How-to guide
How to reduce PDF size online.
Use this step-by-step guide to choose the right target size and avoid unnecessary quality loss.
1. Check the upload limit
Start with the size limit set by the website, form or email service. If the limit is 2MB, do not choose 100KB unless you have to.
2. Upload the PDF
Choose a PDF from your device. Very large, scanned or image-heavy PDFs take longer and may need stronger compression.
3. Pick a target size
Select a target such as 500KB, 1MB or 2MB. Smaller targets trade more quality for a smaller file.
4. Review before submitting
Open the compressed PDF and check text readability, image clarity, page count and file size before sending it anywhere important.
Questions answered
What is the safest target size?
Use the largest file size your upload portal accepts. That gives the compressor more room to preserve quality.
Why does my scanned PDF look softer?
Scanned PDFs are mostly images. Reducing file size usually means reducing image resolution or quality.