How to Extract Images from a PDF

There are many different methods one could use to accomplish this task, but the following instructions are what we’ve found works best. This was tested using Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional. This tutorial also assumes you don’t have/know how to use Adobe Photoshop.

Follow these instructions first, and, if this doesn’t get you the image you want, continue on to the next set of directions:

1. First, create a folder on your desktop entitled, “Extracted Images”, or any phrase that will help you remember where to put your extracted images.

2. With the PDF you want to extract the images from open, choose Advanced > Document Processing > Export All Images.

3. Select the folder you just made “Extracted Images” on your desktop as the target location for your extracted images. Click the save button.

4. Look through the images in the folder you created on your desktop. You should see the image you want to use! If not, you will have to follow the next set of directions.

If the above instructions did not produce the image you would like to use, follow these next steps:

1. With the PDF open, click on the icon that looks like a camera, the snapshot tool.

2. Your cursor should turn into crosshairs. This tool will allow you to click and drag around the area you would like to copy (or turn into an image). When you release the mouse button, a message will appear that says, “The Selected area has been copied to the Clipboard”. Click OK..

3. You now have the image you want to use copied to your clipboard, so you may now paste that image into another program. In this case, we will use Microsoft Word. Open Microsoft Word.

4. With a blank document open in Microsoft Word, paste (CTRL + V) the image you just copied. You should see your image appear on the document. It may look fuzzy or strange, but ignore it…it will look better after we complete this process.

5. Save the Word Document to your desktop.

6. Follow the instructions in the next tutorial on How to Extract Images from a Word Document and that should do it!