To convert multiple PDFs into image files on a Mac, use Automator’s Render PDF Pages as Images action in a Quick Action. It can render the pages of selected PDFs as separate image files, with a format and resolution you choose. For one page or an occasional document, Preview’s File > Export is simpler; it exports the page you select rather than providing the same batch workflow. Apple’s Preview guide explains page export, and Automator’s guide explains how to create Quick Actions.

Choose a format and destination first

A multi-page PDF usually becomes one image per page. For example, a three-page PDF produces three image files, not one image that contains all three pages. If you select several PDFs, expect the output count to reflect the total number of pages across them.

Choose JPEG when smaller files are useful and some compression is acceptable. Choose PNG when you want lossless image output, such as for diagrams or text-heavy pages; file sizes may be larger. Automator’s render action offers format and resolution options, though the labels or available settings can vary by macOS version. Apple documents PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and other formats in Preview’s export options, but those Preview controls should not be mistaken for Automator’s batch controls. Apple’s format guide lists the available Preview formats and JPEG quality setting.

Before converting, create a new empty folder for the results. This makes it easier to find the images and reduces the risk of mixing them with files from an earlier run. If PDFs have repeated names or you are processing several batches, keep each batch’s results in a separate folder and check for duplicate filenames before running the workflow again.

Create a PDF-to-image Quick Action in Automator

  1. Open Automator. Choose File > New, select Quick Action, and choose Choose. Apple documents Quick Actions as workflows that can receive files and appear in Finder. Set the workflow to receive PDF files in Finder if those input controls are shown in your macOS version. Apple’s Quick Action instructions describe the setup.

  2. Search the Actions library for Render PDF Pages as Images and add the action. Set the format, resolution, and any other options the action provides. If that action does not appear in your Automator library, do not substitute an assumed command: the documented workflow depends on that action being available on your Mac.

  3. Search for Move Finder Items and add it after the render action. Choose the empty destination folder you created. This directs the generated images to a predictable place. Apple’s general Automator guide explains that workflows are built by adding actions in sequence and that you can save them with File > Save. Create a workflow in Automator on Mac.

  4. Save the Quick Action with a recognizable name, such as Convert PDFs to Images. In Finder, select a small test batch of PDFs, Control-click the selection, and look for the action under Quick Actions or the Finder Action menu. Run it, then open the destination folder and check that every expected page has an image and that the images are readable.

If Finder does not show the action, check that its input is configured for files and that Quick Actions are enabled in the relevant system settings. Apple notes that Finder only displays Quick Actions that receive files as input, and that available actions can be managed in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Extensions > Finder. The exact placement can vary by macOS version. Apple’s Quick Action guide documents these requirements.

When Preview is enough, and what to check

For a single page, open the PDF in Preview, choose View > Thumbnails, select the page in the sidebar, and choose File > Export. Pick an image format and save it. Apple documents this page-selection method directly. Preview can also export multiple image files together, but Apple’s batch-conversion instructions concern image files; they do not establish a batch PDF-to-images workflow equivalent to Automator’s render action.

After a batch run, verify the first and last page of each PDF, confirm the output format and resolution, and check filenames for collisions or confusing numbering. Higher resolution can preserve more detail but produces larger image files. Conversion rasterizes page content, so the result is no longer a PDF page with selectable text and PDF structure. Keep the source PDFs if you may need those features later.

If you need one image for each entire PDF rather than one image per page, the Automator workflow described here does not combine pages into a single tall image. That requires an additional image-composition step or another tool. For ordinary batch conversion, Automator is the Mac workflow; Preview is a practical choice for occasional page exports.

Sources