How to delete pdf pages in preview

Want to delete pages from PDF on Mac? Sometimes this can be difficult. It used to be that you needed to convert those files to another editable format first before being able to delete them. But luckily, with the right PDF software, it doesn't need to be this tedious. You can comfortably remove pages from PDF on Mac including macOS 11 without having to go through conversion first, which is a lot less time-consuming.

Some of these PDF software programs are free. For instance, the built-in Preview software, will enable you to remove pages from PDFs on Mac hassle-free. But, if you want more value and are willing to pay a little more to get the best functionality, Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor is a great option to consider.

How to delete pdf pages in preview
How to delete pdf pages in preview

How to Remove Pages from PDF on Mac

PDFelement is a comprehensive solution for all your PDF needs. Once you have downloaded and installed this software, you are ready to go. Here are the steps to delete pages from pdf on a Mac using PDFelement.

1. Open PDF File

After successfully installing the software on your computer, click on "Open file" to import the PDF file you want to delete pages from.

How to delete pdf pages in preview

2. Enable "Organize Pages" Function

Click the "Organize Pages" button on the top-left corner. This will review the page managing tools. then "Delete". A prompt will appear where you can select a specific page or range of pages that you want to delete.

How to delete pdf pages in preview
How to delete pdf pages in preview

How to delete pdf pages in preview

3. "Delete" Pages from PDF on Mac

Select a single page or multiple pages at the same time. Once you have selected the page or range of pages to delete, click on "Delete" to remove the pages.

How to delete pdf pages in preview

4. Save

After deleting these pages, you can annotate, highlight, or make any changes you wish to the file. Once you're done, click on "File" > "Save" to ensure that you are able to keep all your changes.

How to delete pdf pages in preview

Don't let PDF documents stress you out. With PDFelement, you have the ideal solution for all your PDF needs. It's effective, efficient, and affordable!

PDFelement lets you delete pages from PDF without affecting the rest of your document. You can do this quickly and easily with just a few clicks. More than that, you can also insert, crop, split, rotate, or merge pages. There are several tools available to markup your PDF as well. You can add sticky notes, highlights, underlines, and strikethroughs for later review. It also allows you to convert documents from PDF to other formats and vice versa.

PDFelement is a great tool that lets you create outstanding PDF documents and forms quickly and securely - plus it's affordable! It has unique features such as:

When viewing or creating a PDF document on Mac, you may find some blank or useless pages in it. And to make your PDF look neater or keep the file size low, it is necessary to delete pages from PDF on Mac. However, it is a difficult thing to carry out if you don't have the right kind of software.

Given that, this post comes in handy. Here you will learn some easy and effective ways to remove pages from your PDFs on Mac. Now, let's dive into it!

How to Delete Pages from PDF on a Mac with Preview

You may use Preview to view and modify PDF files on your Mac. This app allows you to browse, markup, edit and merge PDF files right on your Mac. Also, like most Apple apps, you can easily share your documents with your other Apple devices to some other devices likewise. Another common feature of this software is the possibility of deleting the pages from PDF files.

Using this software, you are able to remove a single unnecessary page or delete multiple pages from PDF flexibly. If needed, you also can create bookmarks for your PDF document, so that the viewers can find the right information quickly.

How to delete PDF pages in Preview on Mac:

Step 1. Open the PDF that you want to modify with Preview.

Delete pages from PDF

Step 2. Click on the page that you want to delete in the sidebar on the left side of the screen. Then, click on "Edit" in the top menu bar.

Step 3. After that, click on "Delete" to dispose of the page(s) that you no longer need.

Step 4. If you want a faster method, click on the page to delete and press the "delete" key on your keyboard.

How to Remove Pages from PDF on Mac using Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat has been around for decades. It is one of the most reliable PDF editors on the market, and it's compatible with both Windows and macOS operating systems.

With this program, you can do various editing processes like change font size in PDF, change color, add annotations, highlight text, insert text, and much more. While speaking of deleting PDF pages on Mac, it will get the work done in seconds like below:

How to delete PDF pages on Mac with Adobe Reader:

Step 1. Open the PDF with Adobe Reader.

Step 2. Go to the toolbar panel on the right-hand side of the screen. Click on "Organize Pages."

Step 3. Click on the thumbnail of the individual pages that you want to delete and click on the "Trash can" icon that will appear on each thumbnail.

remove pages from PDF on Mac with Adobe

Step 4. Also, you can select the pages and click on "Delete" on the menu.

How to Delete a Page in PDF on Mac with Foxit Reader

Another good alternative to Preview is Foxit Reader. Like Adobe Reader, this PDF editing tool also allows you to do all sorts of editing to any PDF file, including inserting text/images/hyperlinks, adding bookmarks, managing PDF pages, etc. As speaking the PDF page managing feature, this software lets you add, split, reverse, extract and also delete pages in PDF on Mac without any hassle.

