Published March 10, 2022
How to Separate PDF Pages
PDF stands for "portable document format." It is a file format originally developed by Adobe Systems and can be viewed on any device, even for those that do not have the software to view it. A PDF file is different from other formats because it retains its formatting and layout as you open, edit and save it. In other words, if you change the margins of your document in the original word processing program, those changes will also be reflected in the PDF version of your document.
PDFs are great for sharing information, but they can be troublesome when editing or sharing. Sometimes you cannot copy and paste text from a PDF file, so you have to type it out or take screenshots. When you need to edit the document, you have to open the full PDF in the editing program and save it as a new file.
It might seem that the separating of PDF pages is a complicated task, but there are many ways to do it with just a few clicks of your mouse. Let's explore the multiple methods for splitting PDF files.
Separate Pages from a PDF File in Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a popular PDF reader and creator. It is used to read, create, edit and convert PDF files. It can be used on Windows and Mac operating systems. The PDF file format has become the standard for exchanging documents in the workplace. Adobe Acrobat Reader is one of the most popular applications for viewing PDF files on Windows and Mac OSX operating systems. If you want to split a PDF file, Adobe Acrobat is good. The Acrobat Reader application editor allows users to add comments or annotations to PDFs, fill in forms like insurance claims or tax reports, manually sign documents, and more. You can split multiple files on Adobe Acrobat. Let's now look at how we can split PDF files.
Steps:
- Open PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Click on Organize Pages from the right pane
- The editing interface will open. Click on the Split button.
- Select the pages you want to split and click on the Split button. It will split every page into a different document.
Split PDF Pages in Google Chrome
Google Chrome is a web browser that can run on all major operating systems. The Chrome browser is very versatile. Although it's most commonly used as a browser to browse the internet, you can also use it for tasks such as creating PDF files. It has a built-in PDF reader, which allows you to view PDFs without downloading any other software. If you want to save one page of your PDF document or just a single range of pages, using the Chrome browser is the way to go. We can use Chrome as PDF Splitter.
Chrome can print any web page to a PDF, which you can then save to your computer. Chrome also can open and read PDFs that you've downloaded or created yourself, meaning that it could be used as a split-screen view for your PDFs.
Let's look at how we can split PDF files using Google Chrome.
Steps:
- Open the PDF file in Google Chrome.
- Press Ctrl + P to open print options. Select Save As PDF from the destination dropdown menu.
- Select custom and add custom ranges of pages from the page's dropdown menu for splitting PDFs.
Separate PDF Pages on macOS
Preview is a macOS app that enables users to see the contents of a document, PDF file, or other types of files. Preview also has editing features such as cropping and rotating photos. The preview has been part of the default installation of macOS for years. Preview is not a powerful editor, but it has many useful and essential tools. Let's look at how we can split PDF pages with the Preview application.
Online Tools
EasePDF
EasePDF is a free online PDF editor and PDF creator with which you can create, edit and convert PDF files. It is free and has an intuitive interface. It has the same functionalities as the PDF Convert website. You can upload any number of files in one go. You can also add images to your documents. It is compatible with all major browsers, including Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. As a cross-platform supported online PDF editor, it offers many essential PDF editing tools. You can rotate PDF pages as well. We'll look at how to split pages below.
Steps:
- Open the EasePDF Split PDF website
- Add your PDF file or drag and drop your PDF file
- After uploading, you will see PDF pages and multiple options for splitting the PDF pages
- Here, you can split individual pages into separate PDF files. You can also split PDF pages at regular intervals, as well as split PDF pages from a range. After selecting your desired option, click on the Split PDF button. It will start separating the PDF pages.
PDFChef
PDFChef is an online PDF editor that enables you to edit, convert, sign, and share PDFs. PDFChef offers a suite of online editing tools that allow you to edit PDFs without needing any software installed on your computer. You can convert any file into a PDF document with just one click. You can also use PDFChef to sign and share documents with others by email or across the web.
Let's examine how we can separate files using PDFChef.
