DEV Community: Deepak Chalise

Extract Pages from PDF (Split PDF the Easy Way)

Deepak Chalise — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:15:05 +0000

Ever downloaded a massive PDF report and realized you only need pages 5-12? Or got a 100-page contract when you just need the signature page?

Yeah, sending someone a 50MB file when they only need 3 pages is a waste of everyone's time. Here's how to split PDFs properly without downloading sketchy software.

Why You'd Need to Split a PDF

Common scenarios:

Extract a few pages from a huge document (like a specific invoice from a bank statement)
Separate chapters in an ebook or report
Remove unnecessary pages before sharing
Send only relevant pages to clients or coworkers
Reduce file size by removing bulk

Basically anytime you're thinking "I wish this PDF was just the first 10 pages" or "I need to delete page 47".

The Easiest Way to Split PDF

I use PrestigePDF's split tool because you can visually see all the pages and select exactly which ones you want.

Here's how:

Go to prestigepdf.com/tools/split
Upload your PDF
Choose what you want:
- Extract specific pages (e.g., pages 5, 7, 10-15)
- Split into ranges (e.g., 1-10, 11-20, 21-30)
- Split every N pages (every 5 pages becomes a new file)
- Remove pages (delete unwanted pages)
Click "Split PDF"
Download your files

The whole thing takes like 20 seconds.

Different Ways to Split

Option 1: Extract specific pages
You pick exactly which pages you want. The rest get discarded. Perfect when you know the exact page numbers.

Option 2: Split into multiple files
Break one big PDF into smaller chunks. Like turning a 100-page ebook into 10 separate 10-page files.

Option 3: Delete unwanted pages
Remove specific pages but keep everything else. Good for cutting out blank pages or irrelevant sections.

Most of the time I'm just extracting 3-5 specific pages, so Option 1 is what I use.

When This Is Useful

Job applications — extract only your resume from a bigger portfolio PDF
Invoices — pull out a specific month from your bank statement
Legal docs — extract signed pages without the 40-page appendix
School — extract one chapter from a textbook PDF to share with a study group
Client work — send only the relevant contract pages

You get the idea.

Other PDF Tools You Might Need

Since you're probably dealing with PDFs regularly:

Merge PDF — combine multiple files into one
Compress PDF — shrink file sizes
PDF to Word — convert to editable DOCX
Rotate PDF — fix sideways scans

All free, browser-based, no signup. I built PrestigePDF because I got tired of paywalls on other PDF sites.

That's it. Next time you get a huge PDF and only need part of it, split it first. Your email recipients will thank you.

Try it: prestigepdf.com/tools/split

Convert PDF to Word Without Losing Formatting (Free Method)

Deepak Chalise — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:13:21 +0000

Ever get a PDF contract or document and realize you need to edit it? Like, actually change the text, not just add comments?

Yeah, PDFs are great for viewing but terrible for editing. The obvious solution is to convert it to Word (DOCX), make your changes, then convert back if needed.

Problem is, most free converters completely destroy the formatting. You end up with a mess where every paragraph is broken, images are misplaced, and tables look like someone threw them down the stairs.

Here's how to do it properly.

Why PDF-to-Word Conversion Is Tricky

PDFs don't store text the way Word does. They store:

Positioned text blocks (not flowing paragraphs)
Embedded fonts that Word might not have
Absolute positioned images instead of inline images
Complex tables that are actually just drawn lines

So when you convert, the tool has to reconstruct the document structure. Bad converters just dump everything as unformatted text. Good ones actually try to detect headings, lists, tables, etc.

The Best Free Method

I use PrestigePDF's PDF to Word converter because it actually preserves formatting way better than most free tools.

Here's the process:

Go to prestigepdf.com/tools/pdf-to-word
Upload your PDF
Click "Convert to Word"
Download the DOCX file
Open in Microsoft Word or Google Docs

Takes like 15 seconds for a 10-page document.

