How to remove blank pages from a scanned PDF on a Mac
Double sided scans leave empty backs in your PDF. Find and delete the blank pages on a Mac in a minute, and stop the scanner adding them next time.
The problem
You scanned a pile on double sided mode, and now every other page is the empty back of a single sided sheet: twice the pages, twice the scrolling, a bigger file.
How do I delete blank pages from a PDF on a Mac?
- Open the PDF in Preview and choose View > Thumbnails. Widen the sidebar so the pages are easy to see.
- Command click every blank page.
- Press Delete, then save.
Pages that look almost blank may carry faint text showing through from the other side, or a note in pencil. Zoom in on one before deleting if you are unsure.
Why does my scanner add blank pages?
It is scanning both sides of every sheet. Many scanner apps can skip blank pages: look for Skip blank page or Blank page removal. Or scan single sided documents in single sided mode. Image Capture on the Mac shows the scanner's own options when you click Show Details.
Our take
Fix it at the scanner, once. Deleting blanks by hand is a minute per document, every time; one setting in the scanner app saves that minute on every scan after, and the file is right the first time someone else opens it.
Deleting other pages, not just blanks: delete pages from a PDF. Scanning in the first place: scan to PDF on a Mac.
In Simply PDF
Simply PDF's Organise Pages shows large thumbnails in a grid, so blank pages stand out in a long scan. Select them, delete, and check the result before you save. It needs a key.
Questions
How do I delete blank pages from a PDF on a Mac?
Open the PDF in Preview, show thumbnails, Command click each blank page, press Delete and save.
Why does my scanner add blank pages?
It is scanning both sides of every sheet. Turn on the scanner's skip blank page option or scan single sided pages in single sided mode.