Steps:
- Go to the PDF Chef PDF splitter website.
- Select your PDF file.
- After loading, you will see the pages in the PDF file. Select the pages you want to split.
- After selecting the pages, click on the "Export Selected" button. It will download the file into your system.
Smallpdf
Smallpdf is a free online PDF editor and creator. Smallpdf's online PDF editor is an excellent tool for those who need to edit and create PDF files. It has all the features you would expect from a professional PDF editor, and it is easy to use. Smallpdf also allows you to split your PDF files into smaller pieces without needing additional software or plugins. You can export your file as many times as you want without losing the quality or size of the original file.
Let's look at how we can split PDFs using the Smallpdf website tool.
Steps:
- Open the Smallpdf Split PDF tool in a browser
- Choose a PDF file or drag and drop the PDF file you want to split. You can upload multiple documents too. There are no restrictions on file size.
- After uploading, you will see two options: "Extract Pages" and "Split 1 PDF into many".
- The "Split 1 PDF into many" option is only available for PRO members, but you can otherwise choose the "Extract Pages" option.
- Select the pages you want to split and click on the Extract button located in the top right corner.
- After splitting, it will be available to download.
IronPDF: C# PDF Library
IronPDF is a C# .NET PDF library that allows developers to quickly create, edit, and render PDF documents using their .NET skills. This library is written entirely in C# and does not require third-party software. IronPDF enables developers to do a lot of pesky PDF tasks without too much hassle. One can extract text, search through a PDF file, or change how it looks by taking screenshots, to name but a few. IronPDF differs from other viewers in that it has many extra features.
We can also split PDF pages using IronPDF. Let's examine how to do it.
// PM> Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
var html = @"<p> Hello Iron </p>
<p> This is 1st Page </p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
<p> This is 2nd Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
<p> This is 3rd Page</p>";
var Renderer = new IronPdf.ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdfdoc = Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
var pdfdoc_page1 = pdfdoc.CopyPage(0);
pdfdoc_page1.SaveAs("Spli1.pdf");
//take the first page
var pdfdoc_page2_3 = pdfdoc.CopyPages(1, 2);
pdfdoc_page2_3.SaveAs("Spli2.pdf");
//take the pages 2 & 3// PM> Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
var html = @"<p> Hello Iron </p>
<p> This is 1st Page </p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
<p> This is 2nd Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
<p> This is 3rd Page</p>";
var Renderer = new IronPdf.ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdfdoc = Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
var pdfdoc_page1 = pdfdoc.CopyPage(0);
pdfdoc_page1.SaveAs("Spli1.pdf");
//take the first page
var pdfdoc_page2_3 = pdfdoc.CopyPages(1, 2);
pdfdoc_page2_3.SaveAs("Spli2.pdf");
//take the pages 2 & 3' PM> Install-Package IronPdf
'
Imports IronPdf
'
Private html = "<p> Hello Iron </p>
<p> This is 1st Page </p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
<p> This is 2nd Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
<p> This is 3rd Page</p>"
'
'
Private Renderer = New IronPdf.ChromePdfRenderer()
Private pdfdoc = Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
'
Private pdfdoc_page1 = pdfdoc.CopyPage(0)
pdfdoc_page1.SaveAs("Spli1.pdf")
'take the first page
'
Dim pdfdoc_page2_3 = pdfdoc.CopyPages(1, 2)
pdfdoc_page2_3.SaveAs("Spli2.pdf")
'take the pages 2 & 3The upper piece of code splits the newly-made PDF. We can split pages with the CopyPage function, and if you want to separate multiple pages, you can use the CopyPages function. Give the range of pages as a parameter and use the SaveAs function to save the newly-split PDF file.
We have now seen how easily we can split PDF pages using the IronPDF C# library. This is very useful and straightforward for developers who need to manipulate PDF files in their software. You can assess it using the 30-day trial key. There is also an excellent special offer now available where you can get five Iron Software products for the price of just two. Visit this link for more information about licensing.
You can download the software product from this link.
