How to Reduce PDF File Size

PDFs are often larger than they need to be: embedded images at print resolution, uncompressed scans, leftover metadata, and duplicated resources all add weight.

There are several ways to shrink a PDF. Which one fits depends on your file and on how small it needs to be.

Use a compression preset

The simplest approach is a one-click preset. Balanced gives a strong reduction for typical documents, while Maximum pushes harder when you need the smallest file and can accept some loss of image detail.

Aim for a target size

If you need to fit a specific limit — for example, a 5 MB portal upload — target-size mode works down a quality ladder until the file fits, and tells you plainly when the target cannot be reached without extreme quality loss.

Reduce image weight with Custom settings

Images are usually the biggest part of a PDF. Custom settings let you lower image quality percentage, cap image resolution (for example 150 DPI for screen use instead of 300 DPI for print), convert images to grayscale, and strip metadata.

When a PDF barely shrinks

Text-heavy or already-optimized PDFs have little removable weight, so savings can be small — that is normal, not a malfunction. The compression report shows the real result. In that case, check whether the file contains large embedded images (try Maximum), or consider splitting out only the pages you need.