PDF Compressor
Shrink a PDF's file size by re-compressing each page as an image.
Reduce a PDF's file size by rendering each page as a compressed JPG and rebuilding the PDF from those — a real tradeoff (text stops being selectable, since pages become images), best for scanned documents or image-heavy PDFs rather than text reports.
How to compress a PDF
- Choose a compression level. Balanced suits most files.
- Open your PDF. Each page is redrawn as a compressed image and rebuilt into a new PDF.
- Compare the sizes. The tool shows the before and after file size, and warns you if the new file isn't any smaller.
- Download the smaller PDF.
Compression levels
| Setting | Page resolution | JPG quality | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| High compression | 72 dpi | 50% | Smallest file, reading on screen |
| Balanced | 108 dpi | 70% | Email and uploads |
| Low compression | 144 dpi | 85% | Clearer text and photos |
Which PDFs shrink the most
- Shrink a lot: scanned documents and PDFs from phone scanner apps, which are often saved at very high resolution, and PDFs full of large photos.
- Shrink little or grow: PDFs that are mostly text, like reports exported from Word. Their text is already tiny, so turning pages into images can make them bigger. If that happens, the tool tells you — keep your original.
Before you compress
Every page becomes an image, so text can no longer be selected, searched or copied, and fillable form fields stop working. Don't compress a form you still need to fill in or a document you'll want to copy text from — and always keep your original file.
If the file is too big only because it has too many pages, try sending fewer of them with the PDF Splitter instead — that keeps the text sharp.
Frequently asked questions
Will the text in my PDF still be selectable?
No — this is the key tradeoff. Every page is rendered as an image and rebuilt into a new PDF, so any selectable text or crisp vector graphics become a picture instead. It's a good fit for scanned documents or photo-heavy PDFs, not for text reports you'll want to copy from later.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No — reading, compressing, and rebuilding the PDF all happen in your browser using JavaScript libraries. The file never leaves your device.
How much smaller will my file get?
It depends heavily on the original — a PDF that's already mostly compressed images won't shrink much, while a PDF exported at very high resolution can shrink dramatically. The tool shows you the exact before/after size so you can judge the result before downloading.
How small does a PDF need to be for email?
Gmail allows attachments up to 25 MB and Outlook.com up to 20 MB in total per message. Many online forms set much lower limits, often 2–10 MB, so check the limit before you compress.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
Not until it's unlocked. Open it with the password in a PDF reader, save an unlocked copy, and compress that.