Deleting unnecessary pages from a PDF is very helpful when you don’t need them. Whether it’s an old report with outdated data, a lengthy manual with irrelevant sections, or a PDF document with blank pages, removing pages from a PDF is pretty handy. For example, I recently downloaded an important report that contained a lot of pages with irrelevant images and blanks. By deleting all those unnecessary pages, I made the report more readable and reduced the overall file size. If you need to do the same, this tutorial will show you two methods to delete pages from a PDF document for free. Let’s get started.
Delete Pages from PDF Using Windows Print Dialog
The print dialog in Windows allows you to delete specific pages from a PDF file and save it as a new PDF document. Here’s how:
- Right-click on the PDF file.
- Select Open with > Microsoft Edge.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + P.
- Select Microsoft Print to PDF in the “Printer” dropdown.
- Select Custom Rage in the “Pages” dropdown.
- Enter the page numbers and page ranges you want to keep in the “Page Range” field.
- Click Print.
- Go to a folder, enter a name in the File name field, and click Save.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, right-click on the PDF file, select Open With, and then Microsoft Edge. This will open the PDF file in the Edge browser.
Once the PDF opens in the Edge browser, press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the system’s print dialog.
Note: Clicking the “Print” icon on the top bar or pressing the “Ctrl + P” shortcut opens Edge’s print dialog. While this is fine, it’s better to use the Windows print dialog instead, for consistency.
In the print dialog, select Microsoft Print to PDF as your “Printer.” Select Portrait as the “Orientation.”
In the “Pages” section, select Custom Range. In the “Page Range” field, enter the page numbers and ranges you want to keep. For example, if you have a 20-page PDF and want to remove pages 2, 5, 10, 11, and 12, you would enter: 1, 3-4, 6-9, 13-20.
Click the Print button.
Navigate to a folder where you want to save the file, enter a name in the “File name” field, and click Save.
That’s it. You’ve removed pages from the PDF file and saved it as a new PDF file.
Delete Pages from PDF Using Free PDF Editor
You can also use a PDF editor to delete pages from a PDF document. Below, I will show you how to use Smallpdf, a free PDF editor, to remove unnecessary pages from a PDF file.
Important note: You need administrator rights to install Smallpdf.
First, download the Smallpdf Windows installer from the official support page.
After downloading, double-click the installer file and follow the on-screen instructions to install Smallpdf.
Now, press the Start button, search for Smallpdf, and click on it to open the installed application.
Either drag and drop the PDF file onto the Smallpdf window or click the Plus (+) icon, select the PDF file, and click Open. This will open the PDF file in Smallpdf.
On the left side of the Smallpdf window, you will see thumbnails of all pages. Go to the page you want to delete, mouse over the thumbnail, and click the Delete icon. This action will instantly delete the page from your PDF file. Do this for all the pages you want to delete.
Note: If you don’t see page thumbnails, click the Thumbnails icon in the command bar.
After deleting all the unnecessary pages, click the More options icon (three vertical dots) in the top-right corner and select the Save file as option.
Navigate to a folder of your choice, enter a name in the “File name” field, and click Save. This action saves all the changes to a new PDF file. That way, you’ll have both the original and edited PDF documents.
Wrapping Up — Removing Pages from PDF in Windows for Free
As you can see, whether you use the Windows Print dialog or a PDF editor like Smallpdf, removing or deleting unnecessary pages from a PDF is easier than you think. For most users, the Print dialog method gets the job done efficiently and is personally my recommended method. However, if you have many pages to delete or are looking for a simpler solution, the Smallpdf method is a great alternative.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
