PDF to PNG for text, charts and diagrams
Convert PDF to PNG when a page with text, a chart or a diagram must become an image. The PNG can then go into slides, documentation or an editing tool. Pixcon renders each page and saves it as a separate PNG file, without the typical artifacts of JPG compression.
The PNG pages Pixcon creates
- Page resolution
- 150 DPI for each page, lower only for very large pages.
- Background
- White and opaque. Pixcon renders pages on white, so the PNG has no transparent areas.
- File compression
- Lossless with "Optimize images" off. With it on, the default, Pixcon may reduce the color palette of each page.
- Page files
- One PNG for a one-page PDF. A ZIP archive with one PNG per page for longer documents.
What "Optimize images" does to PNG pages
With "Optimize images" on, which is the default, Pixcon reduces the color palette of each page to make the PNG smaller. Pixcon keeps the reduced version only when it is smaller than the regular PNG. Page images larger than 16 megapixels are saved without palette reduction.
Turn "Optimize images" off when colors in charts, maps or brand graphics must match the rendered page exactly. The PNG pages are then fully lossless and can be larger.
Tips for working with PNG pages
- Set "Optimize images" before you select the PDF, because Pixcon reads the settings when files are added.
- If the PNG pages of a scanned PDF or a PDF full of photos are larger than you need, convert the PDF to JPG instead. With "Optimize images" on, Pixcon compresses JPG pages to make the files smaller.
- To turn an edited PNG page into a PDF again, convert PNG to PDF. Pixcon creates a one-page PDF and stores the PNG image in it losslessly.
Questions about PNG pages from a PDF
Can I convert a PDF to PNG with a transparent background?
No. Pixcon renders every PDF page on a white background, so the PNG pages are opaque. Areas that are empty in the PDF become white in the PNG.
Is PNG or JPG better for PDF pages with text?
PNG, when text must stay exactly as rendered. JPG pages always get lossy compression, while PNG pages are lossless once "Optimize images" is turned off. With the option on, Pixcon may reduce the colors of each page to make the PNG smaller.
What DPI does Pixcon use when converting PDF to PNG?
150 DPI. Pixcon lowers the DPI only for very large pages, so that each PNG stays within 20,000 px per side and 100 megapixels.
How is a multi-page PDF converted to PNG?
Page by page. Pixcon returns one ZIP archive with a separate PNG for every page, and each file name contains its page number. A PDF with one page is returned as a single PNG file.