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Extract and save page images, figures, and tables from PDFs with customizable resolution.

Overview

This example demonstrates:
  • Generating page images during conversion
  • Extracting figure and table images
  • Saving images as PNG files
  • Exporting Markdown with embedded or referenced images
  • Exporting HTML with image references

Enable Image Generation

export_figures.py
from pathlib import Path
from docling_core.types.doc import ImageRefMode, PictureItem, TableItem
from docling.datamodel.base_models import InputFormat
from docling.datamodel.pipeline_options import PdfPipelineOptions
from docling.document_converter import DocumentConverter, PdfFormatOption

IMAGE_RESOLUTION_SCALE = 2.0

input_doc_path = Path("tests/data/pdf/2206.01062.pdf")
output_dir = Path("scratch")

# Configure pipeline to generate images
pipeline_options = PdfPipelineOptions()
pipeline_options.images_scale = IMAGE_RESOLUTION_SCALE  # scale=1 ~ 72 DPI
pipeline_options.generate_page_images = True
pipeline_options.generate_picture_images = True

doc_converter = DocumentConverter(
    format_options={
        InputFormat.PDF: PdfFormatOption(pipeline_options=pipeline_options)
    }
)

conv_res = doc_converter.convert(input_doc_path)
output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
images_scale=1.0 corresponds to 72 DPI. Increase the scale for higher resolution images.

Export Page Images

1

Iterate Through Pages

Loop through document pages and access page images.
2

Save as PNG

Write each page image to disk.
doc_filename = conv_res.input.file.stem

# Save page images
for page_no, page in conv_res.document.pages.items():
    page_image_filename = output_dir / f"{doc_filename}-{page_no}.png"
    with page_image_filename.open("wb") as fp:
        page.image.pil_image.save(fp, format="PNG")

Export Figure and Table Images

table_counter = 0
picture_counter = 0

for element, _level in conv_res.document.iterate_items():
    if isinstance(element, TableItem):
        table_counter += 1
        element_image_filename = (
            output_dir / f"{doc_filename}-table-{table_counter}.png"
        )
        with element_image_filename.open("wb") as fp:
            element.get_image(conv_res.document).save(fp, "PNG")
    
    if isinstance(element, PictureItem):
        picture_counter += 1
        element_image_filename = (
            output_dir / f"{doc_filename}-picture-{picture_counter}.png"
        )
        with element_image_filename.open("wb") as fp:
            element.get_image(conv_res.document).save(fp, "PNG")

Export Markdown with Images

from docling_core.types.doc import ImageRefMode

md_filename = output_dir / f"{doc_filename}-with-images.md"
conv_res.document.save_as_markdown(
    md_filename,
    image_mode=ImageRefMode.EMBEDDED
)

Image Modes

Docling supports three image reference modes:
  • EMBEDDED: Images are base64-encoded and embedded directly in the output
  • REFERENCED: Images are saved to disk and referenced by file path
  • PLACEHOLDER: Images are replaced with placeholder text

Complete Example

from pathlib import Path
from docling_core.types.doc import ImageRefMode, PictureItem, TableItem
from docling.datamodel.base_models import InputFormat
from docling.datamodel.pipeline_options import PdfPipelineOptions
from docling.document_converter import DocumentConverter, PdfFormatOption

IMAGE_RESOLUTION_SCALE = 2.0
input_doc_path = Path("document.pdf")
output_dir = Path("scratch")

pipeline_options = PdfPipelineOptions()
pipeline_options.images_scale = IMAGE_RESOLUTION_SCALE
pipeline_options.generate_page_images = True
pipeline_options.generate_picture_images = True

doc_converter = DocumentConverter(
    format_options={
        InputFormat.PDF: PdfFormatOption(pipeline_options=pipeline_options)
    }
)

conv_res = doc_converter.convert(input_doc_path)
output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
doc_filename = conv_res.input.file.stem

# Save page images
for page_no, page in conv_res.document.pages.items():
    page_image_filename = output_dir / f"{doc_filename}-{page_no}.png"
    with page_image_filename.open("wb") as fp:
        page.image.pil_image.save(fp, format="PNG")

# Save figures and tables
table_counter = 0
picture_counter = 0

for element, _level in conv_res.document.iterate_items():
    if isinstance(element, TableItem):
        table_counter += 1
        filename = output_dir / f"{doc_filename}-table-{table_counter}.png"
        with filename.open("wb") as fp:
            element.get_image(conv_res.document).save(fp, "PNG")
    
    if isinstance(element, PictureItem):
        picture_counter += 1
        filename = output_dir / f"{doc_filename}-picture-{picture_counter}.png"
        with filename.open("wb") as fp:
            element.get_image(conv_res.document).save(fp, "PNG")

# Export markdown with embedded images
conv_res.document.save_as_markdown(
    output_dir / f"{doc_filename}-with-images.md",
    image_mode=ImageRefMode.EMBEDDED
)

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