3 Easy and Practical Ways to Split PDF Files

PDF files are like digital books; they can contain multiple pages of text and images all in one file. This format is super handy when you need to handle a lot of content at once.

But sometimes, PDF files can be too large, especially when you just want to share a few pages with someone. This can use up a lot of your data allowance unnecessarily.

Luckily, splitting a PDF file can solve this problem. It allows you to send only the specific pages you need to friends or coworkers, without having to share the whole document. You can even divide PDFs into sections based on size, which lets you control how big each file is.

Don’t worry, splitting a PDF doesn’t take much time! Some of the methods below can even be done on your smartphone, and you don't always need an internet connection. Interested? Check out these simple ways to split PDF files!

Using the Browser

Did you know that you can use browsers like Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge to open and split PDF files? It’s pretty straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open PDF in a browser

First, right-click on the PDF file you want to split. From the menu, choose 'Open with' and then select your browser.

2. Open the 'Print' Menu

Next, press 'Ctrl + P' to bring up the print menu. In the 'Destination' section, choose 'Save as PDF'.

3. Specify the pages you want to split

Change the setting from 'All' to 'Custom' in the 'Pages' section. Here, you can specify the pages you want to split. If you’re saving multiple files at once, separate the page numbers with a comma or specify a range like "1-5".

4. Save

Finally, click the 'Save' button, rename your file, select where to save it, and then click 'Save' again. That's all there is to it! And remember, this method works offline too.

Using SmallPDF.com

While the first method works great on a PC or laptop, if you need to split PDF files on your phone and have limited internet data, you can use a website called SmallPDF.com.

SmallPDF.com is quite handy for a variety of PDF tasks, such as compressing files or converting them to JPG. Here’s a straightforward guide to using it:

1. Open the SmallPDF.com website

Start by visiting https://smallpdf.com in your browser. Then, select the 'Split PDF' option as shown in the image. Click the 'Choose File' button and pick the PDF file you wish to split.

2. Select 'Extract pages'

You'll see two options: 'Extract pages' and 'Split 1 PDF into many.'

Opt for 'Extract pages' because the other option isn’t free. Essentially, this choice works like the browser method, creating a single PDF that includes only the pages you choose. After selecting this option, click 'Extract.'

3. Specify the pages to split

Next, decide which pages to include in your new PDF. You can easily select pages by clicking on their thumbnails. Alternatively, you can type in the page numbers manually if you prefer.

After you’ve made your selections, click 'Extract' and then 'Download' to save your new PDF file.

One great advantage of using SmallPDF.com is that it’s web-based, so you can access it from any device. However, keep in mind that it does require a good internet connection, particularly if the PDF file you're uploading is large.

Using Adobe Acrobat DC

The previous two methods are great for extracting a few pages from a PDF. But if you need to split a single PDF into multiple files, Adobe Acrobat DC is a free tool that can handle this easily.

1. First, download and install Adobe Acrobat DC from this link.
2. Open the app and click on the 'Tools' menu, then select 'Organize Pages.'

3. Press 'Select a file' and choose the PDF you want to split.
4. Then, hit the 'Split' button.

5. Here, you can set how you want to split the file. For instance, if you want to divide the file page by page, choose 'Number of pages' and enter the number of pages each new file should have.
6. Click 'Split' again.

7. A notification will pop up to confirm the split was successful.

Splitting PDFs with Adobe Acrobat DC isn't hard. You only need an internet connection to download the app. After that, you can split PDFs offline.

Now you know three ways to split a PDF into multiple parts. You can use your browser or SmallPDF.com to extract specific pages into a new PDF. Or, for more complex needs, Adobe Acrobat DC offers advanced features to manage PDFs effectively.

Splitting PDFs can be crucial for making content more manageable and shareable. For example, if you only need to show pages 50 to 53 from a 500-page document, it's impractical to send the entire file.

Often, the recipient struggles to open the file or locate the specific pages. That’s why splitting the PDF into sections is a smart solution.

So, which methods have you tried? Which one do you prefer? Each method has its pros and cons, depending on what you need at the moment. Do you know any other easy ways to split PDFs? Feel free to share your tips in the comments below. Good luck!