How do I screenshot multiple pages of a PDF document quickly?

I am frequently working with long, locked PDF documents onto which I must annotate text. Long story short, I cannot use a PDF unlocking program. In order to get around this, right now I am taking screenshots of each PDF page manually, trying to manually outline each page perfectly before taking the screenshot. Sometimes I get it perfect, other times I don't. I have to do this for each page, creating many PNG files. I then open the PNG files, and print them as a PDF. At that point I have my original PDF document onto which I can annotate text.


My question is this: Is there a way to screenshot ALL pages of my long, locked PDF document at the same time, perfectly capturing each page to the edge, rather than manually screenshotting each page and just doing my best to capture the full page to the edge? Please let me know if I am not being clear.


Thanks in advance!


PS: The reason that all of this is necessary is that when I attempt to Print To PDF, that option is greyed out. Thus, the only way I can have a PDF I can annotate is to do the above. If there were a way that I could force preview to let me Print To PDF, that would actually be ideal.


Message was edited by: AZsport115

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), Apple Preview

Posted on Mar 27, 2017 5:29 PM

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4 replies

Mar 27, 2017 5:54 PM in response to AZsport115

Not sure if the results of my mucking about with a web browser (safari) and an official

service manual in pdf that is here in my computer offline, could yield alternative useful

results in your instance. This may just in a solid wall, where your needs are concerned.


I've found by dropping a 163-page PDF with images and text, not usually editable (nor

have I tried that yet) into Safari browser, the PDF loads as file://misc%20safed%software...

... etc and has the PDF file name. So this is like HTML light. This does give me an option to

then choose to Print as PDF among others in Safari. Plus some odd toolbar icons not usual

for Safari as web browser.


Because I've attempted unusual screenshots and used native applications that were in Macs

a long time, sometimes I've been lucky. And I've also found a browser can be used to resize

images if they are dropped on one, to a different degree than other tools I may or not have.


You may see if 'Graphic Converter' software or other may work to do what you seek. Years

ago in early OS X my then collection of software included a version of graphic converter.

And it's still made now, probably much better; or at least compatible with recent macOS.


Thought to offer a few dozen words of encouragement, while not exactly breaking through walls.


In any event...

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

Mar 28, 2017 12:38 AM in response to AZsport115

There is this PDF editor (has free demo, leaves brand mark if unpaid)


•Master PDF Editor, for Mac OS X, Windows, Linux:

The demo version allows you to try all features of Master PDF Editor.

https://code-industry.net/masterpdfeditor/


Uncertain the other image editing software mentioned could help you

with PDFs, says it too has 'free limited use' demo; GraphicConverter:

https://www.lemkesoft.de/en/products/graphicconverter/


There are things one could do with file imported to browser, though

it could be handled differently, then exported. I have an application

that could handle some aspects of most image files; not sure of PDF

edits w/ 'ToyViewer for Mac' in that regard. Also runs free, for OS X.


File hand-offs don't work between some; & do, with other software.


Perhaps someone will see your thread and my inaccurate attempts

to assist, who knows of a newer App that could do 'just this' thing.


Good luck & happy trails! 🙂

Mar 28, 2017 10:41 AM in response to AZsport115

When one applies a permissions password to a PDF, and if its Printing is set to Not permitted, then not only is printing suppressed, but page extraction fails for tools that would otherwise work.


The free, open-source Skim PDF Reader has a command-line component (skimpdf), that allows one to specify input and output PDF documents, an extract keyword, and one of the following: 1) a range of pages, 2) a sequence of arbitrary page numbers, 3) odd, or 4) even pages. Works fine until it encounters the first paragraph conditions.


I don't see how you are going to automate around that first sentence limitation.

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How do I screenshot multiple pages of a PDF document quickly?

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