What this tool does
This tool is for the common problem of a PDF that’s too large to email or upload to a form. Enter a target size in KB or MB, and it adjusts image quality and resolution automatically to get your PDF under that size.
- Set any target size (500KB, 1MB, 2MB and 5MB are one tap away)
- Text and layout are kept as they are wherever possible; photos and scanned images are compressed first
- See the size before and after, and preview the result before downloading
- Free, no sign-up, and no watermark on your PDF
- Works on computers and in iPhone and Android browsers (PDFs up to 100MB)
Ways to make a PDF smaller
There are several ways to reduce a PDF’s size. Combining them often gives a smaller file that still looks good.
- Compress to a target size: if you know the upload limit, enter that number directly.
- Delete pages you don’t need: removing blank or unneeded pages leaves more room for the remaining pages, so they keep better quality.
- Split the PDF: if one file won’t fit, check whether you can submit several files instead.
- Convert to grayscale: documents that don’t need color can get smaller in black and white.
- Adjust your scanner settings: for future scans, choose grayscale or black and white and avoid a higher resolution than you need.
How the compression works
To keep text readable while reducing size, the tool works in this order:
- It reads the PDF and checks the images and structure inside.
- It compresses the photos and scanned images in the PDF first.
- Text, shapes and layout are kept as they are wherever possible. If the file reaches the target at this stage, text can still be selected and copied.
- If that isn’t enough, each page is turned into an image to shrink it further. Text can then no longer be selected or copied, and the tool tells you so.
- If the target could only be reached by making text hard to read, the tool stops and tells you it couldn’t reach the target. You can still review and download the smallest file it made.
If your PDF is already under the target, the tool tells you it can be used as it is. And if the compressed file would be larger than the original, it recommends using the original.
Why PDFs get large
A PDF’s size is mostly determined by the images inside it. Files tend to be large when:
- They contain photos taken on a smartphone (a single photo can be several MB)
- Documents were scanned in color or at a high resolution
- They have many pages
- The software that created them embedded font data in the file
Text-based PDFs, on the other hand, are usually small already and may not shrink much.
When you need a smaller PDF
Most “can’t send” or “can’t upload” problems come down to a file size limit. Email services often limit attachment size, so large PDFs may bounce or fail to send.
Job application forms, university application systems, company expense or business systems, and government online services also often set an upload limit. Limits vary, so check the instructions before submitting and compress to that number.
Choosing a target size
If a limit is stated, enter that number as your target. The tool counts 1MB as 1,000,000 bytes, so your file stays under the limit even if the site counts differently. If no limit is given, use these as a guide:
Under 500KB
For forms and systems with strict limits. Photos can look a little rough, so it suits short documents such as ID copies. For longer documents, delete unneeded pages before compressing.
Under 1MB
A common limit on application forms and online services. Documents of a few pages usually fit while keeping text easy to read.
Under 2MB
Good for documents with photos or many pages. There’s more room for quality, so changes are less noticeable.
Under 5MB
Good for email attachments and more generous upload limits. Photo-heavy documents can shrink without losing much quality.
Even with the same target, how good the result looks depends on the original PDF’s content and page count. Check in the preview that text and photos are readable before downloading.
Your file is never uploaded
Your PDF isn’t uploaded to a server. It’s compressed only on your device, so no one else, including the site operator, can see its contents.
That makes it suitable for documents with personal or confidential information, such as résumés, contracts, invoices and ID documents. The data being processed is discarded from memory when you close the page. As always, take care of your device and the files you download.
Compressing a PDF on iPhone or Android
You can use it straight from your phone’s browser, with no app to install.
On iPhone
Open this page in Safari or Chrome and tap “Select PDF file”. You can choose PDFs saved in the Files app or iCloud Drive. The compressed PDF is usually saved to “Downloads” in the Files app.
On Android
Open this page in Chrome or another browser and choose a PDF from your device or Google Drive. The compressed PDF is usually saved to your Downloads folder.
PDFs with many pages can take a while. Keep the page open until processing finishes. Large files are faster on a computer.
Quality and readability
Compression lowers the quality of photos and images in the PDF. How much depends on the target size and the original content. The tool puts text readability first and won’t lower quality to the point where text can’t be read.
If compressing images alone reaches the target, text stays as it is and can be selected and copied. If pages are turned into images, text can no longer be selected or searched, and the tool tells you. For important documents, keep the original file as well.
Summary
To fit a PDF under an upload limit, just enter a target size and select your file. It’s free, needs no sign-up, and your file is processed in your browser. There are also dedicated pages for common sizes like 1MB and 500KB.