How to remove pages from PDF: Check my easy guide + tips

Once, I got to work with around 11 PDFs, each with 300-600 pages. So, I needed to get rid of some of them. So, I couldn’t imagine doing this manually, and I had no clue how to delete pages from a PDF fast. Although it was a time-consuming job, it prepared me to deal with such projects in the future. I learned how to delete PDF pages in Mac’s native Preview app and some awesome tools.

I’m putting all my findings here in this guide. But before that, check out this table:

Delete pages from PDF quickly

No doubt, there is the Preview app on Mac. Using this native Mac app, you can easily edit PDFs and delete pages from your files. But I often work with password-protected PDFs, and Preview doesn’t work with such files.

So, Nitro PDF Pro has always been my first choice, not just for deleting PDF pages but for any kind of PDF editing — and for good reason. This complete PDF editing suite can quickly remove unwanted pages from PDFs of any size. Plus, you can annotate, merge, convert, protect, and do much more with your PDF files.

To delete pages from PDF:

1. Install and open Nitro PDF Pro.
2. Open your PDF.
3. Click View > Thumbnails and select a page thumbnail.
4. Right-click > Delete.

Remove pages from a PDF with Preview

The Preview app also allows you to cut out a part of a PDF. No need to install anything, and even beginners can use it to delete unwanted pages.

It’s as simple as below:

1. Open PDF in Preview.
2. Click View > Thumbnails.
3. Click on the page in the thumbnails.
4. Press delete on the keyboard.

Delete pages from a PDF using Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat Pro is a popular PDF editor tool for professionals that deletes PDF pages, too. 

Here is how to do this:

1. Open the PDF with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2. Click Edit for the app’s toolbar > Organize pages.
3. Select the pages and click the delete button.
4. Click OK to confirm.

Source: helpx.adobe.com

By the way, if you need to create one PDF from a few, check out the best tips on how to combine PDF files.

Remove pages from a PDF using Chrome or Safari

If you don’t have a dedicated PDF editor, you can use Safari or Chrome for cutting out PDF pages. 

Using Safari

Here’s how to remove pages from a PDF using Safari:

1. Open PDF in Safari.
2. Press Command + P to open the Print dialog.
3. Select pages from the sidebar to remove.
4. Choose Save as PDF > Save.

Using Chrome

Here’s how to delete pages from a PDF in Chrome:

1. Open PDF in Chrome.
2. Press Command + P to open the Print dialog.
3. Select Custom next to Pages.
4. Select pages (1,3,7,..) to keep under Pages.
5. Click Save.

While this method to remove pages from a PDF can be convenient, it isn’t useful for PDFs containing links. Clickable hyperlinks will no longer work in the resulting PDF you saved after deleting pages using a web browser.

Why can't I delete pages from my PDF?

When a PDF document is password protected or has restrictions, deleting pages from it becomes difficult, especially with basic tools. Mac's built-in app Preview cannot remove password protections on a PDF and restrict you from editing it. 

However, you can delete pages using the print dialog in browsers, but it will remove hyperlinks from pages you want to save. It is better to check the document restriction summary before trying any attempt with regular tools. 

Here is how to do it:

1. Open the PDF in Preview.
2. Click File in the menu bar > Show Properties.
3. Under the Security section, check for any restrictions (e.g., Printing: Allowed or "Content Copying: Not Allowed).

If a PDF is password-protected or has restrictions (like preventing page deletion), Preview cannot remove these protections. You’ll need a dedicated PDF editor like Nitro PDF Pro or another third-party tool that supports unlocking restricted PDFs.

How to remove pages from PDF [Resolved]

I hope you are now able to delete PDF pages on Mac with browser, Preview, and Adobe Acrobat. But, using a professional PDF editor like Nitro PDF Pro is one of the best options to delete pages from a PDF document. 

If you find documents too big to share, then go for PDF Squeezer to compress the file quickly. If you accidentally delete something important, Disk Drill is there to recover deleted or lost PDF files in no time. I suggest you back up things with Get Backup Pro before you delete pages from the PDF for the safe side. 

You know what? Using Get Backup Pro, Nitro PDF Pro, PDF Squeezer, and Disk Drill is free for a 7-day trial of Setapp. This platform offers more than 250 Mac and iOS apps, saving you time and increasing productivity. Try it at no cost!