Method 1: Using Mac Preview (Built-In)
Preview comes pre-installed on every Mac and can export individual PDF pages as PNG. It's the quickest option for single pages, but it has limitations for multi-page documents.
Open your PDF in Preview
Double-click the PDF file. It should open in Preview by default. If it opens in a different app, right-click the file and choose Open With > Preview.
Navigate to the page you want
Use the sidebar thumbnails to find the page you want to export. Click on it to select it.
Export as PNG
Go to File > Export. In the Format dropdown, select PNG. Set the resolution — increase it from the default 72 DPI to 150 or 300 DPI for sharper results. Click Save.
Limitation: Preview only exports one page at a time. For multi-page PDFs, you'd need to repeat this process for every page — tedious for long documents. See Method 2 for a faster approach.
Method 2: Using OmnisPDF (All Pages at Once)
OmnisPDF's online converter handles the entire PDF at once — no need to export page by page. It works in Safari, Chrome, or any browser on your Mac.
Open the PDF to PNG tool
Go to omnispdf.com/pdf-to-png in your browser. No software to install — it works entirely online.
Upload your PDF
Drag your PDF into the upload area or click to browse. Files up to 25MB are free. Pro users can upload up to 200MB.
Download all pages as PNG
Click Convert. Every page is converted to a separate PNG image. Download individually or grab them all as a ZIP file.
Preview vs OmnisPDF: Which to Use?
| Feature | Mac Preview | OmnisPDF |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-page export | One page at a time | All pages at once |
| Installation | Built-in | None (works in browser) |
| Resolution control | Yes | Yes |
| Batch conversion | No | Yes (Pro) |
| ZIP download | No | Yes |
| Best for | Quick single-page export | Multi-page and batch jobs |
Getting Sharp Results: Resolution Matters
The most common complaint about PDF-to-PNG conversions on Mac is blurry output. This almost always comes down to resolution. Here's what to aim for:
- ✓ 72 DPI (Preview default): Too low for most uses. Text looks soft and images lack detail. Avoid this unless you only need a tiny thumbnail.
- ✓ 150 DPI: Good for web, blog posts, and screen sharing. Text is readable and images look clean on standard displays.
- ✓ 300 DPI: Ideal for presentations, print, and Retina displays. This matches the resolution of most professional workflows.
If your PNG files end up larger than you'd like at high DPI, you can compress the original PDF first to reduce the amount of embedded image data.
Batch Converting Multiple PDFs on Mac
If you have several PDFs to convert, doing them one at a time in Preview is impractical. Here are better approaches:
OmnisPDF Pro batch conversion
With a Pro subscription, you can upload multiple PDFs at once and convert them all to PNG in a single batch. Each PDF's pages are exported as separate PNGs, all packaged into a downloadable ZIP.
Split first, then convert
For very large PDFs, consider splitting your PDF into smaller sections first, then converting each section to PNG. This gives you more control over which pages you export.
Should You Save as PNG or JPG on Mac?
Mac Preview lets you export as both PNG and JPG. The choice depends on your content. PNG is better for text, graphics, and anything with sharp edges. JPG is better for photo-heavy PDFs where file size matters. For a detailed breakdown, see our JPG vs PNG comparison guide.
If you decide JPG is the better fit, use our PDF to JPG tool for fast, multi-page conversion.