How to extract one chapter from a PDF

How to extract a chapter with Deckle

1. Open the full PDF in a viewer and note the PDF page position where the chapter starts and where it ends (see below).
2. Open Split PDF and choose the PDF, or drop it onto the page.
3. Under How to split it, choose Page ranges I choose.
4. Enter the chapter's first position in From page and its last in To page.
5. Check the Planned files list: the page count should be last page minus first page plus one.
6. Choose Create 1 PDF, then Download PDF.
7. Open the download and check the first page for the chapter title and the last page for the chapter's final paragraph.

The result screen confirms one PDF made from the source's pages. If it says more than one, you have an extra range in the list.

Find where the chapter starts and ends

Chapters are where page positions and printed numbers part company most often. Books and reports put a cover, a title page, a contents list and sometimes a foreword before printed page 1, and many number those pages i, ii, iii.

Example: a 64-page staff handbook has five preliminary pages, so the page printed "1" is PDF position 6. Chapter 3 is listed in the contents as pages 12–19. Add five to each number: the chapter is at positions 17–24, which is eight pages (24 − 17 + 1). Enter 17 and 24.

Check both boundaries in the viewer before you type them:

• The page before the start should be the end of the previous chapter, not a chapter divider you meant to include.
• The page after the end should be the next chapter's opening. If the chapter ends with a half-empty page, that page still belongs to it.

Most PDF viewers show the position in their page box or page counter. Use that number, not the one in the footer. PDF page position vs printed page number explains the difference in more detail.

Decide what else goes with the chapter

A chapter often relies on material outside its own pages. Decide before you split whether the reader needs:

• the title page or cover, so they know which document the chapter comes from;
• endnotes or references printed at the back of the book;
• a glossary or appendix the chapter refers to.

A second range in Split PDF makes a second file, not a longer chapter. To send the chapter and its endnotes as one document, create both extracts, then join them in Merge PDFs, with the chapter first. Or open the full PDF in Organize PDF pages, remove every page you don't want, and choose Save pages; the kept pages stay in their original order.

Before you send it

The extract is a copy of the chapter's pages, with their printed numbers, headers and footers unchanged. A reader will see "page 12" at the foot of the first page, which matches the book's contents list and is usually what you want.

Three things are worth a look before you send it:

• Bookmarks. Split PDF copies the pages into a new file, so the full document's bookmark list doesn't come with them. A reader of a short chapter rarely misses it; see check bookmarks after page changes if yours relies on one.
• Cross-references. Text such as "see chapter 5" stays on the page even though chapter 5 is not in the file. Add a line to your message if the reader will need it.
• Sensitive content. If the chapter needs a password, add one with Password protect PDF and send the password separately.

Tips

• Name the file after the chapter. handbook-ch3-leave-policy.pdf is clearer than handbook (1).pdf, the name Deckle gives it.
• Extract several chapters at once if you need them. Add one range per chapter and choose Create 3 PDFs; each chapter becomes its own file. How to split a report for reviewers shows that workflow.
• Keep the full PDF. Deckle doesn't change it, so you can extract a different chapter later.

Other ways to share one chapter

• Send the whole PDF with a page reference. Fine for a colleague who has the document already, less so for a large file or an outside reader.
• Adobe Acrobat. In the paid desktop app, choose All tools > Organize pages, enter the range in the Pages selected field and choose Extract pages. Adobe describes the free Acrobat Reader as a viewer and lists editing and organising PDFs under its paid plans.
• Preview on a Mac. Select the chapter's thumbnails in the sidebar and drag them to the desktop to make a new PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Will the chapter keep its original page numbers?

Yes. Printed numbers are part of the page, so a chapter printed as pages 12–19 still shows 12–19. Only the position in the new file starts from 1.

Can I extract a chapter from a scanned book?

Yes. Scanned pages extract the same way. Count positions carefully, because scanned books often include blank backs and covers.

Does extracting a chapter change the original PDF?

No. Split PDF creates a new file and leaves the full document untouched.

How do I extract a chapter that has pages missing in the middle?

A range always takes every page between its ends. If you need to drop a page inside the chapter, extract the chapter first, then remove that page in Organize PDF pages.

Related tools

• Split PDF to extract a chapter by page range
• Organize PDF pages to remove pages you don't want to share
• Password protect PDF to add a password before sending