How to remove too many images in a PDF with one click? A method to batch remove images by page range

When a PDF has too many images and the file size is large, deleting them page by page creates a lot of repetitive work. This article explains how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch import multiple PDFs and remove images by all pages, first few pages, last few pages, odd pages, even pages, or custom page numbers. The article uses before-and-after screenshots to illustrate the actual results, and also introduces how to choose between deleting all images and deleting fixed images, the risks of scanned PDFs, the causes of blank areas, and key points for spot-checking the results, helping users efficiently create text-only PDFs.

Not every page of a PDF needs image cleanup. For example, a batch of training materials may only have promotional images on the cover, a double-sided manual may place illustrations only on odd pages, and some reports may only require removing photos from the appendix section. If you do not distinguish page ranges and directly edit page by page, a great deal of repetitive work will result; if you blindly delete images from all pages, you may also affect charts and diagrams that should be retained.

For such needs, you can use the office software HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to create a batch processing task. It can not only import multiple PDFs at once, but also set the scope to all pages, the first few pages, the last few pages, odd pages, even pages, or a custom range before deleting images. This article will focus on "batch clearing PDF images by page range," explain the complete process from selecting the tool and adding files to setting the save location, and introduce how to choose between deleting all images and deleting fixed images.

1. What is the value of deleting PDF images by page range

Traditional PDF editing methods usually revolve around a single file. Users need to open the document, find the target page, select the image, delete it, save it, and then continue processing the next file. This workflow is not a major problem when the number of files is small, but when dealing with dozens or even hundreds of PDFs, three obvious issues emerge:

1. Many repetitive operations: the same deletion rules need to be executed again in each file.
2. Pages are easily missed: when there are many pages, it is difficult to ensure that all target pages have been checked.
3. File version confusion: frequent saving and overwriting may cause source files, temporary files, and result files to become mixed together.

The idea behind batch processing is to first determine the rules and then apply the rules to multiple files. If images are concentrated only on specific page numbers, the processing scope can also be limited, thereby reducing the possibility of unrelated pages being modified. For archiving materials, print preprocessing, image desensitization, and producing text-only versions, this approach is more suitable for standardized office workflows.

2. Applicable scenarios

• Delete only PDF cover images: batch clean cover images or promotional images at the front of multiple reports.
• Clean only photos at the end of documents: delete images near appendices, case displays, or back covers.
• Process odd or even pages: suitable for manuals and textbooks where images appear according to a single-page or double-page pattern.
• Remove images from specified page numbers: process only known pages to avoid affecting other content.
• Keep only text in the entire PDF: perform deletion of all images on all pages.
• Batch remove the same material: when the same logo or fixed illustration appears in multiple PDFs, switch to fixed-image deletion mode instead.

Before starting, confirm whether the images are independent objects or scanned page content. Scanned PDFs may combine text and images into full-page images; if the images are removed, the text content may also disappear.

3. Comparison of effects before and after processing

Before processing: text and illustrations exist at the same time

The PDF page before processing contains a title, body text, page number, and an illustration. The red arrow in the image below marks the image area that needs to be removed.

If the image appears repeatedly in multiple long PDFs, relying on manually scrolling through pages to find it will be very time-consuming. In particular, the document in the screenshot example has many pages, and manual location will further increase the workload.

After processing: the illustration disappears, and the page text is retained

After deletion is completed, the original illustration is no longer displayed, while the title, body text, and page number are still visible.

Blank space appearing at the image position is a common result for fixed-layout PDFs. The software performs image content removal, not re-layout, so it does not automatically move the text below to the original position of the image. If the user's goal is to preserve the original page numbers and page size, this kind of result actually helps maintain the correspondence between pages before and after.

4. Steps for batch clearing PDF images by page range

Step 1: Open the PDF image deletion function

After entering HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , click "PDF Tools" in the function categories on the left. Find "Delete images in PDF" in the tool list and enter it.

The function card clearly states that it can batch delete all images or fixed images in PDF files, so it is suitable both for removing images from an entire document and for cleaning up a specific repeated material. Choosing the correct entry can help avoid mistakenly using other functions such as deleting pages or removing watermarks.

Step 2: Create a PDF batch file list

After entering the task page, first complete "Select records to process." If the files to be processed are scattered in different locations, click "Add Files"; if the files are already concentrated in one directory, use "Import Files from Folder."

After import, the files will appear in the list. The screenshot shows that there are currently 4 PDFs, and the interface displays the name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time at the same time. Completing the addition does not mean you can start processing immediately; you should also first check:

• Whether the list contains irrelevant PDFs;
• Whether any files that need to be processed are missing;
• Whether the file paths point to the correct versions;
• Whether the extension is indeed pdf;
• Whether the source files have been backed up.

The record operations on the right can be used to remove incorrectly added items, and the interface also provides filtering and sorting entries to help organize the list when there are many files. After confirmation, click "Next."

Step 3: Select the page range for image removal

After entering "Set processing options," first you will see "Processing range." This is the most critical step when deleting PDF images by page number.

Each option can be understood in combination with actual needs:

• All pages: scan all pages of the entire PDF, suitable for producing a text-only version.
• The first few pages: suitable for cleaning images near the cover, title page, and table of contents.
• The last few pages: suitable for processing photos in appendices, back covers, or at the end of documents.
• Odd pages: perform image deletion only on odd pages, suitable for materials where images are arranged according to a single-page or double-page pattern.
• Even pages: process only even pages, leaving other pages unchanged.
• Custom: when the target page numbers are known and have no continuous pattern, set the specified range according to the interface prompts.

