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Compress PDF

Make a PDF smaller without uploading it.

Drag and drop your PDF file here

Select a PDF to compress. Up to 100 MB.

Your file is processed on your device and is not sent to any server.

Also shrinks JPEG images: medium-high quality and at most 2000 pixels per side. The result depends on what is inside the PDF, and a particular reduction cannot be guaranteed.

How to use Compress PDF

  1. Select a PDF, or drag it onto the drop area. The tool reads it and shows its page count and size.
  2. Choose a level: No quality loss, Balanced (recommended), or Maximum reduction. You can also remove document metadata.
  3. Press Compress PDF. The tool re-saves the file and shrinks the JPEG images inside it, then checks that the result opens.
  4. Compare the sizes. Download the compressed PDF, or keep the original if the result is not clearly smaller.

About this tool

Most of the size of a PDF is its images. Compress PDF works on those images and on the file structure. The first level, No quality loss, only reorganises and compresses the structure and does not touch images. Balanced also shrinks JPEG images to medium-high quality and at most 2000 pixels per side. Maximum reduction goes further, to medium quality and 1400 pixels, which can be visible in photos and scans.

The tool measures the saved file and tells you the truth: if the processed PDF would be bigger than the original, or the change is tiny, it says so and does not offer a download. PDFs that were already optimised often cannot get much smaller, and no honest tool can guarantee a particular percentage.

After compressing, the tool re-opens the new file to check it is a valid PDF. If the check fails, the result is not offered and your original is unchanged.

Limits and what to expect

  • PDF up to 100 MB.
  • Only JPEG images inside the PDF are shrunk. Other image types and drawn text are kept as they are.
  • A digitally signed PDF loses its signature in the compressed copy.
  • Password-protected or damaged PDFs are rejected with a message that says why.

Tips

  • Try Balanced first; use Maximum reduction only if you need the extra saving.
  • Scanned documents shrink most, because each page is an image.
  • Keep the original in case you need the full quality later.

Frequently asked questions

How do I reduce the size of a PDF?

Select the PDF, choose a level and press Compress PDF. The tool shows the new size and the percentage saved.

Will compression make my PDF blurry?

No Quality loss does not touch images. Balanced and Maximum reduction lower the quality of JPEG images a little, and Maximum reduction can be visible in photos and scans.

Why did my PDF not get smaller?

It may already be optimised, or most of its size may be in images that are not JPEG. The tool says so and suggests keeping the original.

Can I compress to an exact size such as 100 KB?

The tool cannot promise an exact size. For common goals there are pages for 50 KB, 100 KB, 200 KB and 500 KB that start on the strongest level and report whether the file got under the number.

Is my file uploaded?

No. The file is read and processed in your browser on your own device. It is not sent to Paul Digital or any other server, and nothing is kept when you close the page.

Compress to a target size

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Privacy

Your file is processed in your browser on your own device. It is not uploaded to Paul Digital or any other server, and nothing is stored once you close the page.