Open an image in Photoshop from a pdf with Acrobat Pro

Open an image in Photoshop from a pdf with Acrobat Pro

This is a guide to explain how to open an image in Photoshop from a pdf with Acrobat Pro. There is a really simple and easy way to do this that I stumbled across and I wanted to share this.

Many a time I have had a client send me a PDF and wanted an image changing in it and I’ve recreated the PDF or opened the whole PDF in illustrator etc – now I realise there is a quicker way. You can also use this method to darken, lighten or edit an image in any way in Photoshop from a PDF without having to have the original files. You can also check the resolution of the image in the PDF this way (I will explain in another blog how to check image resolution using Acrobat Pro).

This is so simple and straightforward I thought it was worth sharing, so here goes:

Here’s how to open an image in Photoshop from a pdf with Acrobat Pro

STEP 1
Open Acrobat Pro and open your file. To do this go to ‘File’ in the top navigation bar and select ‘Open’ from the list.

Then navigate to the PDF and click ‘Open’ in the bottom right hand corner of the pop-up box.

STEP 2
With the PDF open select ‘Edit’ from the right hand tool bar.

Now you are in edit mode – shown in at the top of your PDF in Acrobat Pro.

STEP 3
Whilst in edit mode in Acrobat Pro right click into the image you want to open in Photoshop. Go to ‘Edit Using’ in the list and then click on ‘Adobe Photoshop’.

Now your image will open automatically in Photoshop.

STEP 4
Edit, swap and change the image as much as you like in Photoshop.

Then save the image. Go to ‘File’ in the top navigation menu and choose ‘Save’ from the drop down list.

The image automatically updates in the PDF.

And your done.

Extra info
If you want to use Photoshop to check your resolution. With the image open in Photoshop go to ‘Image’ from the top navigation menu in Photoshop and select ‘Image Size…’

Then the resolution is shown on the right towards the bottom.

You can also see if your image is RGB or CMYK in the bar at the top of the image next to the image name.

I hope thats a useful tip. Thanks for reading.

Written by Donna Hocking, graphic designer and creative artworker. If you are a designer / agency in need of support or a business looking for someone to create your print & web materials get in touch I’d love to hear from you. You can also read more about what services I provide here.