How to Use PDF Tools: Convert PDF to Images and Vice Versa
4Generate's PDF Tools are a complete and free solution for converting PDF documents into images (PNG or JPG) and transforming images into PDF documents. Everything is processed directly in your browser, without needing to upload to external servers, ensuring total privacy and security of your files.
What are PDF Tools?
PDF Tools offer two main functionalities:
- PDF to Image: Converts PDF document pages into high-quality PNG or JPG images
- Image to PDF: Combines multiple images into a single PDF document
Both functionalities are processed 100% on the front-end, which means your files never leave your browser, ensuring maximum security and privacy.
When to use PDF Tools?
Our tool is ideal for:
- Design and marketing: Extract images from PDFs to use in presentations or graphic materials
- Digital archive: Convert scanned paper documents to PDF
- Sharing: Transform multiple images into a single document for easy sharing
- Editing: Extract specific pages from PDFs as images for editing
- Web design: Convert mockups and prototypes to PDF for presentation
How to convert PDF to Image
Step 1: Access the Tool
Navigate to the PDF Tools page on our site and select the "PDF to Image" tab.
Step 2: Select your PDF file
Click on "Select a PDF file" and choose the file you want to convert. The tool accepts:
- Maximum size: 20MB
- Maximum 50 pages per PDF
- Formats: Any valid PDF file
Step 3: Configure options
The tool offers customization options:
- Image Format: Choose between PNG (lossless quality) or JPG (smaller file)
- Quality: Select the quality level:
- Low (1.0x): Ideal for quick previews
- Medium (1.5x): Balance between quality and size
- High (2.0x): Good quality for printing
- Very High (3.0x): Maximum quality, larger files
Step 4: Wait for processing
The tool will process each page of the PDF and convert them to images. You'll see a progress bar during processing.
Step 5: View and download
After processing, you'll see:
- Preview of all converted pages
- Page number on each image
- Option to download each image individually
- Button to download all images at once
Practical example: PDF to Image
Imagine you have a 10-page PDF document and want to extract the first page as a PNG image:
- Select the PDF file
- Choose "PNG" format
- Select "Medium (1.5x)" quality
- Wait for processing
- Download only page 1 by clicking the download button
How to convert Image to PDF
Step 1: Access the correct tab
On the PDF Tools page, select the "Image to PDF" tab.
Step 2: Select images
Click on "Select one or more images" and choose the files you want to combine into PDF. You can select multiple images at once.
The tool accepts:
- Formats: PNG, JPG, JPEG, WebP
- Maximum size: 20MB per image
- Quantity: No limit (recommended up to 50 images)
Step 3: View selected images
After selecting, you'll see a thumbnail preview of all images that will be converted. Verify that all are correct before proceeding.
Step 4: Convert to PDF
Click the "Convert to PDF" button and wait for processing. The tool will:
- Automatically resize each image to fit the page
- Center images in the document
- Maintain the original image proportions
- Create a new page for each image
Step 5: Download the PDF
The PDF will be generated automatically and start downloading. The file will be named as converted_[timestamp].pdf.
Practical example: Image to PDF
Imagine you have 5 photos from an event and want to create a PDF album:
- Select the 5 images (Ctrl/Cmd + click for multiple)
- View previews to confirm the order
- Click "Convert to PDF"
- The PDF will be generated with each photo on a page
- Download and share the complete album
Tips and Best Practices
For PDF to Image
Quality vs Size: PNG maintains perfect quality but generates larger files. JPG offers a good balance between quality and size.
Choose appropriate quality:
- For web: Use Medium or Low quality
- For printing: Use High or Very High quality
Multiple pages: If you need all pages, use the "Download All" button for convenience.
For Image to PDF
Organize before: Sort images in file explorer before selecting to ensure correct order in PDF.
Consistent sizes: Images with similar sizes create more uniform and professional PDFs.
Image format: PNG is ideal for graphics and text, JPG for photos.
File names: The final file name will be based on date/time, so rename after download if needed.
Limitations and Considerations
- Maximum size: 20MB per file
- Maximum pages: 50 pages per PDF in PDF→Image conversion
- Browser: Works best on modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)
- Memory: Very large PDFs may consume more browser memory
Security and Privacy
One of the biggest advantages of 4Generate's PDF Tools is that all processing happens in your browser. This means:
- ✅ Your files are never sent to external servers
- ✅ Total privacy and confidentiality
- ✅ Fast processing, without waiting for upload/download
- ✅ Works offline (after loading the initial page)
Troubleshooting
PDF is not being converted
- Check if the file is a valid PDF
- Confirm that the size is within the limit (20MB)
- Try reloading the page if the library didn't load
Images don't appear in PDF
- Check if formats are supported (PNG, JPG, JPEG, WebP)
- Confirm that each image is below 20MB
- Try converting fewer images at once
Download doesn't work
- Check if the browser allows downloads
- Try using another browser
- Check if there's enough disk space
Conclusion
4Generate's PDF Tools are a complete, free, and secure solution for your PDF and image conversion needs. With 100% browser processing, you have total privacy guarantee and maximum speed.
Try it now: PDF Tools
For more information, visit our support page or explore other useful tools on our site.