Convert PDF to PNG
Free online converter for PDF files. Lossless raster format with alpha transparency. Nothing to install, no watermark, and every file is deleted automatically.
Drag and drop your files
or
Upload a PDF file to convert it to PNG. Up to 3 files at once, 100 MB each.
Free · up to 3 files · 100 MB each · files deleted automatically after 1 hour.
About PDF and PNG
PDF .pdf
A fixed-layout page format. A PDF describes exactly where every glyph and line sits, so it looks identical everywhere — which is precisely what makes it awkward to edit.
Good for
- Identical layout on every device, screen and printer
- Embeds its own fonts, so nothing reflows or substitutes
- The accepted format for contracts, invoices and forms
Trade-offs
- Not built for editing — text is positioned, not flowing
- A scanned PDF is just images until text recognition is run
- Reflows badly on small screens
application/pdf
PNG .png
A lossless image format built for graphics rather than photographs. Every pixel it stores comes back exactly as it went in, and it carries a full alpha channel for transparency.
Good for
- Lossless — no generation loss no matter how often you re-save
- Full 8-bit alpha, so edges blend cleanly over any background
- Sharp on text, screenshots, logos and line art
Trade-offs
- Much larger than JPEG for photographs
- No animation in the baseline format
- Large photographic PNGs are slow to transfer
image/png
PDF and PNG side by side
| PNG | ||
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Mixed — per object | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes — 8-bit alpha |
| Animation | No | No |
| Typically used for | Contracts, invoices, forms, anything printed | Screenshots, logos, UI assets, anything with transparency |
What changes when you convert PDF to PNG
Everything flattens into one layer
A PDF page is a stack of things — text, vector drawings, embedded photographs, form fields, annotations — kept separate right up until it is displayed. Rendering to PNG collapses all of it into a single grid of pixels, exactly as the page appears on screen. Nothing on the page can be selected, edited or pulled out afterwards, and a form field becomes a picture of a form field.
Pages become separate images
A PDF can run to many pages, while each PNG holds one image. Every page is rendered separately, so a ten-page document produces ten files. Text stops being text at that point — it becomes pixels, no longer selectable or searchable.
Resolution is decided now
A PDF stores text as instructions for drawing letters at any size. Rendering to PNG freezes that into a fixed grid of pixels, so the resolution you choose is the resolution you are stuck with — enlarging afterwards only blurs it. Pick a higher setting than you think you need if the result will be printed or zoomed into.
Other PDF conversions
Other ways to get PNG
Worth reading next
Why you cannot copy text out of a scanned PDF
Two PDFs can look identical and be completely different files. One contains text; the other contains a photograph of text. Only one of them can be searched, copied or converted to Word.
5 min read
Turning PDF pages into images without regretting the resolution
A PDF page has no resolution until you render it. The number you choose at that moment is the one you are stuck with, so it is worth choosing deliberately.
5 min read