How to Download and Save Images from Google Docs

Google Docs is a popular cloud-based document editing application that allows real-time collaboration between users. It has a wide range of features, including the ability to insert images into documents. However, unlike a traditional word processor, downloading or saving images from Google Docs is not straightforward.

In this article, we provide a step-by-step guide on the various methods you can use to download images from Google Docs documents.

Why Download Images from Google Docs?

Here are some common reasons you may need to download images from a Google Docs file:

• Reuse images offline: You may want to reuse images from a Google Doc in other applications or documents on your local computer. Downloading allows you to access the images offline.
• Edit or modify images: Google Docs has limited image editing capabilities. By downloading images, you can open them in advanced editing software like Photoshop to modify them.
• Share or print images: To share or print images at highest quality, you need access to the original files, which requires downloading them.
• Back up important images: Downloading creates a separate copy of valuable images, allowing you to back them up.

Method 1 – Download Google Doc as HTML

The easiest way to download all images from a Google Doc is to save the document as an HTML web page. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Doc containing images you want to download.
2. Click File > Download > Web Page (.html, zipped).
3. Locate and unzip the downloaded ZIP folder.
4. Inside is an “images” folder containing all images in the doc as individual files.

This method downloads all images in the document neatly packaged in a separate images folder. It’s the quickest way to access all images for offline use.

Method 2 – Use Google Keep to Save Images

You can also leverage Google Keep, a note-taking app, to download images from Google Docs one at a time:

1. In Google Docs, right-click the image you want to save.
2. Click Save to Keep from the menu.
3. Open Google Keep in a separate tab.
4. Right-click the image in Keep and select Save image as.

While more time-consuming than method 1, this approach lets you selectively download specific images you need instead of getting all images at once.

Method 3 – Install the Image Extractor Add-on

The Image Extractor add-on for Google Docs provides advanced options to download images. To use it:

1. Open the Google Doc containing the images.
2. Click Add-ons > Get add-ons and search for “Image Extractor”.
3. Click + Free to add it.
4. Once installed, select Add-ons > Image Extractor > Start.
5. Choose an image and provide a filename.
6. Click Download image.

This add-on downloads one image at a time. It adds flexibility in naming downloaded images. However, the free version has daily limits.

Method 4 – Take Screenshots

If you need to quickly save just a few images from a Google Doc, taking screenshots can work:

1. Open the Google Doc and zoom into the image you want to save.
2. Press Shift + Command + 4 (macOS) or Shift + Windows + S (Windows) to take a screenshot.
3. The screenshot will save to your clipboard automatically.
4. Paste it into an image editor to crop if needed.
5. Save the image file.

Screenshots provide a fast way to grab a couple of images form a document. But this manual approach is impractical for extracting many images.

Conclusion

Google Docs makes it easy to insert and edit images as part of documents. However, downloading these images for reuse requires some workarounds.

We looked at a few handy methods to save images from Google Docs to your local device. The best approach depends on your specific needs and number of images.

I hope this guide gives you the tips you need to successfully extract images from Google Docs for offline access and editing! Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips or tricks.