How to Compress a PDF for Email and Upload Limits
A large PDF can fail to upload or be rejected by email. Here is how to make it smaller, and what to expect from the result.
Step by step
- Open Compress PDF.
- Upload your PDF.
- Choose a level. Start with Balanced.
- Click compress and compare the old and new size.
- If it is still too large, try the Strong level.
What this tool does
It turns each page into a compressed image. This works well for scanned documents and photo-heavy files. The text in the new file can no longer be selected, and links are lost. If you need selectable text, keep your original file.
Other ways to make a PDF smaller
- Compress the photos first with Compress Image, then make the PDF from them with Image to PDF.
- Remove pages you do not need with Delete Pages from PDF.
- Split a large file into parts with Split PDF if the portal allows more than one file.
Why the result can be bigger
PDFs that are mostly text are already small. Turning them into images can make them larger, so check the size before you use the new file.