Make a PDF smaller for email, forms, websites, cloud storage or document sharing. Choose a compression method, quality level and page range, then create a lighter PDF directly in your browser.
Upload a PDF, select the pages and choose between stronger image-based compression or a structure-preserving cleanup. The result is created on your device.
Drag & Drop a PDF file here
or click to choose a PDF from your device
✅ PDF Files · Browser ProcessingRenders selected pages to optimized JPEG images and rebuilds the PDF. Stronger reduction, but text and interactive elements are flattened.
Use all or a range such as 1-3,5,8-10.
Your new PDF has been created.
Reduce PDF size without a registration form, subscription screen or one-size-fits-all setting. Choose the workflow that matches your document.
The process is designed to be clear even when you have never optimized a PDF before.
A PDF can contain text, fonts, vector artwork, photographs, scans, transparency, forms, annotations, attachments and metadata. Different parts require different optimization strategies.
A PDF is a container rather than one single type of content. A text-only report may already be small, while a scanned document can contain one large image for every page. A presentation exported to PDF can contain high-resolution photos, duplicated resources and embedded fonts. This is why the same compression setting does not produce the same percentage reduction for every file.
Smart Image Compression renders each selected PDF page and saves that page as an optimized JPEG image inside a new PDF. This is often effective for scans, photo-heavy reports, slide decks and files with unnecessarily large images. The trade-off is important: text becomes part of the image, links are not interactive, forms are flattened, accessibility structure is lost, and digital signatures are not carried into the rebuilt document.
Structure-Preserving Cleanup copies selected pages into a fresh PDF container using a browser PDF library. It normally retains text, vectors and many page objects, while omitting standard metadata when requested. Because it does not recompress every embedded image, the size reduction can be modest or even negligible. It is the safer first choice for contracts, manuals, accessible documents, forms and files whose text must remain selectable.
File size falls when data is discarded, simplified or encoded more efficiently. Lowering image resolution removes pixel detail. Reducing JPEG quality increases compression artifacts. Grayscale removes colour information. Rebuilding only selected pages removes unwanted content entirely. A practical compressor therefore gives you control instead of pretending that maximum reduction has no consequence.
Choose the method according to the result you need—not only the smallest number.
| Feature | Smart Image Compression | Structure-Preserving Cleanup |
|---|---|---|
| Typical size reduction | Often stronger | Usually modest |
| Selectable/searchable text | Flattened into images | Generally retained |
| Vector sharpness | Converted to pixels | Generally retained |
| Clickable links | Not retained | Often retained |
| Forms and annotations | Flattened | Document dependent |
| Best for scans and photos | Yes | Limited benefit |
| Best for contracts/manuals | Only for viewing copies | Better first choice |
| Digital signatures | Invalidated/removed | Rebuilding also invalidates signatures |
Start with Balanced. Move toward Maximum only when a strict upload limit matters, or toward High Quality when small text and diagrams must remain clearer.
| Preset | Resolution | JPEG Quality | Best Use | Main Trade-Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Compression | 90 DPI | 48% | Email attachments, previews, strict form limits | Small text and fine graphics may soften |
| Balanced | 120 DPI | 72% | General sharing, web uploads and routine documents | Moderate visual simplification |
| High Quality | 180 DPI | 88% | Reports, diagrams and clearer screen viewing | Larger output file |
| Custom | Your choice | Your choice | Matching a specific workflow or upload target | Requires testing and visual review |
Resolution controls how many pixels are used to represent each page. JPEG quality controls how aggressively those pixels are compressed. A low-resolution page can look soft even at high JPEG quality, while a high-resolution page at very low JPEG quality can show blockiness and ringing. Balanced settings reduce both carefully rather than pushing one control to an extreme.
Grayscale can help with black-and-white scans, receipts, forms and text documents that contain decorative colour. It is unsuitable when colours carry meaning—for example, charts, highlighted revisions, brand proofs, medical diagrams, maps or evidence photographs.
PDF compression solves practical delivery and storage problems across work, education and everyday administration.
A good compressed PDF is not merely small—it remains usable for its intended audience.
Balanced settings are a sensible first attempt for normal screen viewing. Compare the result before choosing Maximum.
Excluding blank pages, duplicate pages or appendices can reduce size without lowering the quality of the pages you keep.
Inspect small text, signatures, charts, QR codes, barcodes and fine lines at 100% and 200% zoom.
Use Structure-Preserving Cleanup when text selection, screen-reader order, links or vector detail are important.
Repeated JPEG-based compression can accumulate visual artifacts. Return to the original file for each new attempt.
Rebuilding a PDF can invalidate digital signatures and alter evidential properties. Preserve the authoritative original.
