ToolSink

Compress PDF

Reduce the size of a PDF file while preserving readability.

What is the Compress PDF?

The Compress PDF tool shrinks PDF files by downsampling embedded images, re-encoding them and removing redundant data — while keeping text sharp and selectable. Image-heavy PDFs often shrink 50–90%, which gets scans and brochures under the 5–25 MB caps common on email and government portals.

Pick a quality level to trade size against image crispness, and re-run at a lower setting if the result is still too large.

How to use the Compress PDF

  1. 1Drop your PDF onto the upload area.
  2. 2Pick a quality level — lower quality means smaller files.
  3. 3Click "Compress PDF" and compare the new size.
  4. 4Download the smaller PDF, or re-run at a lower quality if needed.

Key features

  • Adjustable quality vs size trade-off
  • Automatic image downsampling and re-encoding
  • Removes duplicate fonts, metadata and unused objects
  • Text stays sharp and selectable
  • Works with scanned and native PDFs

Important notes

  • Most size savings come from re-compressing images, so image-heavy PDFs shrink the most while text-only PDFs may barely change.
  • Higher compression can slightly reduce image sharpness — check the result if the document contains detailed graphics.
  • Compression runs in your browser, so your PDF is not uploaded to a server.

Frequently asked questions

How much can I shrink my PDF?

Image-heavy PDFs often shrink 50–90%; text-only PDFs may only reduce 10–30%.

Can I compress a PDF twice?

You can, but the second pass gives diminishing returns and may visibly reduce image quality.

Tap any tool to jump straight in — no signup, works on mobile.

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