Compress a PDF
Make large PDFs smaller to share and upload.
Smaller file turns every page into an image. Text will no longer be selectable.
How to compress a PDF
- Select your PDF.
- Pick Optimize (keeps text) or Smaller file (converts pages to images).
- Press Compress PDF and compare the sizes.
About this tool
Optimize rewrites the file more efficiently without touching the content, which helps most with files from some exporters. Smaller file renders each page as an image and rebuilds the PDF, which can shrink scans and image heavy documents a lot, but text is no longer selectable. Results vary, so the tool shows the before and after size and only offers the download when the file is smaller.
Frequently asked questions
Which option should I use first?
Try Optimize first. If the file is still too large, use Smaller file and pick the quality that looks acceptable.
Why did my file not get smaller?
Some PDFs are already well optimized. In that case the tool tells you instead of giving you a bigger file.
Guide
How to Compress a PDF Without Ruining It
Make a PDF small enough to email or upload, and learn when to choose lossless or stronger compression.