BASALT · JOURNAL
Extracting specific pages from a PDF
Extracting means producing a new document containing some pages of the original. It is lossless when done properly, because pages are copied rather than re-rendered.
Preview
Open the document, show thumbnails, select the pages you want, and drag them to the Desktop. macOS creates a new PDF containing just those pages.
That is the fastest route and it surprises people who have not tried it.
Command line
qpdf input.pdf --pages . 5-12 -- extracted.pdfRanges can be combined and reordered: 1,5-9,3 produces pages in exactly that order, which is useful when assembling an exhibit.
Extracting versus splitting
Extracting produces one new document from a selection. Splitting divides the whole document into several. The distinction matters when you are asked for "pages 40 to 60" and reach for a tool that only offers to split every N pages.
What is preserved and what is not
Page content is copied exactly, including images at full quality. Nothing is re-encoded, so there is no generational loss.
What does not follow the pages: bookmarks pointing at them, form field values in some cases, and any document level attachments. Links pointing to pages outside the extracted range become dead.
If the extracted document is going to another party, check it separately. It inherits the original's metadata, which can name the source document, its author and its original file path.
For legal exhibits
Extracted ranges are frequently produced as exhibits, which means the output should be checked as carefully as anything else that leaves the office. Extract, then inspect the result for metadata and attachments before sending. Extraction copies faithfully, and that includes copying the things you may not want to send.
Frequently asked questions
How do I extract pages from a PDF on Mac?
In Preview, show thumbnails, select the pages you want, and drag them to the Desktop, which creates a new PDF from just those pages. From the command line, qpdf input.pdf --pages . 5-12 -- extracted.pdf.
Does extracting pages reduce quality?
No. Pages are copied rather than re-rendered, so images keep their original encoding and there is no generational loss.
What is the difference between extracting and splitting a PDF?
Extracting produces one new document from a selected range. Splitting divides the whole document into multiple files. Ask for the first when you need a specific range such as pages 40 to 60.
Does an extracted PDF carry the original's metadata?
Yes. Extraction copies faithfully, which includes document metadata naming the source, its author and its original path. Check the output before sending it to another party.
Doing it in Basalt
Basalt is a native macOS PDF toolkit: eighteen tools in one window covering merge, split, page organisation, compression, OCR, passwords, Bates numbering, forms, signing, watermarks and comparison. Every file is processed on your Mac, and the engine that opens documents holds no network entitlement at all, which macOS enforces at the code-signature level. Redaction destroys content rather than covering it, and an independent verifier proves the material is gone before a file is written. A one time $29 licence covers up to three Macs, free for the first 24 hours. Get it at basaltformac.com, or brew install --cask chipmunk1101/tap/basalt.
Redaction that proves itself
Basalt destroys the content you mark, then re-opens the file it wrote and proves the content is gone before it saves anything. Your documents never leave your Mac.