Support: Compress PDF

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Common questions

How do I compress a PDF?

Choose or drop your PDF into the box, pick a compression level, and press Compress PDF. When it finishes you see the size before and after; press Download compressed PDF to save it. Recommended suits most files.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?

No. The PDF is compressed by your own browser on your own device. It is never sent to our server or anyone else's, unlike most online PDF compressors, which upload your file to shrink it.

How much smaller will my PDF get?

It depends on what is inside. PDFs full of photos or scanned pages usually shrink a lot, often to a fraction of their size. PDFs that are mostly text are usually small already, so there is little to gain, and the tool tells you when that is the case.

Why is a PDF from Word or PowerPoint so large?

Often because of its fonts. Office apps embed fonts with room for thousands of characters even when a document uses only a few dozen. This compressor rebuilds those fonts to hold just the characters in use, which can halve a text-heavy PDF without changing how a single letter looks.

Will compressing reduce the quality?

Text and drawings are never changed, and fonts are rebuilt so every letter looks exactly the same. Only pictures lose detail: Light keeps them close to the original, Recommended is hard to tell apart on screen, and Strong makes them visibly softer in exchange for the smallest file.

Which compression level should I choose?

Recommended for most files, including anything you will email or upload. Light when the pictures matter, such as a portfolio or a document you will print. Strong when you need the smallest file possible and picture quality is less important.

Why do two levels give the same size?

The levels differ only in how much pictures are reduced. If a PDF has no large pictures, or its pictures are already at the resolution a level aims for, two levels can produce exactly the same file, and the tool labels it that way. Font and clean-up savings are the same at every level, because they never change how the document looks.

How do I compress a PDF to a specific size, like 200 KB?

Choose Exact size, type the limit or pick one of the common sizes, and press Compress PDF. The tool tries stronger picture settings step by step and keeps the best-quality version that fits under the limit. If the PDF cannot get that small, you get the smallest possible file and an explanation of what is taking up the space.

How do I make a PDF small enough to email?

Compress it with Recommended, and if it is still too large, try Strong. Gmail accepts attachments up to 25 MB and Outlook.com up to 20 MB. If a file is still too big after Strong, use Split PDF to send it in parts.

Why did my PDF not get any smaller?

Usually because it was already well optimised: no large pictures, and fonts that were already trimmed. A few rare picture formats are also left alone. You never get a bigger file back, and the tool shows exactly what it found.

Will the text still be searchable?

Yes. Text is not touched or turned into an image, so it stays selectable, searchable and readable by screen readers.

Can I compress a scanned PDF?

Yes. Scanned pages are pictures, which is exactly what this tool shrinks. Colour and greyscale scans often get much smaller. Pure black-and-white scans are usually stored very compactly already and are left as they are.

Can I compress a print-ready PDF from Canva, InDesign or Illustrator?

Yes. Print-ready PDFs are often huge because their photos are stored in print colours (CMYK) at full print resolution, together with a large print colour profile. The compressor converts those photos to screen colours at a sensible size and removes the print profile, which often shrinks a file by 90% or more. The result is ideal for email, proofs and sharing online; keep your original file for professional printing.

Can I compress a password-protected or signed PDF?

A password-protected PDF has to be unlocked first. A digitally signed PDF can be compressed, but because the file changes, the signature will no longer be valid; the tool warns you when this applies.

Does it work on iPhone, Android and Mac?

Yes. It runs in Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox on phones and computers, with no app to install. Very large PDFs are handled more comfortably on a computer, which has more memory.

Is it free?

Yes, completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on use.

Nothing happens when I pick a file

The tool runs entirely in your browser, so a very old browser can fail silently. Try the current Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. Your files are never uploaded anywhere.