Can I use Microsoft Print to PDF to split a PDF into separate files for each page?

Yes, but you have to run the Print dialog separately for each page. You would enter one page number, save the file, then repeat for the next page. For a multi-page document, this becomes tedious. An online splitter can do all pages at once.

Will form fields survive when I use Microsoft Print to PDF?

No. The Print to PDF process re-renders the document, so interactive form fields become flat text. The fields will no longer be fillable. If you need to keep form fields editable, use an online splitter that does not re-render the pages.

Is Microsoft Print to PDF available on Windows 10 and Windows 11?

Yes, it is built into both Windows 10 and Windows 11. You do not need to install anything. It appears as a printer option in the Print dialog of any application.

How do I save certain pages of a PDF in Chrome?

Open the PDF in Chrome, press Ctrl+P, set Destination to Save as PDF, then under Pages select Custom and type the page range you want. Click Save and choose a file name. This creates a new PDF with only those pages.

Split a PDF on Windows With Microsoft Print to PDF

Split a PDF on Windows without installing anything. Use Microsoft Print to PDF, a virtual printer built into Windows 10 and 11. Open the file in Edge or Chrome, call up the Print dialog, and enter the page range you want. The machine prints a new PDF containing only those pages. It is free. It works. It also re-renders the content, which matters if your original has fillable forms. For splitting a whole document into separate pages in one go, use the online tool at splitpdf.biz. That is faster.

How to Use Microsoft Print to PDF to Extract Pages

The workflow runs through the Print dialog. Here is the step-by-step for Microsoft Edge, which ships with Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Right-click the PDF and choose Open with > Microsoft Edge.
Press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog.
Under Printer, select Microsoft Print to PDF. If it is not visible, click the dropdown and pick it from the list.
In the Pages field, type the page numbers you want. To grab pages 1 through 3 plus page 5, enter 1-3, 5. Use a hyphen for a range and a comma to separate ranges.
Click Print. A Save As window opens. Name the new file and choose a folder. The resulting PDF contains only the pages you specified.

In Google Chrome the steps are nearly identical: open the PDF in Chrome, press Ctrl+P, set Destination to Save as PDF, then under Pages select Custom and enter your page range.

What Happens When You Print to PDF

Interactive Features Get Flattened

The virtual printer does not copy pages. It re-renders them into a brand new PDF. That kills interactive elements. Form fields, fillable text boxes, checkboxes, and embedded scripts will not survive. Data you entered into a fillable form may appear as static text, but the fields themselves become uneditable images.

File Size and Image Quality Shift

Re-rendering can change file size. For simple documents the difference is small. For scanned pages or files with high-resolution images, expect a slight drop in sharpness. The new file might be larger or smaller than the original. You cannot control this.

Limitations of the Print Dialog Workaround

The built-in method works for pulling out a few pages. For bigger jobs it turns impractical fast.

One file per print run. Each trip through the Print dialog produces a single new PDF. Splitting a 10-page document into 10 separate files means repeating the process 10 times, entering a different page number each time.
No automatic naming. You must name every output file by hand. Split many pages and you will either invent names as you go or overwrite the previous file.
No batch processing. You cannot tell the Print dialog to explode a document into individual pages in one action. It produces one combined output, period.
Page range entry gets tedious. Typing "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" for each run on a long document is slow and error-prone.

When the Online Splitter is Faster

Turn every page of a PDF into its own file in one shot. Upload the document once to splitpdf.biz. The tool creates one PDF per page and names each file with the original name plus a page number: original-name-page-001.pdf, original-name-page-002.pdf, and so on. No repeat trips through the Print dialog. No manual renaming.

This approach shines with long documents. The online splitter does not re-render pages, so interactive elements like form fields survive in every output file. It is free, fast, and leaves no watermark.

How to Extract Pages in Windows 11 and Windows 10

The instructions are identical on both operating systems. Microsoft Print to PDF is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11. The steps for Edge and Chrome do not change.

For a one-time extraction of a few pages, the Print dialog method works. For repeated splits or whole-document jobs, skip it. Use the online tool.

Choosing Between Built-In and Online Methods

Pick based on page count and whether you need interactive features to survive.

Use Microsoft Print to PDF if you only need a few pages, you do not mind re-rendering, and you prefer to keep the file off the web.
Use the online Split PDF tool if you want every page as its own file, you need to preserve form fields, or you want automatic naming with page numbers.

Both are free. Neither requires a software install. Print to PDF lives inside Windows. The online splitter runs in your browser.