Extract PDF pages: turn the pages you want into one PDF

What is PDF page extraction?

PDF page extraction takes only the pages you need from a document and creates a new, smaller PDF. The source document stays where it is; the output is a separate file holding the pages you selected. It is ideal for sharing a single clause from a contract, a specific section of a report, or only the relevant slides of a presentation.

In PdfSplit, when you choose the 'page range' mode and turn on the merge option, the pages you write are gathered into a single PDF. You can place pages from different sections one after another.

How do you select pages?

You write the page numbers in the range field; single pages and blocks can be used together:

• Single page: 2
• Adjacent block: 1-3
• Mixed: 1-3, 5, 7-9
• A different order: 10-12, 1

Does the order I write show in the output?

Yes. The order you enter also shows in the output. So if you write 10-12, 1, the last three pages of the document move to the front and the first page is added at the end. That means you do not need a separate tool to reorder pages.

When do you turn on the merge option?

When merging is off, each group becomes its own PDF; when it is on, all groups merge into a single PDF. When you give a single range, the output is already one file. If you want to make one document out of several groups, just turn merging on.

Is the output quality preserved?

Yes. During extraction the page is copied into the new file exactly as it is in the source document; text and vector content are not regenerated. That is why the output is a page-for-page copy of the source: fonts, layout and image quality do not change.

Common use cases

• Taking only the signature and annex pages from a contract.
• Making the executive summary of a long report into a separate file.
• Extracting the section to read from an e-book.
• Sharing only the necessary pages from a scanned document.
• Gathering specific slides from a presentation into a single PDF.

Points to watch

• The first page is 1; number accordingly.
• Numbers outside the document are skipped; valid pages go into the output.
• Encrypted PDFs should first be saved as an unlocked copy.
• The extracted file is a new file; the original document does not change.

One page or several pages?

If you need only one page, you write that number in the range field and a single-page PDF downloads. If you need several pages, you can give them in blocks and add single pages in between. With merging on, the whole selection is gathered into one document.

When you want to place pages from different sections one after another, you set the order through how you write them. This solves selecting and reordering in a single step.

The difference between extraction and splitting

Splitting divides the document into several files; extraction takes only the pages you need and leaves the rest out. Both jobs use the same engine and are lossless. The output file is usually smaller than the source, because the remaining pages never enter the new document.

Because pages you did not select never enter the output, this job is also used to leave certain sections out before sharing. That way only the pages that need to be sent stay in a single file.

How do you use the merged output?

The single PDF produced with merging on contains all the pages you selected in order. You can share this file directly, print it or open it in another tool. If you need extra pages, you can extract again from the same screen and create a new file; the previous output does not change.

Quickly checking the page count and order of the output in your own viewer before sharing removes the risk of sending the wrong page.

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