How to convert PDF to PNG
Three steps. Runs in your browser.
Pick a PDF
Drop or select one PDF. It is read locally — no upload.
Pick DPI and pages
72/150/300 DPI, and a page range like "1, 3-5" or "all".
Download ZIP
Every page becomes a PNG. All PNGs come back in one ZIP.
What is "PDF to PNG"?
Converting a PDF to PNG means turning each page of the PDF into a separate PNG image file. The result is one PNG per page, packaged into a single ZIP archive. People usually reach for this when they want sharp screenshots of a PDF page for use in slides, websites, or design files where the receiving software handles PNG better than PDF — and where the lossless quality and transparency of PNG matters more than smaller JPG file sizes.
The output is rasterised — every page becomes a flat image at the DPI you choose. That means text in the PDF is no longer selectable, but the page renders identically on any device because there is no font or layout reflow to go wrong.
How PDF to PNG works in your browser
When you drop a PDF, your browser reads it into memory. The page rendering is done by PDF.js, Mozilla's open-source PDF viewer compiled to JavaScript + WebAssembly — the exact same engine Firefox uses to display PDFs. Each page is rendered onto an HTML canvas at the DPI you chose, then the canvas is encoded as a PNG using canvas.toBlob.
Unlike JPG, PNG is lossless — there is no quality slider because the format does not throw any pixels away. After all pages are rendered, the PNGs are bundled into a single ZIP archive with JSZip — also pure JavaScript, also running locally. Nothing is uploaded.
Common use cases
- Embedding a PDF page in a design file. Convert a PDF page to PNG and drop it into Figma, Photoshop, or Illustrator with sharp pixels.
- Posting a contract excerpt online. Some platforms only accept images — PNG renders text sharper than JPG at small sizes.
- Bulk thumbnail generation. Use 72 DPI to generate PNG thumbnails for an internal document library.
- Web embedding for docs sites. Show a screenshot of a PDF page on a help page — PNG is the right format for crisp on-screen rendering.
- Extracting figures for re-use. Once a page is a PNG you can crop it in any editor without losing quality.
Privacy & security
Most online "PDF to PNG" converters upload your file to a server, render the pages there, and deliver a ZIP. That model works, but it means every receipt, contract, or scan you convert sits — even briefly — on someone else's machine. imisspdf does the same job with PDF.js and JSZip running inside your tab. There is no upload, no account, no daily limit. See our iLovePDF privacy review for the standard upload model.
Frequently asked questions
PNG when the source PDF has line art, screenshots, diagrams, or transparency, because PNG is lossless and preserves transparency. JPG when the source is photo-heavy and file size matters. PNG files of photo-heavy pages can be much larger than the JPG equivalents — there is no quality knob because PNG is lossless by design.
For on-screen use pick 150 DPI — it looks crisp on every modern display. For posting PNGs to the web, 72 DPI is enough and produces the smallest files. Pick 300 DPI only when the PNG will be physically printed at the page's actual size; the file becomes roughly four times larger than 150 DPI.
Most PDFs have at least a few pages, and triggering a separate download per page would flood your browser. A single ZIP keeps the workflow tidy and lets you unzip them anywhere. If your PDF is one page the ZIP still contains a single PNG — unzip and use it directly.
Mostly yes. PDF.js renders each page to a canvas; any transparent regions in the source PDF (rare but possible, e.g. logo PDFs with no background) carry through to the resulting PNG. Most PDFs have an implicit white page background, in which case the PNG also has a white background. If you specifically need transparency, ensure the source PDF was created with a transparent page colour.
Yes. PDF.js renders the pages inside your tab, the canvas API encodes each one as a PNG locally, and JSZip bundles them in your browser memory. Nothing is uploaded, no account is required. Run the tool offline and it still works for any PDF you have already loaded into the tab.
Tips for best results
- Stick with 150 DPI by default. It looks great on screen and keeps the file size sensible. Use 300 only when printing the PNG matters.
- Convert only the pages you need. A range like "1, 3-5" is dramatically faster than "all" on long PDFs.
- Use PNG for line art and screenshots. If your PDF is photo-heavy and you don't need transparency, PDF to JPG produces smaller files at similar perceived quality.
- Unlock PDFs first. Encrypted PDFs cannot be rendered. Run them through Unlock PDF, then try again.
- Memory matters on phones. Rendering a 100-page PDF at 300 DPI can exceed mobile memory. Split the PDF first if you hit a limit.
Related PDF tools
- PNG to PDF — the inverse: combine PNG images back into a PDF.
- PDF to JPG — smaller files for photo-heavy PDFs.
- Extract Pages — if you want the pages as a PDF instead of as PNGs.
- Split PDF — split a single PDF into multiple PDFs by page or range.