate, and perform many other operations on your PDF files. They also usually support batch processing so that you can extract pages from multiple PDFs at once.

These tools allow you to extract pages from a PDF and save them as separate files. Using the command-line interface, you can specify the input PDF, the pages you want to extract, and the output format for each extracted page. This method is particularly useful for automating the process of extracting pages as separate files for a large number of PDFs.

One potential drawback of open-source software is that they might not be as user-friendly as online tools or commercial software. You might need to read the documentation, deal with command-line interfaces, and handle occasional bugs. You might need some technical knowledge to get the most out of them.

Also, while these tools can handle most PDF tasks, they may not support advanced features like interactive elements, annotations, or encryption. Some may also lack a graphical user interface, making them more challenging for non-technical users to navigate.

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6. Alternative methods to extract pages from PDFs

In addition to the primary methods discussed earlier, there are several other ways to extract pages from PDFs, depending on your device, browser, or operating system.

Using your web browser

Most modern web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, have built-in PDF viewers that allow you to print specific pages to a new PDF file. Here's how:

1. Open the PDF file in your browser.
2. Click the 'Print' button or use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+P on Windows or Cmd+P on Mac).
3. Select the pages you want to extract in the print dialog under the 'Pages' section.
4. Choose 'Save as PDF' as the destination.
5. Click 'Save' and choose a location for your new PDF file containing the extracted pages.

Extracting pages on different operating systems

1. Windows

On Windows, you can use the built-in Microsoft Print to PDF feature to extract pages from a PDF:

1. Open the PDF file using MS Word or your preferred PDF viewer.
2. Go to 'File' > 'Print' or use the Ctrl+P keyboard shortcut.
3. Select 'Microsoft Print to PDF' as the printer.
4. Under 'Pages,' choose the pages you want to extract.
5. Click 'Print' and choose a location to save the new PDF file.

2. macOS

On macOS, you can use the built-in Preview app to extract pages from a PDF:

1. Open the PDF file in Preview.
2. Minimize the window.
3. Go to 'View' > 'Thumbnails' to display page thumbnails.
4. Select the thumbnails of the pages you want to extract. Press down the Command key if you want to extract multiple pages.
5. Drag the selected thumbnails out of the window to the desktop or a folder of your liking.

3. Linux

On Linux distributions, you can use different packages, such as QPDF, pdfly, or PDFtk, to extract pages from a PDF file. 

If you are using PDFly, you can follow these steps:

1. Install pdfly using pip: pip install -U pdfly.
2. To extract specific pages from a PDF, use the cat command followed by the input file, the --pages option, and the output file: pdfly cat input.pdf --pages 1-3 output.pdf.
3. This command extracts pages 1 to 3 from input.pdf and saves them as output.pdf.
4. You can also extract non-consecutive pages by separating the page numbers with commas: pdfly cat input.pdf --pages 1,3,5 output.pdf. 
5. This command extracts pages 1, 3, and 5 from input.pdf and saves them as output.pdf.

Extracting pages on mobile devices

1. iOS

On iOS devices, you can use the built-in Files app to extract pages from a PDF:

1. Open the PDF file in the Files app.
2. Tap the 'Share' icon (square with an upward arrow).
3. Scroll down and select 'Print.'
4. Use the page range selector in the print preview to choose the pages you want to extract.
5. Tap on 'Share' and choose a location to save the new PDF file containing the extracted pages.

2. Android

The process may vary on Android devices depending on the PDF viewer app you're using. However, most PDF viewer apps, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and Google PDF Viewer, have a 'Print' option to save specific pages as a new PDF file.

These alternative methods provide additional options for extracting pages from PDFs, catering to users on different devices and operating systems. By leveraging the built-in features of web browsers and operating systems, users can easily extract pages without needing specialized software or online tools.

While these methods are straightforward and convenient, they may not be great for bulk processing or complex extraction requirements. Tools like Nanonets or other specialized software may be more suitable for context-based extraction or advanced features like OCR. These tools offer advanced capabilities like extracting data from specific fields, handling multiple file formats, and automating complex workflows.

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Wrapping up

There you have it — five different ways to extract pages from a PDF. Hopefully, this guide has given you a clearer idea of how to approach your PDF extraction tasks.

Always evaluate the complexity of your documents, the time and effort you can afford to spend, and the level of accuracy required before choosing a method. The right tool can be a real game-changer. It can save you hours of manual work, prevent errors, streamline your workflow, and help you focus on more critical tasks.

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