Grayscale works well for monochrome scans but can make coloured charts and annotations difficult to interpret.
Check both the file-size limit and any rules about page dimensions, encryption, signatures or searchable text.
Documents may contain financial, employment, education, legal or personal information, so the processing route matters.
This page uses browser JavaScript, Mozilla PDF.js for PDF rendering and PDF-Lib for rebuilding output documents. The selected file is read from your device and the resulting PDF is generated as a browser download.
Understand scans, text, photos, forms, signatures, accessibility and realistic file-size targets before choosing aggressive compression.
A scanned PDF commonly stores each page as a full-page image. Such files can become very large when the scanner uses 300 or 600 DPI, full colour and low image compression. Smart Image Compression is often effective because it renders each page at a more practical screen resolution and saves it as JPEG. For ordinary reading, 120 to 150 DPI may be sufficient. Documents with tiny print, stamps, handwriting, diagrams or evidence detail may need 180 DPI or more.
Optical character recognition is separate from visual compression. If the original scan contains a hidden OCR text layer, raster compression removes that layer in this browser workflow. The output remains visually readable but no longer searchable unless OCR is applied again with a suitable tool. For records that must be searchable or accessible, try Structure-Preserving Cleanup first or use a dedicated OCR-aware optimizer.
Word-processing documents, invoices generated from software and vector reports are often already efficient. Their text and line art may occupy far less space than a page image. Rasterizing such a file can make it smaller in some cases, but it also replaces precise text and vectors with pixels. Structure-Preserving Cleanup is the safer first attempt. If it does not reduce the size enough, use High Quality image compression and inspect fine text carefully.
Photographs are usually the main source of size in brochures, portfolios, property reports and presentation decks. Lowering the effective resolution and JPEG quality can produce a large reduction. The best settings depend on viewing distance and delivery method. A PDF intended only for a phone screen can tolerate more reduction than a document intended for zooming or high-quality printing.
Email systems may apply attachment limits to the complete message, and encoded attachments can consume more space than the visible file size. Aim below the published maximum rather than exactly at it. If the compressed document remains too large, remove unnecessary pages, reduce image resolution gradually, or share the file through an approved cloud link. Do not use extreme compression for documents where numbers, signatures or legal wording must remain clear.
Smaller PDFs improve download speed and reduce bandwidth, but web documents should also remain searchable, accessible and usable. A fully rasterized PDF can be difficult for screen-reader users and cannot be searched as normal text. Whenever possible, optimize the source document before export: resize images to the required dimensions, use efficient image formats, subset fonts and remove hidden material. Then use structure-preserving PDF optimization as a final step.
Interactive PDF forms, comments, bookmarks, links and annotations are document objects rather than visual pixels. Smart Image Compression captures only their appearance at rendering time. Empty form fields remain empty, buttons stop working and links stop being clickable. Structure-Preserving Cleanup may retain many objects, but complex PDFs can behave differently across libraries and viewers. Test the output before relying on it.
A digital signature validates a specific byte sequence. Any rebuilding, page copying, metadata change or recompression alters that sequence and invalidates the signature. Keep digitally signed and certified originals untouched. Use a compressed copy only when the recipient accepts a non-authoritative viewing copy, and label it appropriately.
The password field can be used when the browser library requests an authorized document password. Compression is not a method for bypassing security. Only process files you own or are permitted to open. Some encrypted or rights-managed documents may not be supported, and removing restrictions from a document can have legal or contractual implications.
A source PDF may already use efficient images, compact fonts and object streams. Rebuilding it can add overhead or encode content less efficiently than the original software. Image compression can also create a larger file when simple vector pages are replaced by high-resolution JPEGs. When the result is larger, try a lower resolution, choose a stronger preset, compress only necessary pages, or keep the original if it is already well optimized.
Start from the receiving requirement. A 10 MB upload limit does not mean every PDF should be 1 MB. Choose the highest quality that comfortably fits the limit. For example, if a 25 MB scan becomes 7 MB with Balanced settings and the portal accepts 10 MB, there is little reason to force it down to 2 MB. The extra reduction may only make text and images worse.
Compression creates a delivery copy, not a replacement for the best available source. Store the original PDF securely, especially for legal, financial, academic, design, medical or archival records. Name the smaller copy clearly, such as report-compressed.pdf, so it is not confused with the authoritative original.
Organize or prepare the document before or after compression using other available ProPDFMaker tools.
Answers about size reduction, quality, searchable text, privacy, scans, passwords and compression limits.
Upload a PDF, choose the right balance between size and quality, and create a smaller download directly in your browser.
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