How to Split a PDF into Parts

Sometimes a PDF is too long to send in one piece: an email limit, a portal that takes only a few pages at a time, or a document you want to share in sections. This guide shows how to cut a PDF into parts with PaperDesk, how to name the parts, and how to join them again if you need to.

How the Tool Works

Split PDF creates one new PDF from the pages you type. It does not make many files in one click. To split a document into parts, you run it once for each part.

Step 1: Decide Where to Cut

Open the PDF and write down the page ranges. For a 40-page file, three parts could be 1-15, 16-30 and 31-40. Cut at chapter ends or section breaks so each part makes sense on its own.

Step 2: Create Each Part

Open Split PDF and choose your PDF.
Type the first range, for example 1-15, and click “Split PDF”.
The browser downloads paperdesk-split.pdf. Rename it right away, for example “part-1.pdf”.
Type the next range and repeat. Each download gets a new name such as “paperdesk-split (1).pdf”, so rename each part to avoid confusion.

My Test

I tested the tool with a 4-page practice PDF of 6,789.4 KB. I typed page 3 and downloaded the result. The new file was 1,697 KB, about a quarter of the original, because it held one page out of four. Pages are copied as they are, so a part is always smaller than the whole file.

How to Write the Ranges

5 gives only page 5.
1-15 gives pages 1 to 15.
1, 3, 5-7 gives pages 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7.

Step 3: Check Each Part

Open every part and check the first and last page.
Make sure no page is missing or repeated between parts.
Check each size against your limit. If a part is still large, use Compress PDF.

Joining the Parts Again

If the person receiving the parts wants one file, join them with Merge PDF. Files are joined in the order shown in the list, so add part 1 first. On a phone, follow our guide on merging PDF files on Android and iPhone.

Common Problems

Invalid page error. A number is zero, higher than the total pages, or not written correctly.
The file will not open. It may be password-protected. Remove the password first.
Original changed? No. The tool never changes your original file.