Splitting a PDF into the Pages You Actually Need
What this splitter does
A single PDF often bundles far more than you need -- a 40-page report where only the appendix matters, or a scanned batch where each page belongs to a different record. This tool breaks that file apart in whichever way fits the job. It reads the document with pdf-lib, lets you preview every page as a thumbnail, and writes new PDFs that contain exactly the pages you choose.
There are four ways to divide a file. Extract Selected Pages turns thumbnail clicks into one combined PDF. Split by Pages saves each page as its own file. Split by Range cuts the document into fixed chunks -- every 2 pages, every 10 pages, whatever you set. Custom Ranges accepts explicit spans like 1-3, 5-7, 10 and produces a separate file for each.
When to use it
Reach for a range split when a bound scan holds several documents at once and each needs to stand alone -- invoices, contracts, or exam papers photographed in one pass. Extract Selected Pages suits the opposite problem: pulling a handful of relevant pages out of a long report to email or archive, leaving the rest behind.
Fixed-size range splitting shines against printing or upload limits. If a portal accepts only 10-page attachments, splitting every 10 pages gives you a set of files that each slot in without further editing.
Example: pulling out pages 3 to 7
Say you need the middle section of a manual. Load the file, switch to Custom Ranges, and enter 3-7. The preview confirms the five pages before anything is written, then a single PDF containing pages 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 is produced. Add a second range like 12-14 and you get a separate file for that span too, both bundled into one ZIP for download.
Notes and edge cases
Ranges are inclusive on both ends and follow the page numbers shown in the preview, so 5-7 keeps three pages. Each PDF can be up to 50MB and 500 pages; files past either limit are turned away before processing. Password-protected documents are flagged -- basic splitting may still succeed, but removing the encryption first gives the most reliable result. When a split produces several files they arrive together as a ZIP, while a single output downloads on its own.