Need to compress a PDF? Keep reading to learn the best method for you.
If you're trying to email or share large PDF files, compress them first.
PDFs are great because they can contain lots of text, images, charts, objects, etc.
But the more stuff that's in the PDF, the bigger the file size.
If the file size is too big, you may have trouble sending, sharing, emailing, or even reading a PDF.
It can be frustrating when you're trying to send attachments or large PDFs, and you can't because of the email limits.
Fortunately, you can compress PDF files so they take up less storage space; making them easier to send.
And it's actually pretty easy to compress PDF files.
Continue reading to learn everything you need to compress your PDFs with ease.
Here are a few helpful things to keep in mind before compressing a PDF:
The main reasons is because compressed PDF files are easier to share with others.
Common reasons include:
More advanced PDF tools will let you select the degree to which you want to compress your PDFs, depending on your needs.
Typically, the more your compress your PDF, the greater the loss of quality in the images.
If your PDF file contains lots of images, consider how they need to be presented, visually when deciding how much to compress your PDF.
Note: Compressing PDFs is an action that can't be undone (zipped files are the exception, since they're designed to be unzipped).
So, it's recommended that you keep a copy of the original document as a backup.
The best way to compress a PDF file on Windows is by using a PDF editor. A good PDF editor offers more control and flexibility when compressing PDF files.
PDF Pro is our all-in-one PDF editor, compressor, converter, OCR, and security tool.
PDF Pro's file optimizer can compress and flatten PDF files in one easy step. Try PDF Pro for free today
1. Open the PDF in PDF Pro.
2. Press Create tab > Optimize file.
3. Adjust the settings, if needed, then press Optimize.
If you pay for Adobe Acrobat, you can use it to compress PDF files. Please note that this method is not available on Adobe Reader.
Like Windows, Mac users can use PDF editor to compress PDF files.
However, unlike Windows users, Mac users can also use Preview to reduce the file size of their PDFs for free.
There's more than one way to compress a PDF for free. The best way is by using an online PDF compressor.
Other options include zipping PDF files into a compressed folder on your desktop or on Google Drive.
If you need to send one (or more) large PDF files, you can zip them into a compressed folder. This makes the PDF easier to send, but they'll need to be unzipped (uncompressed) before you can use the files again.
1. Find the location of the PDF that you want to zip.
2. Right-click > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
That's it!
Just remember: you need to unzip the PDF file before you can use it again.
If you select more than one PDF to download from Google Drive (at the same time), they'll automatically be zipped into a new (compressed) folder. However, this method won't work for individual PDF files.
1. Find and select two or more PDFs that you want to zip.
Tip: hold [ctrl] to select multiple PDFs.
2. Right-click > Download.
That's it!
You now have a zipped folder that is ready to be shared, sent, or stored.
One free online tool you can use to compress a PDF is Adobe's compressor tool.
iPhone users can use an online compressor tool to compress PDFs, or they can optimize their PDFs in their default files app.
There are many online tools out there; choose one from a reputable company. One option is Adobe's online PDF compressor.
You can use the iPhone's default Files app to reduce the file size of PDFs.
Tip: to compress multiple PDFs at the same time, tap the three dots on the top right.
There are many online tools out there; choose one from a trusted company. One option is Adobe's online PDF compressor.
To compress an encrypted or locked PDF (even if you don’t know the password), just zip it like you would a any other PDF.
However, zipping a PDF will not bypass security settings such as passwords. You would still need to unlock the PDF, as usual, before being able to open or edit it.
1. Find the location of the PDF that you want to zip.
2. Right-click > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
PDF are great for storing and presenting content, such as text, objects, and images.
Unfortunately, the more images, graphics, objects, etc. that are in a PDF, the larger the file size. Which can make it more difficult to send or share with others.
Compressing a PDF reduces its file size so it's easier to send or share with others.
Zipping PDF files or using an online PDF compressor are easy ways to compress a PDF for free.
The best way to compress PDFs is by using a dedicated PDF editor. A good PDF editor gives you the most control and flexibility over compression and optimization of PDFs.
For all things PDF, we recommend PDF Pro: our all-in-one PDF editor, converter, compressor, optimizer, OCR tool, and more.
Other things that make PDF Pro awesome:
Here are some frequently asked questions about compressing PDFs that we've answered for your benefit.
You can compress almost any sized PDF. The higher the compression level, the more the file size will be reduced, but also the greater the loss of image quality.
If quality matters to you, use a PDF editor that offers low levels of compression.
To reduce the file size of a PDF document, you can compress and optimize the PDF with a PDF editor.
You can also reduce the size of your images within the document, and remove unnecessary pages, images, objects, etc. to further reduce the total file size.
You can either compress it with a PDF editor or online tool, or you can zip the PDF into a compressed folder.
To zip a PDF file: Right-click > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
You can use a PDF editor like PDF Pro, an online PDF compressor, or zip the file.
No, Adobe Reader can't compress PDFs or reduce their file size. You'll need to pay for Adobe Acrobat, or use an alternative PDF editor like PDF Pro.
