Convert DjVu newspaper scans to PDF
Old newspapers and journals, readable and clippable again.
Newspaper digitization projects loved DjVu: it kept huge broadsheet scans small. Years later, those archives of old newspapers, journals and gazettes barely open anywhere. Converting an issue to PDF makes it readable on any device and, just as usefully, clippable: once it is a PDF you can pull out the pages with the article you actually came for. The conversion runs in your browser, with no upload.
How to convert DjVu newspaper scans to PDF
- 1
Add the issue
Drop in the .djvu file of the newspaper or journal issue.
- 2
Convert
Each page, broadsheets included, is rendered into the PDF at its true size on your device.
- 3
Download and clip
Save the PDF, then extract just the pages you need for your research or scrapbook.
Why convert newspaper archives locally
Newspaper scans are bulky, and bulk is exactly what makes server-side converters slow and size-capped. Local conversion has no upload step and no file limit, so a fat broadsheet issue converts as easily as a pamphlet, and the archive stays on your machine.
From full issue to clean clipping
A researcher rarely needs the whole issue. Convert the DjVu, extract the pages carrying your article, and you have a small, sharable clipping with the masthead and date still visible on the page. Both steps run locally, so the archive file never leaves your machine.
Archiving a whole run of issues?
Converting a year of weekly issues produces heavy files. Compress each converted PDF on your device to keep the run small enough for cloud folders and email, without uploading a single issue to a third-party compressor.
Frequently asked questions
Do large broadsheet pages work?+
Yes. Each PDF page keeps the original physical size of the scan, so a broadsheet stays a broadsheet and remains zoomable.
Is the file uploaded?+
No. The issue is decoded and rendered entirely in your browser; it works even offline.
How do I keep just one article?+
Convert the issue, then use our Extract PDF Pages tool to pull the page or pages the article is on into their own small PDF.
Can I search the text of old articles?+
Run the converted PDF through our OCR PDF tool. Print quality varies in old papers, but modern OCR handles most typeset text well, and it also runs on your device.