Compress PDF Files
Shrink PDFs by recompressing the photos inside, or redraw scans smaller. Text stays selectable.
By Syed Mubashir Ali · Last updated
Compress PDF to 100KB, 200KB, or any target size
Upload forms often set a limit: a CV under 200 KB, an ID scan under 100 KB, an application under 1 MB. Choose 'Target size', type the limit or pick 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB or 1 MB, and the compressor tries smaller and smaller settings until the file fits. It starts by shrinking the photos inside the PDF, which keeps the text sharp and selectable, and only redraws whole pages as images if that's the only way to get under the limit. It tells you if the file had to go that far, or if it still doesn't fit.
What's realistic depends on what's in the file. A text-only PDF is usually small already. A document with a few photos shrinks a lot, because the photos are most of its size. A multi-page scan is a stack of pictures: getting 10 scanned pages under 200 KB means low resolution, so check the result is still readable before you submit it. The compressor stops at about 70 DPI rather than produce a file that fits but can't be read.
How to Use PDF Compressor
- 1Drop a PDF into the upload area.
- 2Choose a level: 'Recommended' (photos to about 150 DPI), 'Strong' (about 100 DPI), 'Maximum' (every page redrawn as an image), or 'Target size' to fit an upload limit such as 200 KB.
- 3Click 'Compress PDF' (or 'Compress to under …' for a target size).
- 4Check the before and after sizes and click 'Download compressed PDF'. If the file couldn't be made smaller, the tool says so instead of offering a file that isn't.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does it make PDFs smaller?
Most of a large PDF's size is photos. 'Recommended' and 'Strong' find the JPEG photos inside the file and re-encode them at a lower resolution and quality, replacing each one only if the new version is clearly smaller. Text, fonts and drawings are left exactly as they are.
How do I make a PDF smaller than 100 KB or 200 KB?
Choose 'Target size' and enter the limit. The tool tries smaller and smaller settings, photos first and whole pages after, and stops at the first one that fits, aiming just under the limit so it passes whether the portal counts a kilobyte as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes. If the file can't fit while staying readable, it tells you the smallest size it reached so you can remove or split pages.
Will my text still be selectable?
With 'Recommended' and 'Strong', yes: only photos change. 'Maximum' redraws every page as a picture, so text becomes part of the image and can't be selected or searched. Use it for scans, not for documents with real text.
Why didn't my PDF get smaller?
PDFs that are mostly text, fonts and vector drawings are already compressed internally, and there are no photos to shrink. If it's a scan, try 'Maximum'. The tool only offers a download when the result is actually smaller.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
Not directly. A password-protected PDF is encrypted, and the tool tells you so instead of producing a broken file. Open it in your PDF viewer with the password, use Print → Save as PDF to make an unprotected copy, and use that.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser; the file is never uploaded to a server, so it stays on your device.
How do I compress a PDF for free?
Upload your PDF above and pick a strength: Recommended, Strong or Maximum. Or choose Target size and tap 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB or 1 MB (or type your own limit), then download the smaller file. Free, no signup, and your file is never uploaded.
About PDF Compressor
The PDF Compressor shrinks PDFs for email attachments, upload forms with size limits, and sharing over slow connections. It works on the part of a PDF that actually takes up space: the photos.
'Recommended' keeps photos at about 150 DPI for their size on an A4 page, which looks the same on screen and prints well. 'Strong' goes to about 100 DPI for the smallest file that still reads comfortably. Each photo is replaced only when the new version is at least 10% smaller. Colour photos in CMYK, and images in formats a browser can't re-encode faithfully, are left alone.
For scanned documents, 'Maximum' redraws each page as a 120 DPI image, which often shrinks a scan by more than half. The result is shown before and after, and if a setting can't make the file smaller you're told so rather than handed a bigger file. Everything runs in your browser.