How to Extract Images from PDF Files with JavaScript in NodeJS

Why Extract PDF Images with JavaScript?

The pdfRest Extract Images API Tool is a powerful utility that allows developers to programmatically extract images from PDF files. This tutorial will guide you through the process of sending an API call to extract images using JavaScript, providing a practical example of how to implement this functionality in your projects.

Extracting images from PDFs can be incredibly useful. For instance, a graphic designer might need to extract high-quality images from a portfolio PDF to use in a new project. Similarly, a researcher might need to extract charts or diagrams from academic papers for analysis. This tool simplifies the extraction process, making it accessible and efficient.

Extract PDF Images with JavaScript Code Example

// This request demonstrates how to reduce the file size of a PDF.
var axios = require('axios');
var FormData = require('form-data');
var fs = require('fs');

// Create a new form data instance and append the PDF file and parameters to it
var data = new FormData();
data.append('file', fs.createReadStream('/path/to/file'));
data.append('pages', '1-last');
data.append('output', 'pdfrest_extracted_images');

// define configuration options for axios request
var config = {
  method: 'post',
  maxBodyLength: Infinity, // set maximum length of the request body
  url: 'https://api.pdfrest.com/extracted-images', 
  headers: { 
    'Api-Key': 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx', // Replace with your API key
    ...data.getHeaders() // set headers for the request
  },
  data : data // set the data to be sent with the request
};

// send request and handle response or error
axios(config)
.then(function (response) {
  console.log(JSON.stringify(response.data));
})
.catch(function (error) {
  console.log(error); 
});

// If you would like to download the file instead of getting the JSON response, please see the 'get-resource-id-endpoint.js' sample.

Source: GitHub Repository

Breaking Down the Code

The code begins by importing necessary modules: axios for making HTTP requests, form-data for handling form submissions, and fs for file system operations. These modules are essential for setting up the API request.

var data = new FormData();
data.append('file', fs.createReadStream('/path/to/file'));
data.append('pages', '1-last');
data.append('output', 'pdfrest_extracted_images');

Here, a new FormData instance is created. The PDF file is appended using fs.createReadStream('/path/to/file'), which reads the file from the specified path. The pages parameter is set to '1-last', indicating that images should be extracted from all pages. The output parameter specifies the desired name for the extracted images.

var config = {
  method: 'post',
  maxBodyLength: Infinity,
  url: 'https://api.pdfrest.com/extracted-images', 
  headers: { 
    'Api-Key': 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx',
    ...data.getHeaders()
  },
  data : data
};

The configuration object for the axios request is defined here. The method is set to 'post', and the url is the endpoint for the Extract Images API. The headers include an API key, which must be replaced with your own, and the headers from the FormData instance. The data field contains the form data to be sent.

axios(config)
.then(function (response) {
  console.log(JSON.stringify(response.data));
})
.catch(function (error) {
  console.log(error); 
});

The axios request is executed, and the response is handled. If successful, the response data is logged in JSON format. If an error occurs, it is logged to the console.

Beyond the Tutorial

In this tutorial, you learned how to use JavaScript to call the pdfRest Extract Images API, extracting images from a PDF file efficiently. This example demonstrates how to handle multipart API calls using JavaScript.

To further explore the capabilities of pdfRest, you can demo all the API Tools in the API Lab. For more detailed information, refer to the API Reference Guide.

Note: This is an example of a multipart API call. Code samples using JSON payloads can be found at GitHub Repository.