When batch processing multiple files, you need to consider whether the page counts of the PDFs are consistent. For example, choosing "the first few pages" is usually easier to understand uniformly, while custom page numbers may correspond to different content in files with significantly different layouts. To avoid accidental deletion, it is recommended to place PDFs with the same layout in the same batch and process files with different layouts separately.

Step 4: Determine the image removal type

Below the processing range is "Operation type," which includes "Delete all images" and "Delete fixed images." If none of the images on the selected pages are needed, choose "Delete all images"; if you only want to clean up a specific logo, decorative image, or repeated material while keeping other images, choose "Delete fixed images."

In the screenshot, "Delete all images" is selected. This setting is suitable for converting the target pages into versions without images. If you switch to fixed images instead, continue completing the settings related to the target image according to the prompts on the software's current interface. Do not understand "fixed images" as fixed pages; the two refer to the processing object and the page range respectively.

Step 5: Consider enhanced mode based on test results

The options page also displays an "Enhanced mode" switch and a help entry. Different PDFs may be generated by browsers, layout software, scanning devices, or business systems, and their internal structures are not exactly the same. If regular processing fails to remove the expected images, read the help first and test enhanced mode on a copy of the file.

It is not recommended to try repeatedly on all files from the beginning. A more reliable method is to select one ordinary PDF and one PDF with a complex structure as samples, confirm that the options are effective, and then expand the task scope.

Step 6: Set the save location

After confirming the processing options, click "Next." From the workflow at the top of the page, you can see that the third stage is "Set save location." It is recommended to output to an independent folder rather than placing the results in the same directory as the original PDFs. The folder name can include the task purpose or date for easier follow-up.

Saving results separately has three benefits: first, it protects the original files; second, it facilitates before-and-after comparison; third, if the page range setting is wrong, you can directly re-execute the task. For files that need to be delivered to clients or colleagues, you can also copy them to the official delivery directory after confirming the results.

Step 7: Start processing and verify the output

After completing the save settings, enter the "Start processing" stage and execute the task according to the interface prompts. The software will apply the same rules to the PDFs in the file list, reducing the time spent repeating settings document by document.

After processing is complete, open several output PDFs separately and check the front, middle, and end pages. If odd or even pages were set, also compare adjacent pages to confirm that only the target page type has changed; if a custom range was used, focus on checking the boundary pages of the range.

5. How to choose the most suitable processing solution

Solution 1: All pages plus delete all images

Suitable for cases where the entire PDF should retain only text, page numbers, and other non-image content. The advantage is simple setup; the risk is that scanned pages or important charts may also be removed.

Solution 2: Specified range plus delete all images

Suitable for cleaning all images only from the cover, last pages, odd pages, even pages, or specific page numbers. It is more targeted than deleting from the entire document and is suitable for PDFs with clearly predictable image distribution.

Solution 3: All pages plus delete fixed images

Suitable for cases where the target logo or repeated illustration may appear anywhere in the document. When other normal images need to be retained, this combination can be considered first.

Solution 4: Specified range plus delete fixed images

This is the most precise approach, suitable for documents where the target image is known to appear only on specific page numbers. Before setting it up, ensure that the PDF layouts within the batch are relatively consistent.

6. Common questions and precautions

1. Will deleting images also delete text

If the text is independent text, it can usually be retained; if the text itself is located within a scanned image, it will also disappear after the image is deleted. You can try selecting the text in a PDF reader to help determine whether it is scanned content, but final confirmation should still be done through sample processing.

2. Why are there many blank areas in the processed PDF

This is because after the images are removed, the page layout does not reflow. Unlike Word, docx, doc, and other reflowable documents, deleting objects in a PDF usually does not automatically change the position of other elements.

3. Can multiple PDFs with different page counts be processed together

Yes, a batch task can be created, but the page range must be applicable to these files. If custom page numbers are used and the file structures differ greatly, it is recommended to process them in groups by layout or page count.

4. Can the source files be directly overwritten

For data safety, it is not recommended to overwrite the only original copy. If a batch task is set incorrectly, multiple files will be affected at the same time. Using an independent output directory and retaining the source files is a more reliable office habit.

5. Which is faster, deleting all images or fixed images

The choice should be based on content requirements, not simply on speed. Choose the former when all images are unnecessary, and choose the latter when only a specific repeated material needs to be cleaned up. A wrong choice will increase rework costs.

6. How many files should be checked after processing

When there are very few files, all of them can be checked; when there are many files, at least spot-check PDFs from different sources, different page counts, different templates, and different generation methods. For important materials, it is recommended to increase the sampling ratio.

7. Summary

Batch clearing of PDF images does not mean that the entire document must be processed. With HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can first import multiple PDFs at once, then limit the scope by all pages, the first few pages, the last few pages, odd pages, even pages, or custom page numbers, and finally choose to delete all images or delete fixed images.

In actual operation, it is recommended to follow the order of "back up first, then test, and finally batch process": first keep the original PDFs, then use a small number of samples to verify the page range and image type, and process the complete file set only after confirming that the results meet expectations. This way, the office software can deliver the value of batch processing files and reducing repetitive work, while also lowering the risk of mistakenly deleting important illustrations and scanned text.