Compress PDF
Choose a PDF and a compression level. The tool recompresses the large images inside it and leaves text, fonts and vector graphics untouched, so the text stays selectable and searchable. You see the size before and after before you download, and if the file cannot be made smaller, it says so plainly. It is a quick way to reduce PDF file size for email, WhatsApp or an upload form with a size limit, and it runs in your browser.
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Processing and privacy: Your files are processed inside your browser and are not uploaded to any server.
How to use it
- Choose a PDF from your device or drag it onto the box.
- Pick a level: “Balanced” for everyday use, “Strong” for a smaller file with lower image quality, or “Maximum”, which turns every page into an image.
- Press “Compress file” and wait while the images or pages are processed.
- Compare the size before and after, check the preview of the first page, then download. Your original file is not changed.
Example
A two-page quotation of 1.24 MB with two 1600 × 1200 product photos: at “Balanced” it becomes 218 KB, about 83% smaller, while prices and descriptions stay text you can select and copy.
A text-only file such as a typed contract: there are no images to compress, so the tool tells you the file did not get smaller instead of offering a “compressed” file of the same size.
Limits and caveats
- The saving comes from images. Text-only files barely shrink, and the tool tells you so instead of giving you a file of the same size.
- At “Balanced” and “Strong”, images are re-encoded as JPEG and scaled down when needed (to about 150 or 110 dots per inch on the largest page), so images lose detail when zoomed far in. Text, fonts and vector graphics do not change.
- “Maximum” turns every page into an image at 120 dots per inch. Scanned files get much smaller, but text is no longer selectable or searchable, and links and fillable forms are lost.
- Some images are left as they are to protect their colours and detail: CMYK print images, indexed-colour images, transparency masks, very small images and JPEG 2000.
- Tested limits: one file up to 100 MB and 500 pages. Images above 40 megapixels are left unchanged so the browser does not run out of memory.
- Password-protected or encrypted files are refused; the tool never bypasses protection. Saving a digitally signed file again invalidates its signature.
Questions about this tool
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. The file is opened and its images are compressed inside your browser; it never leaves your device. That makes the tool suitable for contracts, invoices and private documents.
Can I still copy the text after compressing?
Yes at “Balanced” and “Strong”, because only the images are compressed and text and fonts are left as they are. At “Maximum” every page becomes an image, so text can no longer be selected or searched.
Why did my file not get smaller?
Most of a PDF’s size usually comes from its images. If the file is mostly text, or its images are already well compressed, there is little to gain. Try “Strong”, or “Maximum” for scanned files.
Which level should I use for WhatsApp or email?
Start with “Balanced”, which keeps images clear for reading and normal printing. If the file is still over the sending limit, try “Strong”. Keep the original if you may need high-quality images later.
Can I compress a scanned PDF?
Yes. A scanned file is one image per page, so it shrinks a lot at “Balanced” or “Strong”. For the smallest size use “Maximum”, since the text in a scan is already an image.
How do I compress a PDF?
Choose the PDF, pick “Balanced”, press “Compress file” and download the smaller copy after comparing the size before and after. Most of a PDF’s size usually comes from images, so the tool recompresses them and leaves the text selectable. If the file is still too big, try “Strong” or “Maximum”.
How do I compress a PDF to under 1 MB?
There is no target-size box, but you can reach a limit such as 1 MB by trying “Balanced”, then “Strong”, then “Maximum” and checking the measured size each time. Whether a file gets under the limit depends on how many images it holds and how large they are; text-only files barely shrink.