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Compress PDF File Size Online — Free

Reduce a PDF's file size by re-encoding the images inside it at a lower JPEG quality — useful before emailing a large scanned document.

How to compress pdf

  1. Choose the PDF you want to shrink.
  2. Set the JPEG quality slider — lower values mean a smaller file but more visible compression artifacts.
  3. Click "Compress & Download".

Frequently asked questions

Will compressing a PDF make the text blurry?

No — real text stays crisp. Compression re-encodes embedded raster images (like scanned pages or photos); vector text is untouched.

What quality setting should I use?

60-70% is a reasonable balance for most scanned documents. Drop lower if file size matters more than image sharpness.

Why did my PDF barely shrink?

Compression works by re-encoding raster images inside the file. A PDF that is mostly vector text — an exported report or invoice, say — has little image data to squeeze, so the size barely moves. Scans and image-heavy documents shrink the most.

Can I compress a PDF to a specific size, like under 2 MB for an upload form?

There's no exact target-size mode. Lower the quality slider, download, and check the result — for scanned documents, stepping down to around 40-50% usually gets a large file under common email and web-form limits.

Is my file sent to a server to be compressed?

No. The re-encoding happens in your browser using WebAssembly, so the PDF stays on your device.

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