Compress PDF
Shrink a PDF at three levels and see what you saved.
Drop a PDF to shrink
or click to choose (.pdf). Up to 25 MB per file.
Compression runs on our server with Ghostscript. The file is processed and deleted straight after, never stored or backed up.
- Runs on our server
- Free, no sign-up
More about Compress PDF
How to shrink a PDF
The size of a PDF almost always comes down to images at a needlessly high resolution and embedded fonts. Compression resamples them, drops duplicates and rebuilds the document. With scanned contracts, going from ten megabytes to one is routine.
- Low: cleans up the structure and leaves images at print quality. The smallest saving, but nothing changes visibly.
- Medium: images down to 150 DPI. A sensible trade-off for email attachments and upload forms.
- High: images down to 72 DPI. The smallest file, fine on screen, no longer fine in print.
Compression runs on our server through Ghostscript; there is no reliable way to do it in the browser. We process the file and delete it immediately, it is never stored. 10 files a day for free, 200 with Premium.
Frequently asked questions
Does the text stay searchable?
Yes, the text layer is preserved. Compression mostly affects the images.
Why did my file barely shrink?
When a PDF is nothing but text there is little to squeeze, so the saving is a few per cent. The big wins come from scans and photographs.
How do I get a PDF under 2 MB for an upload form?
Start with the medium level. If that is not enough, go high, or remove the pages you do not need first.
Do you keep the uploaded documents?
No. The file lives only for as long as it takes to process, in a temporary folder that is wiped as soon as the result is sent back.