Key takeaways
- Splitting copies the pages you choose into a new PDF; the original file is not changed.
- Page ranges are written like 1-3, 5, 8- (8- means page 8 to the end).
- To drop a few pages, deleting them is quicker than extracting the rest.
- On a Mac, Preview can extract pages by dragging thumbnails to the desktop.
Three common jobs
| You want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Send only pages 3 to 5 of a long report | Split PDF with the range 3-5 |
| Save every page as its own file | Split PDF, "every page" option (downloads a ZIP) |
| Remove a blank or private page | Delete PDF pages |
| Reorder or rotate pages as well | Organize PDF |
Writing page ranges
Separate parts with commas. Each part is one page or a range:
4: page 4 only2-6: pages 2, 3, 4, 5 and 68-: page 8 to the last page-3: the first three pages1, 4-5, 10-: a mix of all of the above
Pages are counted from the first page of the file, whatever numbers are printed on them. A report whose printed page 1 is the fourth page of the PDF needs 4, not 1.
Step by step
- Open Split PDF and choose your file.
- Check the thumbnails and type the pages you want.
- Download the new PDF. Your original stays exactly as it was.
On a Mac with Preview
Open the PDF in Preview, show thumbnails (View › Thumbnails), select the pages you want (Command-click for several) and drag them to the desktop. Each drag creates a new PDF.
Good to know
- Links that pointed to pages you left out will no longer work in the extract.
- Digital signatures do not carry over to a split file, because the signed document has changed.
- Removing a page from a PDF removes it from the file you share, but anyone with the original still has it. Redact information properly when that matters.
Sources
- Apple Support: Extract a PDF page in Preview on Macsupport.apple.com
Written by the Toolkeel team at Sole Digital Media
Fact-checked against the sources above. We test every tool we mention. Editorial policy.