What Gets Preserved (And What Doesn't)

Usually works well:

Paragraphs and headings
Bold, italic, underline
Bullet lists and numbered lists
Basic tables
Images (though positioning might shift slightly)

Might need manual fixes:

Complex multi-column layouts
Custom fonts (gets replaced with similar ones)
Very detailed tables with merged cells
Watermarks and backgrounds

For 90% of documents (contracts, reports, essays), it works perfectly. For fancy brochures or magazines, expect to do some cleanup.

When You'd Actually Need This

Editing contracts before signing
Reusing old reports as templates
Extracting text from scanned documents (if they have OCR)
Collaborating — easier to edit in Word than PDF

Basically anytime someone sends you a PDF and expects you to make changes. Instead of awkwardly adding text boxes in a PDF editor, just convert it.

Other Useful Tools

Since you're probably dealing with PDFs regularly:

Compress PDF — shrink file sizes
Merge PDF — combine multiple files
Split PDF — extract specific pages
PDF to Excel — extract tables to spreadsheets

All free, browser-based, no signup required. I built PrestigePDF because I got tired of hitting paywalls on other PDF sites.

That's it. Next time you need to edit a PDF, convert it to Word first. Way easier than fighting with PDF editors.

Try it: prestigepdf.com/tools/pdf-to-word

Reduce PDF File Size Without Losing Quality (Actually Works)

Deepak Chalise — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:11:37 +0000

You know that feeling when you try to email a PDF and it bounces back because it's too big? Or when a job application portal rejects your file for being over 5MB? Yeah, super annoying.

I used to just give up and zip the file (which barely helps). Then I found out you can actually compress PDFs properly without turning them into blurry garbage.

Why PDFs Get So Big

Mostly because of:

High-res images embedded in the document
Unoptimized scans from scanners that save at 600 DPI when you only need 150
Embedded fonts that weren't compressed
Metadata bloat from multiple edits

A single scanned page can be like 2-3MB. Multiply that by 10 pages and you've got a 25MB monster that no one wants to download.

How to Compress PDF (The Easy Way)

I use PrestigePDF's compress tool because it has three compression levels and you can actually see the quality difference before downloading.

Here's how:

Go to prestigepdf.com/tools/compress
Upload your PDF
Pick compression level: Low (safest), Medium (balanced), or High (aggressive)
Click "Compress PDF"
Download the smaller file

Usually I go with Medium compression — it cuts file size by 60-70% and I genuinely can't tell the difference unless I zoom in way too much.

What About "Lossless" Compression?

Honestly, true lossless compression barely does anything for PDFs with images. You might save 5-10% max.

The real file size reduction comes from:

Downsampling images (300 DPI → 150 DPI)
Re-encoding with better algorithms (JPEG2000, etc.)
Removing duplicate embedded fonts

This is technically "lossy" but unless you're printing billboard-sized posters, you won't notice.

When You Actually Need Quality

If you're submitting something for print or archival, stick with low compression or don't compress at all. For everything else (email, web, applications), medium compression is totally fine.

Other Tools on PrestigePDF

Since you're probably dealing with PDFs anyway:

Merge PDF — combine multiple files
Split PDF — extract specific pages
PDF to Word — convert to editable DOCX
Unlock PDF — remove password protection

All free, no signup, works in browser. I built it because I was sick of hitting paywalls on other PDF sites.

That's it. Next time you get that "file too large" error, compress it first. Takes 20 seconds and saves you the headache.

Try it: prestigepdf.com/tools/compress

How to Merge Multiple PDFs into One File (Without Any App)

Deepak Chalise — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:09:36 +0000

Ever had like 5 separate PDFs that you needed to send as one file? Invoice, contract, terms and conditions, appendix, cover letter... yeah, we've all been there.

I used to email them one by one like an idiot until I realized there are way easier ways to do this. Here's the simplest method I've found.

Why You'd Want to Merge PDFs

Honestly, it just makes life easier:

Job applications — combine your resume, cover letter, and portfolio
Client proposals — merge contract + pricing + terms into one clean doc
School/University — submit everything as a single PDF instead of 10 attachments
Legal docs — combine signed forms, IDs, whatever

Basically anytime you don't want to be "that person" who sends 7 emails with different attachments.

