How to Convert PDF to JPG on Mac?

CKness wrote:

Finder did not give me a good experience, as it does not offer extensive preview options for all file types, which can make previewing certain files more difficult.

Preview does not have the bulk convert feature. However, you can convert pdf to jpg one by one (one page per jpg file). This could be great if you want to convert a few pdf pages to jpg. For converting all pdf pages, you can take a look at this compressive guide. It suggest five different ways to help you convert pdf to jpg on a Mac:

https://www.uubyte.com/blog/5-best-ways-to-convert-pdf-to-jpg-on-mac-ventura/

I am sure one of the methods should work in you case.

Here is a Shortcut that allows you to select one or more PDFs in the Finder, and as a Quick Action, converts each PDF page to a .jpeg image in a designated Move action destination folder location.

Tested: macOS Sonoma 14.1 with a 1, 4, and 43-page PDF selection.

Hi,

Use Acrobat

Use the Finder to open your PDF in Acrobat, then select File. From the drop-down menu, select Export to › Image. Choose the image format you want to export your PDF as, such as JPG. Click Export.

Without Acrobat.

1. Find the PDF in Finder.
2. Right-click on the file.
3. Select Open With > Preview.
4. Click File > Export.
5. Set the Format drop-down menu to JPEG.
6. Name the file and choose where you want to save the converted file.
7. Then, click Save.

Who is the audience in these communities? A few experienced developers or millions of eyes (including those from Google archived posts) that haven't written a single line of code, are not technical, and just want an uncomplicated, punctual solution to their problem?

Strange Response to your post? I don't think so in the larger scheme of typical user skill and aversion to lost productivity (read time loss).

You go round up all of the 16 dependent packages that poppler requires and integrate them into the build tree, then try to build it in Xcode and see how pragmatic that advice turns out to be for you.

You know, I would like to post more efficient solutions written in Ruby, Python/Objective-C, or Swift and realize that these would be accompanied by other dependencies and installations that I don't want to impose on users or inherit the time involved in supporting that education.

Apple's Shortcuts were implemented beginning with macOS Monterey 12.*. If you are on an older version of macOS, the solution that I provided simply is not supported.

I won't be providing written instructions as that would consume a bit of my time. Instead, I will provide a link to the Shortcut that when you click it, a dialog will appear in the browser that offers to install it. Once you do that, you won't need to construct the Shortcut. If you create a folder named PDF_Images on your Desktop, then all you have to do is select one or more PDFs, right-click on one, and choose Quick Actions > Split PDF into Images.

When you launch the Shortcuts application from the Finder Window's Favorites (Applications), you will see the Shortcut shown in its main window. You can right-click on that icon and select Edit if you want to change the image type from JPEG to another selectable image format.

This linked Shortcut is tested to work correctly on macOS Sonoma 14.5 and Ventura 13.6.7.

Apple has some documentation on Shortcuts. Shortcuts User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Alright, so converting PDFs to JPGs on a Mac is pretty straightforward, and you don't need to download any fancy software for the basics. Here's a chill step-by-step guide:

1.Preview (Built-in App): Open your PDF with Preview, which is the default app on your Mac for opening PDFs. If it doesn't open in Preview, right-click the PDF, choose 'Open with,' and then select 'Preview.'

2.Export to JPG:

• • Once you've got your PDF open in Preview, click on 'File' in the top menu.
  • Select 'Export' from the drop-down menu.
  • In the dialog that pops up, you'll see a 'Format' dropdown. Click on that and choose 'JPEG.'
  • Choose the quality you want and where to save it, and boom, you've got yourself a JPG.

3. For Multiple PDFs:

• • If you're looking to convert several PDFs at once without doing them one by one, you might need a bit more firepower.
  • You can use an Automator script (Automator is another built-in app) to create a workflow that converts multiple PDFs. It's a little techie to set up, but once you do, it's a time-saver.
  • There are also third-party apps out there that can batch convert, like PDFelement or Adobe Acrobat, but they might cost you some cash.

4. Best Practices:

• • When converting, keep an eye on the resolution. Higher resolution means clearer images but larger file sizes.
  • Organize your PDFs in one folder if you're batch converting. It keeps things neat and less confusing.
  • Always keep a copy of your original PDFs, just in case the conversion doesn't go as planned.

