Mac
Split a PDF on a Mac (Preview or page ranges)
Quick answer: in Preview, choose View > Thumbnails, select the pages you want and drag them from the sidebar to the desktop; Preview makes a new PDF from them. To take out ranges such as 1-3, 8-12 in one go, or to save every page as its own PDF, open this page in Safari or Chrome, add the PDF, type the pages and click Split PDF. Pages are copied as they are, so text stays selectable, and nothing is uploaded.
Steps last checked 3 November 2026 by the PDFWhisk team
At a glance
- Use this page to split files quickly with a guided workflow.
- Accepted input: .pdf.
- Output: downloadable file generated in-browser for supported workflows.
- Upload Choose your file
- Process Runs locally
- Download Save result
Drop your file here
or tap to browse · accepts .pdf
Runs in your browser. No file uploads for supported tools.
Best on desktop for 100MB+ files · mobile recommended under ~100MB.
How local processing works
- Your PDF is processed in your browser using local JavaScript libraries.
- PDFWhisk does not upload your file to a processing server for supported tools.
- Only normal page assets load from the site (HTML/CSS/JS), not your document contents.
Selected files
Page preview
Processing
0%Preparing your file
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Security & privacy detailsHow this tool helps
Split a PDF into separate files or extract specific pages with visual precision. Upload your PDF and see thumbnail previews of every page. Click to select the pages you want to extract, or use range input (e.g., 1-3, 5, 8-12) for quick selection. Download individual pages or all selected pages as separate PDFs in a ZIP file. Ideal for extracting chapters from books, pulling specific pages from contracts, or breaking large documents into manageable sections. Every page preview is rendered in your browser, and the splitting process never sends your document to any server. Use it when you need to split for upload limits, split a PDF by file size (via page ranges), delete pages before splitting.
Best for
How it works
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1
Open this page in Safari or Chrome
Nothing to install. The PDF is opened by the browser on your Mac.
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2
Add the PDF
Drag it from Finder onto the upload box. Page previews appear underneath.
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3
Choose the pages
Type them in Pages to take out, for example 1-3, 5, 8-12, or click the page previews to select them.
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4
Pick the output
One PDF with selected pages, or Each page as separate PDF. Leave the pages empty with the second option to split every page.
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5
Click Split PDF and save
One file downloads as yourfile-extracted.pdf; several pages come as page-1.pdf, page-2.pdf and so on, with a Download ZIP button for all of them.
More files today? Free covers 2 tasks a day and files up to 50MB. For unlimited tasks and bigger files, Pro passes start at £1.29 for 24 hours. See Pro options → One-off payment, no subscription, and your files still stay on your device.
Splitting PDFs on a Mac: what to know
Splitting usually means one of two jobs: pulling a few pages out to send, or breaking a long document into parts for a portal. Preview handles the first well; ranges and single pages are quicker here.
Dragging thumbnails out of Preview
Open the PDF in Preview and choose View > Thumbnails (or View > Contact Sheet for bigger previews). Select the pages you want and drag them out of the sidebar onto the desktop or into a Finder window. Preview saves them as a new PDF and leaves the original alone. This is the fastest way to grab a page or two.
When page ranges are quicker
Dragging gets fiddly on a 200-page bank statement or court bundle. Typing 1-12, 40-52 here picks those pages in one step, and Each page as separate PDF turns a scanned stack into individual files without dragging each one out.
Splitting to meet an upload limit
If a portal caps each file, split the PDF into parts of roughly equal size. Check the size of each part before uploading; parts that are still too large can go through Compress PDF with the portal's limit as the target.
Removing pages instead
If you only want to drop a few pages, it is simpler to delete them: in Preview select the thumbnails and press the Delete key, then save, or use Delete Pages here to keep a separate edited copy.
Before you upload/share
- Open the PDF and check every page before you send or upload it.
- Keep the original files until the recipient or portal has accepted the document.
Frequently asked questions
Can Preview split a PDF?
Yes, by dragging. Choose View > Thumbnails, select one or more page thumbnails and drag them to the desktop. Apple's Preview guide notes that this creates a new PDF from the dragged thumbnails. Your original file is not changed.
How do I split a PDF into single pages on a Mac?
Here, add the PDF, leave Pages to take out empty, choose Each page as separate PDF and click Split PDF. Every page becomes its own file, and Download ZIP saves them all at once.
Does dragging thumbnails out of Preview change my original PDF?
No. Apple's guide describes it as creating a new PDF from the dragged thumbnails; the original file stays as it was unless you also delete pages from it and save.
Does splitting reduce quality?
No. The split tool copies the pages into new PDFs without redrawing them, so text stays selectable and images are unchanged. If the parts are still too big, compress them afterwards.
Is there a page limit?
No page limit. Free use covers files up to 50MB, 2 tasks a day.
Sources
Limits and steps on this page were checked against these official pages on 3 November 2026.
What to do next
Chain tools together for a complete workflow.
Popular searches for this tool
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