Compress PDF
Try a smaller PDF through image recompression, then compare the saving with the detail you need to keep.
Drop a PDF here, or click to browse
PDF — images are recompressed, text is left alone
What this page helps you do
Reduce a PDF's size when its embedded JPEG images can be recompressed, while leaving text and vector content as document content. The result reports whether the exported file is smaller so you can choose which copy to keep.
How to use the result
Choose a compression level, run it on the PDF, and compare the result with the original. A text-heavy or already optimized document may offer little scope for reduction.
Before you rely on it
- Compare the downloaded byte size with the recipient's cap; a reduction alone may not be enough.
- Zoom in on scanned text, fine diagrams and photographs to assess the image-quality tradeoff.
Limit to keep in mind: Image recompression is lossy and does not guarantee a target size. Unsupported image encodings are left unchanged, and compression does not add searchable text to scans.
Check whether this method fits the document
The compressor looks for supported JPEG image objects inside the PDF. It can help with documents containing suitable photographic images while leaving existing text and vector drawings in place.
JPEG 2000, CCITT fax and other unsupported image encodings are left unchanged. A text-heavy document or an already-optimized scan may show little saving. Use the reported result rather than assuming a particular reduction.
Review size and readability together
A smaller file is useful only if the recipient can still read it. Compare the original and downloaded copy at a suitable zoom, including small text inside scans, signatures and fine graphic detail.
Check the actual byte size against the destination's limit. This tool does not promise a chosen target size or turn a scan into searchable text. Keep your original until you decide the compressed copy is suitable.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
- Will text stay searchable?
- Existing text remains text because this tool does not rasterize complete pages. A scan without a text layer stays an image of text and still needs a separate OCR workflow to become searchable.
- Why might there be little or no reduction?
- The document may consist mainly of text, already-efficient pictures or unsupported image encodings. Only supported embedded JPEG images are candidates; a large file is not necessarily compressible by this method.
- Is image recompression lossless?
- No. JPEG recompression can discard detail. Compare small writing, signatures, diagrams and photographs in the exported copy before choosing to use it.
- What if the result would be larger?
- An image is replaced only when its recompressed version is smaller. If the complete document does not shrink, the tool reports that outcome rather than downloading a larger replacement; keep the original.
- Can I compress a merged document?
- Yes. Finish the page ordering, merging or rotation first, then process the resulting PDF here. Check the final file size and document content after compression.
- Does compression send the PDF to a server?
- The browser performs the document processing. The source is not uploaded for compression, and your downloaded copy remains yours to review and save.