DjVu to PDF Converter
Turn DjVu scans, books and papers into PDFs that open on any device. Each page is decoded in your browser and placed on a PDF page at its real physical size, with crisp lossless storage for black-and-white text and JPEG for color pages. You choose the resolution, compression and which pages to include.
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How it works
- Choose a DjVu file. Its pages, size and resolution are read straight away.
- Pick the output resolution and how the page images are compressed.
- Convert: every page is decoded to an image with the open-source DjVu.js decoder and placed on its own PDF page at the right physical size.
Black-and-white scans are stored losslessly (PNG) in Auto mode, so text stays crisp; color and photo pages use JPEG to keep the file small.
Page 1 decoded preview
How to use the DjVu to PDF Converter
- Choose your DjVu file or drop it on the box. The number of pages, the page size and the scan resolution appear, with a preview of page 1.
- Pick the resolution: 300 dpi for printing, 200 dpi as a good balance, 150 or 100 dpi for small files to read on screen.
- Pick the compression. Auto keeps black-and-white text pages sharp with PNG and stores color pages as JPEG.
- Choose the pages and PDF page size: all pages or a range, at the original size or fitted on Letter or A4.
- Press Convert to PDF. Pages are decoded one by one and the PDF downloads when it is finished.
How the conversion works
A DjVu file uses the IFF container format. Its first bytes are AT&TFORM, followed by either a single page (FORM:DJVU) or a multi-page document (FORM:DJVM) with a directory (DIRM) that lists every page. Each page starts with an INFO chunk holding its width and height in pixels and its resolution in dots per inch.
- The converter reads this structure directly to show the page count, sizes and resolutions.
- Each selected page is decoded with DjVu.js: the JB2 text mask, the IW44 background and foreground layers and any color palette are combined into one image.
- The image is scaled to the resolution you chose and compressed as PNG or JPEG.
- A PDF page is created at the page's physical size, calculated as pixels divided by dpi times 72 points per inch, and the image is placed on it.
Page size and file size at different resolutions
For a US Letter page (8.5 × 11 in) scanned in black and white:
| Resolution | Image size per page | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 600 dpi (common scan setting) | 5100 × 6600 px | Archiving, high-quality print |
| 300 dpi | 2550 × 3300 px | Printing and OCR |
| 200 dpi | 1700 × 2200 px | Reading on a computer or tablet |
| 150 dpi | 1275 × 1650 px | Smaller files, laptop reading |
| 100 dpi | 850 × 1100 px | Phones and email attachments |
Which compression to choose
- Auto checks each page. Pages that are only black and white (typical text scans) are stored as lossless PNG, which keeps letters sharp and compresses well. Pages with color or gray tones are stored as JPEG.
- JPEG gives the smallest files for photos, colored maps and illustrations; text edges may look slightly soft at the small setting.
- Grayscale JPEG suits yellowed or tinted scans where color carries no information.
- PNG is lossless for every page; best quality, largest files for color pages.
After converting, you can shrink the PDF further with Compress PDF or make it searchable with OCR PDF.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DjVu file?
DjVu (pronounced like déjà vu) is a format for scanned documents developed at AT&T Labs in the late 1990s. It splits each page into layers: a sharp black-and-white mask for text compressed with JB2, and background and foreground color layers compressed with the IW44 wavelet codec. This makes scanned books much smaller than JPEG or PDF scans, which is why many digitized books and papers are distributed as .djvu.
How do I convert DjVu to PDF?
Open the .djvu file above, choose the resolution and compression, and press Convert to PDF. Each page is decoded to an image in your browser and added to a new PDF at the page's real size, then the PDF downloads.
Why is the PDF larger than the DjVu file?
DjVu's layered compression is very efficient for scans, and PDF stores each page as a single image instead. To keep the PDF small, choose 150 or 200 dpi and Auto or a JPEG setting. Black-and-white pages stored as PNG stay sharp and compress well; color pages are smaller as JPEG.
Is the text in the PDF searchable?
No. The PDF contains page images, like a scan, even if the DjVu file has a hidden text layer. To make the PDF searchable, run it through an OCR tool afterwards.
Can it open multi-page DjVu books?
Yes, bundled multi-page DjVu files (one .djvu file containing all pages) are supported, and you can convert all pages or a range. Indirect DjVu documents, whose pages are stored as separate files with an index file, need to be bundled into one file first, for example with the djvm tool from DjVuLibre.
What resolution should I choose?
Use the original resolution or 300 dpi if you plan to print or run OCR. 200 dpi is a good balance for reading on a computer or tablet, and 150 or 100 dpi gives the smallest files for phones and email.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The DjVu file is decoded and converted entirely in your browser with the open-source DjVu.js library and pdf-lib, so your document never leaves your device.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.