I have a large PDF and need to pull out just a few pages for a client, but the portal only accepts files under 10 MB. I tried printing to PDF but the result was messy. How do I save specific pages as a new document?
I ran into this with a wedding contract and used the Extract or Split Pages option instead of printing. Select the page numbers you need, save them as a new PDF, then check the file size before uploading.
If printing to PDF looked messy, check the layout settings in the print window.
- Open the PDF in your web browser like Chrome or Edge.
- Press Ctrl+P, pick ‘Save as PDF’, and type your page numbers.
- Under ‘More settings’, set Scale to ‘Default’ and Margins to ‘None’ before saving.
I would first extract only the pages you need, then check the new file size before doing anything else. In most PDF viewers, use Print, enter the page range, and choose “Save as PDF”, but make sure the page sizing is set to “Actual size” rather than fit or shrink.
If it is still over 10 MB, the scanned pages are probably high resolution. I would try printing the extracted pages again with a lower image quality setting, then compare the result carefully for readability.
Make a backup of the original first. On a Mac, open it in Preview, show thumbnails, select the pages you need and drag them to your desktop to make a new PDF. On Windows, open it in Edge, choose Save as PDF in print, set the page range and actual size rather than fit. That usually avoids the messy result, so check the file size before uploading.
If you’re on Windows, open it in the free Microsoft Print to PDF or just use your PDF reader’s print option and type the page numbers you want, like 3,5,7-9, then save as a new file. That usually keeps it small too. What program are you opening the PDF with?
PDFcap is the easiest way I know. Open your PDF there, select just the pages the client needs, then save as a new file. That usually shrinks it under 10 MB without the mess you get from printing to PDF. I would avoid editing the original copy so you keep the full document. Not sure if it’s the same on Mac.
Had the same thing last month. In PDF Suite, open the file, go to Organize Pages, select the pages you need, then choose Extract and save them as a new PDF. Make sure “extract each page separately” is unchecked if you want one document. If it is still over 10 MB, use Compress PDF afterward and choose medium compression.
pdfsam basic handles this free, no printing involved. quick steps:
- open the split tool
- load your pdf
- enter the page range you want
- hit run
you get a clean new file with just those pages, way under 10 mb most likely.
@distracted_hunter I had to split up a huge thesis appendix last week. I tried using a site like that, but my old laptop struggled to load it. Instead, I just opened the original file in my browser. You click print, select Save as PDF, and type the exact page numbers you need. It keeps things simple and small.
to be fair @gaa_miami is spot on with those browser settings. honestly i do exactly this: 1. open the file in chrome, 2. hit print, 3. save as pdf for the pages i need. it keeps my supplier invoices neat and small.
@orla_ward that’s basically my go to too, skip the extra software if your pdf already opens fine in browser. Only issue is print to pdf sometimes messes up scanned pages, so for those i use pdf suite’s extract pages then compress after, keeps it under 10mb without the print weirdness.
@orla_ward same here, my old laptop chokes on big files too, so the browser trick is my backup plan. Tip: reopen the saved file and zoom in to check the text stayed sharp. Avoid emailing it straight from the viewer, learned the hard way it can re-compress weirdly.