Compress a PDF locally with visible quality control

Reduce image-heavy PDF size in the browser and choose the quality trade-off before downloading.

✓ No account✓ Browser processing✓ Free to use

Compression is useful when an email, portal or archive rejects a large PDF. The biggest savings usually come from downsampling photographs and scanned pages rather than from ordinary text.

There is no universal best setting. A document intended for screen reading can tolerate more reduction than a print-ready contract or a drawing with small labels.

Tool workspace

Compress PDF

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How to use Compress PDF

1
Add a PDF and note its original size.
2
Choose a quality level that matches screen or print use.
3
Download and zoom into the smallest important text before discarding the original.

Start conservatively

Use a medium setting first. If the result is still too large, make a second export from the original rather than repeatedly compressing an already reduced copy.

Scans need inspection

Fine handwriting, stamps and pale signatures can disappear before ordinary body text looks damaged. Review those areas at 200–300% zoom.

Already optimized PDFs

A digitally generated PDF with embedded fonts and few images may not become much smaller. That is normal and not a failed conversion.

Important limitation

Strong compression can flatten or rasterize content and may remove advanced PDF features. Keep the source file, especially for legal, archival or print work.

Questions about Compress PDF

Will the text stay searchable?

Often yes, but the exact result depends on the source and selected method. Always test search in the exported file.

Why did the file barely shrink?

The source may already be optimized or mostly contain efficient text and vector graphics.

Is maximum compression always best?

No. It can make small text and images unreadable. Match the setting to the final use.