Compress PDF

Compress PDF

Reduce the size of an image-heavy or scanned PDF so it is easier to email and upload.

Important note: this basic compressor works best on image-heavy and scanned PDFs. Text-based PDFs may not shrink much, and in this method every page's text is converted to an image, so the text will no longer be selectable or searchable in the compressed file.

The Compress PDF tool reduces the size of a PDF file so it is easier to send by email, upload to a website, or share on a phone. Many application forms, job portals, and messaging apps reject files above a small size limit, and a scanned document can easily be far bigger than that limit allows. This free tool rebuilds your PDF at a smaller size, right inside your browser.

Please understand how this basic compressor works before you use it. Each page is rendered as a picture and saved again as a compressed JPEG image inside a new PDF. That is why it works best on image-heavy and scanned PDFs, where most of the file size comes from pictures. Text-based PDFs may not shrink much, and text is converted to images, so words in the compressed file cannot be selected, copied, or searched. For scanned pages this is normally fine, because scanned text is already a picture.

Your file is never uploaded. All processing happens locally on your device.

How to use

  1. Choose the PDF file you want to make smaller.
  2. Select a compression level. Screen gives the smallest file, Balanced is a good middle choice, and High keeps more detail.
  3. Click Compress PDF and watch the progress as each page is processed.
  4. When it finishes, compare the before and after sizes shown on the page and save the downloaded compressed.pdf file.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my PDF not get much smaller?

If your document is mostly typed text with few images, there is very little picture data to compress, so the size may stay similar or occasionally grow. This tool gives the biggest savings on scanned documents and files full of photos.

Can I still copy text from the compressed PDF?

No. Every page becomes an image during compression, so the text looks the same when you read it, but it cannot be selected or searched. Keep your original file if you need editable or searchable text.

Which level should I choose?

Choose Screen for email attachments and strict upload limits, Balanced for everyday sharing, and High when small details in scanned pages must stay sharp.

Is my document private?

Yes. The file is processed locally in your browser and is never sent to a server or stored anywhere.


 

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