The Easiest Way (No App Download)

I'm lazy. I don't want to install Adobe Acrobat or some random app. So I use PrestigePDF's merge tool which works right in the browser.

Here's how:

Go to prestigepdf.com/tools/merge
Click "Choose PDF Files to Merge"
Select all your PDFs (Ctrl+click or Cmd+click to select multiple)
Drag them into the order you want
Click "Merge PDFs"
Download the combined file

That's it. Takes like 30 seconds.

Why I Like This Method

No signup — just drop files and go
No file size BS — most free tools limit you to like 2MB, this doesn't
Actually free — no watermarks, no "upgrade to pro" nonsense
Privacy — files are processed client-side when possible (using WebAssembly), so they're not sitting on some random server

I built PrestigePDF specifically because I got sick of hitting paywalls on other PDF sites. Figured I'd share it here since it's genuinely useful.

Alternative Methods

If you're on Mac, you can use Preview (right-click PDF → Open With → Preview → View → Thumbnails → drag PDFs into sidebar). Works, but it's clunky.

Windows doesn't have a built-in way unless you want to mess with PowerShell or print-to-PDF hacks. Just use the online tool, honestly.

When You Need More Than Just Merging

PrestigePDF also has tools for:

Compress PDF — shrink file sizes
Split PDF — extract specific pages
PDF to Word — convert to editable DOCX
Edit PDF — add text, images, annotations

All free, all browser-based. No account, no app, no drama.

That's it. If you've been emailing 5 separate PDFs like I used to, try merging them first. Your recipients will thank you.

Try it: prestigepdf.com/tools/merge

I Built a Free PDF Tool from Nepal — Here's What I Learned

Deepak Chalise — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:03:59 +0000

I'm a full-stack developer based in Nepal and I just launched PrestigePDF — a completely free, no-signup online PDF toolkit with 22+ tools built with React, TypeScript, and WebAssembly.

Here's the story, the tech, and what I learned building it.

Why I Built It

Tools like ilovepdf and smallpdf are great but they push you toward paid plans fast — file size limits, watermarks, forced signups. I wanted something genuinely free with no limits for basic operations and no account required.

Also, being from Nepal, I wanted to prove that quality developer tools can be built and used globally from anywhere. The "Built from Nepal, used globally" badge on the About page is something I'm genuinely proud of.

What PrestigePDF Does

Everything you'd normally need Adobe Acrobat for — free, in your browser:

Merge PDF — combine multiple files into one
Compress PDF — reduce file size without quality loss
Split PDF — extract specific pages or ranges
PDF to Word / Excel / JPG — convert to any format
Edit PDF — add text, images, annotations
Protect / Unlock PDF — password management
Watermark, Rotate, Crop, Number Pages — and more

👉 Try it free at prestigepdf.com

The Tech Stack

Frontend: React + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS + Vite
PDF Processing: qpdf-wasm, PDF.js, jsPDF
Hosting: Contabo VPS + Docker + Nginx
Storage: AWS S3 for temporary file handling

The Hardest Part — PDF Processing in the Browser

The biggest challenge was making PDF operations fast and private. Most operations run client-side using WebAssembly (qpdf-wasm), meaning files never leave your device for most tools. This is a real privacy win compared to many competitors that upload everything to their servers.

Getting qpdf-wasm to work correctly with Vite took a couple of days of debugging — WASM workers, CORS headers, memory limits — all fun stuff.

Blog + SEO

I also built a blog section targeting long-tail keywords like "how to merge PDFs online free 2026". Since the site is brand new, I'm focused on blog content and backlinks right now before worrying about paid growth.

What's Next

AI PDF features (summarize, Q&A with your PDF)
More conversion formats
Browser extension
Mobile app

Try It + Feedback Welcome

If you work with PDFs regularly, I'd genuinely appreciate you giving it a try and dropping feedback in the comments. Early feedback from developers is gold.

→ Visit PrestigePDF

Built with ❤️ from Nepal 🇳🇵