What DPI Should You Use for PDF to PNG (96 vs 150 vs 300)?

When you convert a PDF to PNG, the most important setting is DPI (dots per inch). DPI controls how many pixels you get for each page. Higher DPI = sharper images, but also larger files and slower processing.

Quick recommendations (most users)

• 96 DPI: quick preview, small files, good for simple sharing.
• 150 DPI: best default for readable text and reasonable size.
• 300 DPI: best for printing, detailed diagrams, and zooming.

Use 96 DPI when

• You only need a quick preview.
• The PDF is mostly big headings and simple shapes.
• You need the smallest ZIP possible.

Use 150 DPI when

• You want a good balance between readability and file size.
• You’re sharing documents by email or chat.
• The PDF contains normal-sized text (reports, invoices, homework).

This is the default on our PDF to PNG tool for a reason: it works well in most scenarios.

Use 300 DPI when

• You want print-quality output.
• The PDF contains small text, signatures, or fine details.
• You need to crop and zoom into specific regions.

Just keep in mind that 300 DPI can produce very large files—especially for multi-page PDFs.

Export only the pages you need

Instead of exporting a 40-page PDF at high DPI, export just the relevant pages. On PDF to PNG (and PDF to JPG) you can set Pages to a range like 1-3. That’s often the fastest way to keep quality high while controlling file size.

PNG vs JPG vs WebP

• PNG is lossless and great for crisp text.
• JPG is smaller for photos but can introduce artifacts.
• WebP is efficient for web delivery. Try PDF to WebP.

Next steps

If your end goal is a smaller PDF, don’t convert to images. Use Compress PDF instead. If you want to share only part of the document, export a small page range to PNG/JPG.