Images inside a PDF are embedded as raster objects that you cannot edit directly with a background remover.
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PDFs store images either as separate embedded objects (high quality, can be extracted losslessly) or rendered into a flattened page bitmap (lower quality, you can only screenshot from the page). For PDFs where images are stored as separate objects, the FixTools PDF Image Extractor or a similar tool can pull them out at original resolution. For flattened PDFs (often the case for older or printed-to-PDF documents), your best option is to render the PDF page at high resolution and screenshot the area you need. Either way, the result is a raster image (usually JPG or PNG) that you can feed into the background remover.
Once you have the extracted image as a file, the workflow is identical to any other background removal: upload to FixTools Image Background Remover, wait for the cutout, download the transparent PNG. The cutout quality depends on the source image quality, which in turn depends on how the image was stored in the original PDF. Lossless extractions of separately-embedded images cut as cleanly as the original source. Screenshots from flattened PDFs cut acceptably for low-resolution use and may need cleanup for high-resolution destinations.
A practical example: a marketing team has a partner's product photo embedded in a partnership announcement PDF. They want to use the photo in their own deck with a different background. The team extracts the image from the PDF, runs the cutout in the browser, and drops the transparent PNG into the deck. The whole process is under three minutes per image and does not require Acrobat or any installed editor.
The key gotcha with PDF-embedded images is licensing. Extracting and reusing an image from a PDF you did not author has the same copyright implications as taking the image from anywhere else — you need the right to use it. The background removal step does not transfer or alter those rights. For internal use, screenshots from documents you are licensed to use are usually fine. For commercial use, verify you have the rights to the image before incorporating it into a public deliverable.
Extract the image from your PDF, then run it through the background remover for a transparent PNG output.
Step-by-step guide to remove background from an image in a pdf:
Extract the image from the PDF
Use the FixTools PDF Image Extractor or a similar tool to pull the image out of the PDF. For flattened PDFs, render the page at high resolution and screenshot the area you need.
Save the extracted image as JPG or PNG
The extraction step outputs a standard image file. Save it to your device as JPG or PNG.
Open the background remover
Click Open Image Background Remover and upload the extracted file.
Run the cutout
Wait for the neural cutout. The transparent PNG output appears on a checkerboard background.
Download and use the PNG
Save the transparent PNG and use it in your new design without the original PDF background. The original PDF is unchanged.
Common situations where this approach makes a real difference:
Designer reusing a graphic from a client report
A designer needs to reuse a product diagram from a client's legacy PDF report in a new deck. The PDF's background colour clashes with the new deck. The designer extracts the diagram, cuts the background, and the cleaned graphic drops into the new deck seamlessly. Total time: about five minutes per graphic.
Marketing team grabbing a partner logo from a PDF press kit
A marketing team has a partner's press kit PDF with the logo embedded on a coloured banner. They extract the logo, cut the banner away, and use the transparent PNG on their own brand-coloured slide. Without the cutout step, the partner logo would clash with their slide design.
Researcher building a presentation from journal article figures
A researcher has figures from a journal article PDF that they want to include in a presentation. The figures have white margins that overlap awkwardly with the dark presentation theme. Cutting the figure backgrounds produces clean cutouts that drop onto the dark theme without margin clash.
Sales rep updating a deck with vendor product shots
A sales rep has vendor product shots embedded in a sales enablement PDF and needs them as standalone PNGs for their own deck. Extracting and cutting produces transparent product PNGs that fit the rep's deck template, which the original PDF format did not allow.
Get better results with these expert suggestions:
Lossless extraction beats screenshot quality
If the PDF stores images as separate embedded objects, use a proper image extraction tool — it preserves the original resolution and quality. Screenshots from rendered PDF pages are lower quality, especially when the PDF page is dense.
High DPI screenshots if extraction fails
For flattened PDFs where extraction is not possible, render the PDF page at 300 DPI or higher before screenshotting the image area. Higher rendering DPI gives a larger source image that produces a sharper cutout.
Watch for PDF page background artifacts
Some PDF page backgrounds include subtle textures, watermarks, or gradients that show up after extraction. These are part of the PDF design but unwanted in the new context. Background removal cleans them up automatically — they go away with the rest of the background.
Respect image copyright when extracting from third-party PDFs
Extracting an image from a PDF you did not author has the same copyright implications as taking the image from anywhere else. The cutout step does not change those rights. Verify you have the right to use the image before incorporating it into a commercial deliverable.
More use-case guides for the same tool:
Other tools you might find useful:
Open Image Background Remover to review its free limits and processing method.
Open Image Background Remover →Free tier · No account needed · Transparent limits