And that's pretty much it! For a one-off, stick with Preview. If you're doing this often and in bulk, it might be worth looking into Automator or a third-party app to streamline your process. Happy converting

The operating system maintains a Launch Services Database of applications and the file types those applications can open. It is from that database that the Finder's Open With sub-menu is constructed with the default application being at the top.

That Open With sub-menu is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all applications, just the principal ones for the selected file type to keep a manageable menu. There is also an Other… at the bottom of that menu structure in case you want to use an application not on the menu.

Back to your original post… did you find a solution here that helps with converting multiple PDFs to JPEG?

Even if we discount the solution I provided above, a brew info poppler installation would involve an enormous dependency tree that would keep growing as the developers added additional dependencies. This might be an appeal on Linux, but on macOS, there are n-tuple ways to split images from a PDF already available within the operating system that preclude this optional homebrew approach.

CKness Said:

"How to Convert PDF to JPG on Mac? I am seeking help regarding converting PDF to JPG on Mac.[...]"

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Modify the Extension:

Change the extension of a duplicate to MP4. Here is how to do it...

1. Right-Click: on the icon
2. Select: Duplicate
3. Right-Click: on the duplicate
4. Modify: the extension to jpg

WoW!!!! This is really great!! Thank you sooo much for providing the steps. When I saw your first post with the screenshot, I had no clue what I was looking at and where to find it or use it but I surely was interested.

I just followed your link and I didn't have to install it in my Mac because it immediately opened the Finder Window with the shortcut and a gallery where I saw many other shortcuts to do many other things!!

I added the Shortcut, I created the folder on my desktop but even after running the Shortcut, when selecting the PDF and right clicking to show Quick Actions, the 'Split PDF into images' was not available. I had to add this Shortcut action to the Finder window and the Quick Actions when right clicking, by going into settings. Once I did, (I don't remember exactly where I went to do it, other than Settings, I think, because I was trying many things, one after the other, to try and make this work) I could see both Shortcuts.

Also, when I go to edit the Shortcut, the format already chosen is PNG. I noticed there is another action that you can choose that is Convert Image but for now, I'm super happy by following your method to convert from PNG to JPG if I need to.

I will look more into Shortcuts.

I've been using Mac only since January and while I don't think it's very user friendly, I have to say I'm discovering fantastic things you can do with your Mac every single day. It's a matter or knowing how and where to do what you want to do.

Whenever I look for something like "can you do or how do you do this on Mac" I've never found an answer like "you can't" and what's amazing is that often you don't need any external app or external additions to do these things.

Thank you again for taking the time to explain what Shortcuts is and how to use it, otherwise I would have not been able to discover it and use it!!

This is great!! Thanks!!!!

Simona

You can use the command line with 'pdftoppm' from the poppler suite:

$ pdftoppm foo.pdf output -jpeg

and each page of the file foo.pdf is split into numbered pages: output-01.jpg, outpout-02.jpg etc.

You can also start the extraction from a specific page and end it at another page.

In order to get pdftoppm, you can use homebrew (if already installed):

$ brew install poppler

CKness wrote:

I am seeking help regarding converting PDF to JPG on Mac. I am struggling to find a method that is both efficient and user-friendly. Converting PDFs to JPGs is important to me as it allows me to easily share images and embed them in presentations or documents. I would ideally like to be able to convert multiple PDFs to JPGs simultaneously to save time.

I am hoping to hear from forum members who can provide me with guidance on the best software, step-by-step instructions, and possibly even some best practices for this task. Thank you.

What a strange response, not very encouraging to answer a legitimate question and my proposed easy solution.

- Historically, people switched from Linux to Mac because the new OS/X was (and still is) based on Unix. And Apple's laptops worked great while the Linux kernel didn't support suspend/resume or only for specific hardware;

- You can compile the poppler suite from scratch using Apple Xcode if you want;

- Homebrew is an easy way to use open source software that Apple is (was?) so proud of. A Homebrew installation is very simple and essential for any Mac user. Macport is another way. Installing Homebrew does not interfere with your Mac installation at all. It is mainly based on command line tools.

It is therefore not an appeal for Linux but an appeal for simplicity and efficiency (if you are not reluctant to use Terminal).

<<. (if you are not reluctant to use Terminal). >.

... and THAT is the exact problem you are facing with any solution that requires HomeBrew be installed and Terminal commands to be used. MANY Mac users chose a Mac because they find Terminal intimidating. And they do NOT generally have 32 GB Xcode installed.