How to Split a PDF on Mac (3 Easy Ways)

What does splitting a PDF actually mean?

Splitting a PDF means making one or more new PDF files from some of its pages. The original can stay as it is. People usually want one of these three things:

• Split into parts. Turn a 40-page scan into four separate 10-page files.
• Extract pages. Save just pages 2 to 4 as their own PDF.
• Delete a page. Keep the file, but drop a blank page or a page with private details.

All three work in Preview. The steps are a little different for each, so let's take them one at a time.

How do I split a PDF on Mac with Preview?

The quickest way to split a PDF on Mac is to drag page thumbnails out of Preview. According to Apple's Preview User Guide, dragging thumbnails from the sidebar to the desktop creates a new PDF.

1. Open the PDF in Preview. Double-clicking a PDF usually does this.
2. Choose View → Thumbnails to show the page sidebar.
3. Click the first page you want. Hold Command and click to add more pages.
4. Drag the selected thumbnails onto your desktop.
5. A new PDF with only those pages appears. Rename it so you can find it later.

Repeat for each part you need. This part is really easy once you've done it once. Your original PDF isn't changed, because you're only copying pages out of it.

Moving pages into another PDF

Apple's guide also says you can open two PDFs, show thumbnails in both, and drag pages from one to the other. That's handy when you want to split one file and add its pages to another. To join whole files instead, see the guide to merging PDFs on Mac.

How do I extract a range of pages from a PDF?

To extract a range like pages 12 to 20, use the Print dialog and save as PDF instead of printing. You type the range once, so there's no clicking through dozens of thumbnails.

1. Open the PDF in Preview and choose File → Print.
2. Next to Pages, choose a range and type the first and last page, such as 12 and 20.
3. Click the PDF button at the bottom (or open its menu and choose Save as PDF).
4. Give the new file a name, pick a folder, and click Save.

Apple's Print settings guide says the Pages option sets a range, and that you enter the same number in both boxes for a single page. The Save as PDF guide covers the PDF button. Together, they give you a clean copy of just that range.

Here's a tip. The Print settings guide also says you can select pages in the dialog's sidebar to print only those, which works for scattered pages like 2, 4 and 5.

How do I delete a page from a PDF on Mac?

To delete a page from a PDF on Mac, select its thumbnail in Preview and press the Delete key. Then save the file. It takes about 10 seconds.

1. Open the PDF in Preview. If you want to keep the original, choose File → Duplicate first and work on the copy.
2. Choose View → Thumbnails or View → Contact Sheet.
3. Select the page or pages you want to remove.
4. Press Delete, or choose Edit → Delete.
5. Choose File → Save.

One thing to know: Apple's Preview guide notes that deleting a page also removes any annotations on it, like highlights or notes. Deleting a page with private details is a good habit before you share, but double-check the result before you send it.

Where does Preview get slow?

Preview is great for one file. It gets slow when the job repeats. Based on what I've seen, these are the spots where people lose time:

• Many parts. Splitting a 60-page file into 6 parts means 6 separate drags or 6 trips through the Print dialog.
• Many files. Preview works on one open PDF at a time. Ten statements means doing every step ten times.
• Hidden menus. The page range lives in the Print dialog, which isn't where most people look for a split option.
• Naming. Every new file needs a name, or your desktop fills up with look-alike PDFs.

None of this is hard. It just adds up when you do it every week.

How do I split PDFs faster with FinderBuddy?

FinderBuddy puts Split PDF in Finder's right-click menu, so you can split a PDF without opening it. It splits every page into its own file, or uses page ranges you type.

1. Select one PDF, or several, in Finder.
2. Right-click and choose FinderBuddy → Split PDF.
3. Pick every page, or enter the ranges you want.
4. The new files are saved next to the original, which stays unchanged.

If you only need a few pages, the Extract Pages tool takes pages or ranges like 2-4, 7 and saves them as one new PDF. Need to drop a page instead? PDF Studio has a page strip where you can delete, reorder, rotate or extract pages.

Everything runs on your Mac and nothing is uploaded. The free download includes a limited set of tools, and Split PDF, Extract Pages and PDF Studio unlock with a one-time license. FinderBuddy needs macOS 14 or later on an Apple silicon Mac. The setup guide gets the menu working in a minute.

Which method should you use?

Use Preview for a one-off job and FinderBuddy when you split PDFs often or in batches. Here's what that means for you, job by job.

Got a PDF that won't let you edit pages because it's locked? If you know the password, the guide to removing a PDF password on Mac shows how to save an unlocked copy first.

My honest take

I think most people never need to leave Preview for this. Dragging thumbnails to the desktop is one of the most useful Mac tricks, and hardly anyone knows it exists.

Where I'd switch is volume. If you split monthly statements, scanned forms, or course packs, a right-click tool saves you from repeating the same five steps. I'd also avoid upload sites for anything with an ID number, an address or a bank detail on it. There's no reason to send those pages to a server when your Mac can do the job.

The takeaway

You can split a PDF on Mac with tools you already have. Drag thumbnails to pull pages out, use Print to save a range, and press Delete to drop a page. When the work piles up, a right-click tool like FinderBuddy does the same jobs in fewer steps.

One last tip: split files are often smaller, but scans can still be large. If a portal rejects your file, try reducing the PDF size on Mac. You've got this.