Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size for easy sharing and storage.
Drop the PDF to compress or click to select
How to Compress a PDF File
Select File
Click the 'Choose File' button or drag and drop your PDF into the designated area.
Choose Level
Select one of the four compression levels: Light, Medium, High, or Maximum. Higher levels result in smaller files but may reduce quality.
Compress
Click the 'Compress' button to start the process. The tool will show you the progress.
Download
Once finished, you'll see the size reduction. Click 'Download' to save your new, smaller PDF.
About PDF Compression
PDF compression is the process of reducing the file size of a PDF document. This is crucial for easy sharing via email, faster web page loading, and saving storage space. Our tool uses several methods to achieve this:
Repackaging and Metadata Removal
The 'Light' level cleans up the PDF's internal structure and removes non-essential data (like metadata) without affecting the content's quality. Text remains selectable.
Image Resampling (DPI)
'Medium', 'High', and 'Maximum' levels work by converting the PDF pages into JPEG images at different resolutions, measured in DPI (Dots Per Inch). A lower DPI results in a smaller file size but also lower image quality. This process may make the text in the PDF non-selectable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best compression level?
It depends on your needs. For emailing, 'Medium' is often a good balance. For archiving with the best quality, 'Light' is ideal. For maximum space saving where quality is less of a concern, choose 'Maximum'.
Will I lose quality?
The 'Light' level does not reduce quality. Other levels involve image compression, which is 'lossy' and will result in some quality reduction, especially at 'Maximum' level. The visual difference is often negligible for on-screen viewing.
Why is the text in my compressed PDF no longer selectable?
This happens on 'Medium', 'High', and 'Maximum' levels because the pages are converted to images to achieve a higher compression ratio. If you need to keep text selectable, use the 'Light' compression level.