Most splits are range extraction, not division in half. Pick the pages, keep only those, and cut a 20-page scan down to the two you wanted.
A range extraction keeps pages 1–3 and leaves the original file untouched.
People say “split a PDF” but they usually mean one of two different things: take one section out of a long document, or break it into many smaller files. Extracting a range is the version that comes up most, and it's the easier one.
The usual case: extract a range
A 20-page scan, and you need pages 7–9 for a submission. Or a syllabus PDF, and you want just the section you're studying. A range extraction gives you a new file with only those pages, exactly as numbered.
The other case: break into pieces
When a document truly needs to be several files — one chapter at a time, or every N pages — you're dividing, not extracting. Choose the pattern carefully: extraction keeps what you pick; splitting by page counts machines through the whole document.
Step by step
For a range extraction:
- Open the GainUtility PDF splitter and upload the document.
- Choose extract mode (range) rather than divide mode, unless you really want the whole file chopped.
- Enter the start and end pages. Count pages in the original — the numbering is 1-based.
- Export. The original file is unchanged; you get a new, smaller PDF.
- Name the extract for what it is — report-pages-1-3.pdf — so it's findable later.