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Convert PDF to Images using Python

· 2 min read
Zephyr
Zephyr
Engineer

We often need to convert PDF files into image formats.

So here, we recommend a handy Python module: pdf2image, which can convert PDF files into PIL images.

Install Dependencies​

pdf2image relies on pdftoppm and pdftocairo, and installation varies slightly across different operating systems:

  • Mac: Install Poppler via Homebrew: brew install poppler.
  • Linux: Most Linux distributions come pre-installed with pdftoppm and pdftocairo. If not, install poppler-utils via your package manager.
  • Using conda: Poppler can be installed via conda on any platform: conda install -c conda-forge poppler, then proceed to install pdf2image.

Install pdf2image​

First, you need to install pdf2image. Enter the following command in your terminal to install:

pip install pdf2image

Convert PDF using pdf2image​

Converting PDF to images is straightforward:

from pdf2image import convert_from_path

images = convert_from_path('/path/to/your/pdf/file.pdf')

This will convert each page of the PDF into a PIL image object and store them in the images list.

You can also convert PDF from binary data:

images = convert_from_bytes(open('/path/to/your/pdf/file.pdf', 'rb').read())

Optional Parameters​

pdf2image provides extensive optional parameters, allowing you to customize DPI, output format, page ranges, etc. For example: use dpi=300 to enhance the clarity of the output images, or use first_page and last_page to specify the conversion range.

You can refer to the:

or check our own modified:

function for more usage examples.

Conclusion​

pdf2image is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that meets your needs for converting PDF to images. Whether it's for document processing, data organization, or content presentation, it provides an efficient solution.