Compress PDF
Your resume or application goes through on the first try, and still looks sharp.
PrivateNo uploadsRuns in your browserNo file handy?
Upload on the first try
Small enough for any upload box.
Job application. Your resume fits the limit and still looks sharp.
BeforeFile too large, try again
With sdevSmaller file, same clear pages
On the move
Light files send fast, even on weak signal.
Group project
Everyone gets the report without a full inbox.
How to compress a PDF
Add the PDFs
Choose files or drop them on the box. You can add several at once.
Pick a level
Recommended suits email and sharing. High quality changes less. Extreme flattens pages for the smallest file.
Compress and download
Press Compress. Each row shows the size before and after, with a Download button; Download all gives a zip.
Good to know
- Scanned documents shrink the most: a 300 dpi colour scan often drops by 70% or more at Recommended.
- If the result would be bigger than the original, the original is kept and the row says so.
- Images with transparency masks keep their pixel size, so they only benefit from the quality change.
- Compression removes nothing from the text layer. Run Extreme only when you no longer need selectable text.
Where people use it
Exam and job form uploads
Many portals take only 100 KB, 200 KB or 500 KB. See the new size before you download, and try Extreme if it is still too big.
Email a big scan
Scans from a phone can be many MB. Shrink them so the mail goes through.
KYC files for a bank
Bank and loan forms often cap each file at 2 MB or less. Make your ID PDF fit.
Too big after merging
Joined many papers into one? Compress the merged file as the last step.
Merge PDFStill too big?
Split a long file into parts, or remove pages you do not need.
Split PDF by pages or ranges
Why this one
It shrinks the pictures inside the PDF and leaves the text as real text, so the file gets smaller but still reads crisp.
- Shows the new size so you know it fits before you upload.
- Recommended level keeps text sharp and selectable.
- Many files at once.
- Your papers stay on your device.
What you can change
- Recommended
- High quality
- Extreme for the smallest file
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Cite this tool
- APA
sdev.in. (n.d.). Compress PDF [Web tool]. https://www.sdev.in/tools/pdf-compress
- MLA
"Compress PDF." sdev.in, https://www.sdev.in/tools/pdf-compress.
- Chicago
sdev.in. "Compress PDF." https://www.sdev.in/tools/pdf-compress.
- BibTeX
@misc{sdev-pdf-compress, title = {Compress PDF}, author = {{sdev.in}}, howpublished = {\url{https://www.sdev.in/tools/pdf-compress}}, note = {Web tool} }
Questions people ask
How does it make the PDF smaller?
Most PDF weight is images. Recommended and High quality find every photo or scan inside the file, re-encode it as a JPEG at a lower quality and, when it is very large, at a smaller pixel size. Text, fonts and vector drawings are untouched, so they stay sharp and selectable.
Why did my file not get smaller?
The PDF has little or no image data, its images are already small, or they use a format the tool leaves alone such as CMYK or JBIG2 scans. Try Extreme, which flattens every page to an image, but note that text is no longer selectable afterwards.
What does Extreme do?
It renders each page as a 100 dpi JPEG and rebuilds the PDF from those images. Files get very small, but text becomes part of the picture, so it cannot be selected or searched.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Files of a few hundred megabytes work on a normal laptop. The work runs in the background so the page does not freeze.
How do I get a PDF under 1 MB or 200 KB for a form?
Start with Recommended and look at the new size on the row. If it is still too big, try Extreme, which makes scanned pages much smaller. If one page holds most of the weight, take it out with Remove PDF pages, compress the rest, and add it back with Merge PDF.
Can I compress a PDF on my phone?
Yes. It works in the browser on Android phones and iPhones. Pick the file, choose a level and save the smaller copy to your phone. Very large scans take longer on older phones because the work happens on the phone itself.
Are my PDF files uploaded?
No. Every step runs inside your browser with the pdf-lib and pdf.js libraries. Files never leave your device, there is no size or count limit beyond your computer's memory, and nothing is stored when you close the tab.