---
title: "PDF-to-image server-side conversion | Nutrient"
canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/conversion/pdf-to-image/"
md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/conversion/pdf-to-image.md"
last_updated: "2026-05-22T14:49:21.611Z"
description: "To convert a PDF file to an image, send a multipart request to the /api/build API endpoint, including both the source document."
---

# Convert PDF to image

To convert a PDF file to an image, send a multipart request to the [`/api/build` API endpoint](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#tag/Document-Editing/operation/build-document), including both the source document and the [`instructions` JSON](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#model/BuildInstructions). In response, you’ll receive a ZIP archive containing all of the document’s pages as images.

Rendering a document requires you to provide dimensions for the rendered pages via a [`width`, `height`, or `dpi` option](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#tag/Build-API#output).

Only one option — `width`, `height`, or `dpi` — can be chosen. Other dimensions are calculated before rendering, so as to preserve the page aspect ratio of the rendered image.

The format of the rendered images can be controlled via a [`format` option](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#tag/Build-API#output). Supported image formats are PNG, JPEG, WebP, and TIFF.

- Ensure [Document Engine is up and running](https://www.nutrient.io/sdk/document-engine/getting-started.md).

- Send a [multipart POST request](https://www.baeldung.com/postman-form-data-raw-x-www-form-urlencoded) with [instructions](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#tag/Build-API) to Document Engine’s `/api/build` endpoint.

For more information, refer to the [API reference](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#tag/Build-API) to learn about the `/api/build` endpoint and all the actions you can perform on PDFs with Document Engine.

For an overview of multipart requests, refer to the [brief tour of multipart requests](https://www.nutrient.io/blog/a-brief-tour-of-multipart-requests/) blog post.









## Converting a PDF File on Disk to an Image

Send a multipart request to the [`/api/build` endpoint](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#tag/Document-Editing/operation/build-document), attaching an input file and the [`instructions` JSON](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#model/BuildInstructions):

### SHELL

```shell

curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/build \
  -H "Authorization: Token token=<API token>" \
  -F document=@/path/to/example-document.pdf \
  -F instructions='{
  "parts": [
    {
      "file": "document"
    }
  ],
  "output": {
    "type": "image",
    "format": "png",
    "pages": {
      "start": 0,
      "end": 2
    }
  }
}' \
  -o result.zip

```

### HTTP

```http

POST /api/build HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=customboundary
Authorization: Token token=<API token>

--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="document"; filename="example-document.pdf"
Content-Type: application/pdf

<PDF data>
--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="instructions"
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "parts": [
    {
      "file": "document"
    }
  ],
  "output": {
    "type": "image",
    "format": "png",
    "pages": {
      "start": 0,
      "end": 2
    }
  }
}
--customboundary--

```

## Converting a PDF File from a URL to an Image

Send a multipart request to the [`/api/build` endpoint](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#tag/Document-Editing/operation/build-document), attaching a URL pointing to an input file and the [`instructions` JSON](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#model/BuildInstructions):

### SHELL

```shell

curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/build \
  -H "Authorization: Token token=<API token>" \
  -F instructions='{
  "parts": [
    {
      "file": {
        "url": "https://pspdfkit.com/downloads/examples/paper.pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "output": {
    "type": "image",
    "format": "png",
    "pages": {
      "start": 1,
      "end": 1
    }
  }
}' \
  -o output-image.png

```

### HTTP

```http

POST /api/build HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=customboundary
Authorization: Token token=<API token>

--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="instructions"
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "parts": [
    {
      "file": {
        "url": "https://pspdfkit.com/downloads/examples/paper.pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "output": {
    "type": "image",
    "format": "png",
    "pages": {
      "start": 1,
      "end": 1
    }
  }
}
--customboundary--

```
---

## Related pages

- [Convert CAD files to PDF](/guides/document-engine/conversion/cad-to-pdf.md)
- [Convert image files to PDF](/guides/document-engine/conversion/image-to-pdf.md)
- [PDF and document conversion server](/guides/document-engine/conversion.md)
- [Convert HTML to PDF](/guides/document-engine/conversion/html-to-pdf.md)
- [Convert MS Office documents to image files](/guides/document-engine/conversion/office-to-image.md)
- [PDF to Excel](/guides/document-engine/conversion/pdf-to-excel.md)
- [Convert PDF to Office](/guides/document-engine/conversion/pdf-to-office.md)
- [Easily convert documents to PDF/A formats](/guides/document-engine/conversion/to-pdfa.md)
- [Convert Office files to PDF](/guides/document-engine/conversion/office-to-pdf.md)
- [Convert text files to PDF](/guides/document-engine/conversion/text-to-pdf.md)
- [Convert PDFs to PDF/UA-1](/guides/document-engine/conversion/to-pdfua.md)