In addition, it can also come in handy when needing to increase the security of your files since you can create a password-protected file. Also, you can use Foxit Reader to create your very own digital signature and do some basic editing like removing pages from PDF.

How to delete a page in PDF on Mac with Foxit Reader:

Step 1. Launch Foxit Reader

Step 2. Click on "File" then "Open". Search for the PDF file that you want to edit, then double-click on it.

Step 3. Find the page that you want to delete. Press "Delete" on your keyboard.

Remove pdf pages on Mac using Foxit

How to Remove Pages from PDF in Windows

If you own a Windows computer, EaseUS PDF Editor is an excellent choice for software. Like its competition, this program can do pretty much everything you imagine when it comes to editing PDF files.

If you are just starting with computers and PDF files, fear not! Thanks to its simple and straightforward user interface, you can learn so much in so little time. This Windows PDF editor is packed with interesting surprises. For example, in addition to removing pages, adding passwords, creating fillable forms, or adding watermarks, you can also convert PDF to PPT, images, or other file formats or vice versa! 

Lastly, you can reduce the file of your PDF in order to send it in an email, etc. Just install it on your computer and start discovering its unique features and tools.

Step 1. Install and launch this program on your computer, and next, click on "Open Files" to import the PDF document.

Import PDF file

Step 2. Click on "Pages" in the top toolbar. After that, choose "Pages" in the left-hand sidebar to open the page thumbnails. Here you can enlarge or reduce the thumbnails based on your needs.

Open page thumbnails

Step 3. Drag the process bar to choose the blank pages that you want to delete. Once selected, right-click on the thumbnail and choose "Delete Pages…".

Delete blank pages

Step 4. Repeat step 3 until you remove all the blank pages you want to delete in your PDF. At last, don't forget to save your changed PDF file.

The Bottom Line

On this page, we have mainly talked about the methods to remove pages from PDF on Mac. Also, we offer one solution for Windows users to do the task at the same time. Whether you are a Mac or Windows user, we hope you can get help from this post.

Whether you are a Mac or Windows user, you always can get help from this post to delete the useless pages in your PDF documents. 

FAQs About Deleting PDF Pages on Mac

Here are some frequently asked queations related to deleting PDF pages. Have a look at them to find an answer.

1. Why can't delete pdf pages in Preview?

If the Preview is not working when deleting PDF pages on Mac, you can check the following solutions to fix it:

Scene One: The Thumbnails are hidden

If you cannot see the thumbnails, you also cannot select and delete these pages from your PDF.

Step 1. Check if there is no sidebar to display thumbnails.

Step 2. If yes, click View > Thumbnails. Once done, you will find the thumbnails listed on the left sidebar.

Scene Two: The Preview is not updated to the latest.

Step 1. Click Preview > About Preview to check if it is the latest version.

Step 2. If not, you can go to the App Store to update.

2. How do I delete multiple pages of a PDF on Mac?

For deleting multiple pages of a PDF on Mac, the operation is similar to removing one single page. The only difference is that you need to select more than one page at the same time. Let's take Preview as an example: Hold down the Command key to select the multiple pages within the sidebar, then press the Command key and delete them simultaneously.

3. How do I delete a page from a PDF without Acrobat?

Apart from Acrobat, there are lots of other PDF software that enable you to delete a page from PDF, like Preview, EaseUS PDF Editor, Foxit, Nitro PDF, etc. You can select the right one based on your needs.

4. Is there a free way to delete pages from a PDF?

Of course yes. Preview is a freeware that helps you delete pages from a PDF. Keep in mind that it is completely free for any version.

How do I remove a page from Preview?

How to Delete Pages from PDFs in Preview (Mac).
Open the PDF in Preview..
Press the View menu button..
Press Thumbnails..
Select the thumbnail of the page you want to delete. (To delete more than one page: Hold the Command key while clicking each page)..
Press the Delete key on the keyboard (or press Edit > Delete)..

Why can't i delete pages in Preview Mac?

The answer is NO! Deleting pages is one part of Adobe's PDF editing feature, which requires a paid subscription from users. If you want to delete PDF pages in Adobe, you need to buy its Adobe Acrobat.

Why can't I delete pages from PDF?

To delete pages from a PDF, ensure you have permission to edit the PDF. To check in Acrobat, choose File > Properties, and then click the Security tab. Review the Document Restrictions Summary.

How do I quickly delete pages from a PDF?

Choose “Tools” > “Organize Pages.” Or, select “Organize Pages” from the right pane. Select pages to delete: Click the page thumbnail of any page or pages you want to delete, then click the “Delete” icon to remove the page or pages from the file.