Scanned PDF pages as images: a review-first workflow with Skavio File Toolbox
Skavio File Toolbox converts PDF pages to PNG or JPG, with multi-page image results delivered as a ZIP. For scanned paperwork, that creates a separate set of page images to inspect and share for review. The purpose is straightforward: check completeness and legibility before relying on the document—not assume that conversion has repaired the scan.
A different review format—not OCR
An image-only scanned PDF contains pictures of text. Exporting its pages as PNG or JPG produces image files; it does not turn the words into selectable, searchable text. That is the role of optical character recognition, or OCR. Image export is useful when the next person or process needs individual page images. It is not a prerequisite for quality review: you can also inspect the PDF directly. Choose the deliverable that suits the handoff, while keeping the source PDF available for comparison.
Choose PNG or JPG with the review task in mind
PNG is a sensible starting point for detailed visual inspection because the format uses lossless compression. That does not mean the entire PDF-to-PNG conversion is lossless, nor does it promise a particular resolution or level of detail. JPG is another supported output. Common JPEG compression is lossy, so clarity depends on encoding and compression. If a receiving workflow requires JPG, inspect small text, faint marks and fine table lines in the resulting files rather than assuming they will look identical to the source.
Convert, unpack and compare the pages
Use [Skavio File Toolbox](https://www.skavio.eu/convert/) on the web for PDF-to-PNG or PDF-to-JPG conversion. For a multi-page result, download and unpack the ZIP before reviewing the images. Standard conversions run on Skavio infrastructure; accessing the tool through a browser does not mean processing takes place on your device.
- Keep an unchanged copy of the source PDF as the comparison reference.
- Compare the exported image count with the PDF page count, then check the page sequence against the source.
- Look for missing or duplicated content rather than relying on file count alone.
- Record each issue with its source PDF page number and a short description.
Inspect the scan—not just whether the image opens
A file that opens successfully can still contain an incomplete or unreadable page. The Library of Congress’s digital-image review guidance provides a practical checklist: completeness, focus, cropping, orientation, skew and brightness. Compare any questionable export with the source PDF. If the same problem is present there, changing the output format should not be treated as a repair. Where available, check the original paperwork to help determine whether another scan is needed.
- Completeness: are all expected pages and document sections present?
- Edges: are page numbers, totals, signatures or marginal notes cut off?
- Legibility: can you read small print, faint entries and handwritten additions?
- Orientation and skew: is the page upright and positioned for reliable reading?
- Brightness: are light marks disappearing, or dark areas obscuring content?
Understand the conversion’s credit basis
Under Skavio’s canonical Pricing V2, file conversion uses the larger of two calculations per source: 2 credits per started 25 MB, or 2 credits per started 10 PDF pages. The minimum is 2 credits. File Toolbox and the Processing API use the same shared company wallet. Keep this conversion step distinct from any later OCR or structured extraction. Its deliverable is a set of page images for review, not searchable text or a verified spreadsheet.