Convert PDF to Images with Python

During development, you may often need to convert PDF files into image formats, whether for document display, data processing, or content sharing.

This article introduces a handy Python module: pdf2image, which can convert PDF files into PIL images.

Install Dependencies​

pdf2image depends on two tools: pdftoppm and pdftocairo, with different installation methods depending on the operating system:

• Mac: Install Poppler via Homebrew by running the following in the terminal:

  brew install poppler
  

• Linux: Most Linux distributions have pdftoppm and pdftocairo pre-installed. If not, you can install them with the following command:

  sudo apt-get install poppler-utils   # For Ubuntu/Debian systems
  

• Using conda: You can install Poppler via conda on any platform:

  conda install -c conda-forge poppler
  

  Once installed, you can install pdf2image.

Install pdf2image​

To install, run the following command in the terminal:

pip install pdf2image

Usage​

The basic usage for converting a PDF to an image is quite simple.

Here’s an example of how to convert each page of a PDF into a PIL image object and save it as a file:

from pdf2image import convert_from_path

# Convert PDF to a list of images
images = convert_from_path('/path/to/your/pdf/file.pdf')

# Save each page as a PNG image
for i, image in enumerate(images):
    image.save(f'output_page_{i+1}.png', 'PNG')

If you want to convert from binary data, you can do it as follows:

with open('/path/to/your/pdf/file.pdf', 'rb') as f:
    pdf_data = f.read()

images = convert_from_bytes(pdf_data)

Optional Parameters and Advanced Settings​

pdf2image provides rich optional parameters that allow you to customize the quality and range of the output images:

• DPI Setting: Adjusting the dpi parameter can increase the image resolution, suitable for cases where high-quality images are required:

  images = convert_from_path('/path/to/your/pdf/file.pdf', dpi=300)
  

• Specify Page Range: Use the first_page and last_page parameters to convert only specific pages:

  images = convert_from_path('/path/to/your/pdf/file.pdf', first_page=2, last_page=5)
  

• Output Image Format: The fmt parameter allows you to specify the output image format, such as JPEG or PNG:

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

• Error Handling: During the conversion process, you might encounter format errors or corrupted files. It’s recommended to use try/except to catch exceptions:

  try:
      images = convert_from_path('/path/to/your/pdf/file.pdf')
  except Exception as e:
      print("Conversion failed:", e)
  

Conclusion​

pdf2image is a useful tool. For more parameters and detailed usage, refer to the official pdf2image documentation.