Convert PDF to JPEG
We turn PDF into JPEG right in your browser — the file never goes to a server.
What you will lose
- Transparency becomes a solid background — soft edges disappear
- Compression becomes lossy: the original quality cannot be restored
How they differ
| JPEG | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lossless | yes | no |
| Lossy | yes | yes |
| Transparency | yes | no |
| Released | 1993 | 1992 |
| Author | Adobe | Joint Photographic Experts Group |
Good at
- Looks the same everywhere: fonts, margins and line breaks are fixed
- The one format any office will accept without argument
- Holds text, vectors and photographs in a single file
Awkward about
- Hard to edit: it is a format for reading, not for changing
- Weight depends on what is inside — a scanned page can weigh as much as a book
- Text inside a scan stays a picture until something recognises it
Use it when
- The document is being sent, printed or filed somewhere official
- The layout must not shift on someone else’s device
- Loose pages need to become one file
JPEG
Good at
- Compresses photos tightly, and the loss is hard to notice
- Opens literally everywhere, including old devices and printers
- Fast to encode and open, easy on the device
Awkward about
- Lossy: every re-save degrades the image a little more
- No transparency — it turns white or black
- Visible halos appear around text and sharp edges
Use it when
- Photos that will not be edited further
- When the file has to open for absolutely anyone
Common questions
- Does the file get uploaded to a server?
- Yes, this pair needs the server: browsers cannot encode that format. The file and the result are deleted within a couple of hours and never shared.
- Will transparency survive?
- No. JPEG has no transparency — it becomes a solid background.
- Can I get the original quality back afterwards?
- No. JPEG is lossy, and the discarded detail cannot be recovered. Keep the original if you may still need it.
- How many files, and how large?
- Up to 5 files at a time, 100 MB each. No sign-up, no watermarks.