A 651 KB, three-page statement split into one file per page came out as 23 KB, 640 KB and 18 KB. Almost all of the weight sat on page 2, a full-page photo. That is worth knowing when a PDF is too big to send: splitting it shows you which page is the heavy one. The three parts took about a second, and each is named after the original plus its page numbers, so benchmo-sample-en.pdf became benchmo-sample-en-1.pdf, -2.pdf and -3.pdf. With more than one part, “Download all 3 as ZIP” saves them in one go.
Which option to pick
- One file per page when every page is a document of its own: a batch of scanned receipts, a set of certificates, forms that each go to a different person.
- Custom parts when the PDF holds several documents back to back, such as chapters or a run of invoices. Type
1-3, 4, 5-8and you get three files. - Selected pages when you want a few pages out of many, like the signature page of a contract. Whatever you tick becomes one PDF, always in the original page order, even if you ticked page 7 before page 2.
If it is easier to name the pages you want to throw away, Delete PDF pages does the opposite job and keeps everything else.
Typing page ranges
Each comma in the Parts box starts a new file. A range left open at the end, such as 9-, runs to the last page, and a backwards range like 8-5 is read as pages 5 to 8. A number past the end is not silently dropped: the line under the box turns red and says how many pages the PDF has. The button label counts the files before you press it, so “Create 3 files” is a quick check that you typed what you meant.
What stays the same
Pages are copied into the new files as they are. Text can still be selected and searched, and photos are not recompressed, which also means a page with a large photo stays large after splitting. To shrink a heavy part, try Compress PDF, which works on photos stored as JPEG. To put parts back together later, use Merge PDF.