How to compress a PDF
- Drop in the PDF you want to shrink.
- Pick how hard to squeeze. Balanced keeps the text sharp and selectable.
- Press Compress. You are shown the before and after size before you download.
Questions people ask
Will my text still be selectable?
With Light, Balanced or Strong, yes — your text stays sharp and selectable. Maximum is different: it makes the smallest file but turns your text into a picture, so you can no longer select or search it. The option says so.
Nothing happened — why did my PDF not get smaller?
Because the size is not coming from images. A PDF that is mostly text with embedded fonts has very little to squeeze; the fonts are already compressed and cannot be thrown away without breaking the document. You will see how many images were found — if that number is zero, this tool has nothing to work on and Maximum is the only setting that will make a difference.
Why were some images skipped?
Some pictures are already as small as they will go, and squeezing them would only make them bigger or spoil them. Those are left exactly as they were.
Why did Maximum give me a bigger file than Balanced?
It can happen on documents that repeat the same picture on many pages. Maximum is best for scans. If the two come out close, take the lighter one — it keeps your text selectable.
Can I get the quality back afterwards?
No, so keep your original. If it looks too soft, go back to the original and use a lighter setting rather than squeezing the squeezed copy.
Is my document uploaded?
No. The whole file is opened and rewritten on your own device.