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Compress PDF

Choose a PDF and a limit, such as the 1 MB a form asks for. You get a smaller file with the same pages, and text from the original stays selectable and searchable.

Files never leave your device

Drop a PDF here or click to choose one

Choose a PDF first.

How to compress a PDF

  1. 1

    Choose a PDF

    Click Choose PDF or drag the file onto the page. The file stays on your device.

  2. 2

    Choose a limit

    Click a ready size, or choose Custom and type the number of KB that the form or the recipient's mailbox allows.

  3. 3

    Click Compress PDF

    An ordinary document is ready in a moment, while a long scan takes longer. If the PDF already fits the limit, you get it back unchanged.

  4. 4

    Check and download

    You will see the size before and after. Before the download we check that the file opens, has the same pages and has not lost any text.

Can the text still be selected?

Yes, if it could be selected in the original. Even when a tight limit means the pages are saved as images, the text can still be selected, copied and searched. You never get a version with missing pages or with more than 2% of the text lost. A scan without OCR contains only pictures of pages, so it cannot be searched after compression either.

How to choose a limit

Enter the limit the form, portal or recipient's mailbox gives you, not a lower one just to be safe. It is a ceiling, so the finished file usually comes out a little smaller anyway, and every kilobyte you give away means poorer photos and scans.

Sending the PDF by email? Set the limit about a third lower than the mailbox limit, because an attachment grows when it is sent. For a 10 MB mailbox choose Custom and enter 7168, which is 7 MB, and for a 3 MB one pick 2 MB.

When the PDF will not fit

Long colour scans are the hardest to compress, because every page is really a photo. If the limit cannot be reached, you download the smallest version the tool managed to make and see how far over it is. The Try a lower resolution button can shrink it further, but photos, stamps and thin lines will be less sharp.

If that is still not enough, cut down the document, not its readability. Delete PDF pages the recipient does not need, keep only the required ones with Extract PDF pages, or Split PDF into several files and send them separately. If you scan yourself, scan the document again in black and white or greyscale.

Privacy

All processing takes place in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded to a server, and no data remains after you close the page.

FAQ

Is the PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is compressed only in your browser and never reaches any server. That is also why the largest file you can handle depends on your device's memory and speed: an ordinary document is quick even on a phone, while a long colour scan is more comfortable on a computer.

What can I do if the PDF is still too big?
You download the smallest version the tool managed to make, and the page tells you how far it is over the limit. Click Try a lower resolution: the pages are saved again at 120 down to 72 DPI, the text stays selectable, but photos and thin lines will be less sharp. If that is not enough, remove pages you do not need or split the document into smaller files.

Will the text stay selectable and searchable?
Yes, if it was in the original. Before the download the page checks the smaller file: it must have the same number of pages and at least 98% of the original text, or it is rejected. A scan without OCR contains only pictures of pages, so it cannot be searched before or after compression.

Will the compressed PDF look worse?
A text-only document usually looks just like the original. If the PDF contains photos or scans, they may be made smaller, and with a tight limit whole pages may be saved as images at a lower resolution. Photos, stamps and thin lines can then look softer, so open the file and check the important parts before you send it.

Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
A PDF that asks for a password when you open it has to be unlocked first. Remove the password with Unlock PDF, compress the file here and, if it needs protecting again, use Password protect PDF.

Will an electronic signature stay valid?
Only if the PDF already fits the limit, because then you get it back unchanged. To make a file smaller the tool has to rewrite it, and that makes an electronic signature invalid. For a signed document, ask the recipient whether a larger file is fine, or compress the PDF before it is signed.

How are KB and MB counted?
The tool counts 1 KB as 1,024 bytes and 1 MB as 1,024 KB, the same way Windows File Explorer does. Some forms count 1 MB as a million bytes and so accept a slightly smaller file. If you are not sure how a form counts, set a custom limit with a margin, such as 976 KB instead of 1 MB or 4880 KB instead of 5 MB.

What limit should I use for an email attachment?
About a third lower than the mailbox limit, because an attachment grows by roughly that much when it is sent. Personal Gmail accounts allow 25 MB of attachments, so choose Custom and enter 16384 KB, which is 16 MB. For a 10 MB mailbox enter 7168 KB, and for a 3 MB one choose 2 MB.

Why is my PDF so large?
Most of the size usually comes from photos and scans saved at a higher resolution than needed, from fonts embedded in full, or from leftovers of earlier edits. A scanned document is the heaviest case, because every page is a photo, so scanning in black and white makes a big difference.

Is compressing free and without a watermark?
Yes. You do not pay, you do not create an account and there is no daily limit on files. We add no watermark, advertising or site name to the compressed PDF.

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