A pdf file can be compressed. Most users think that when they compress a pdf file, they just save the pdf and then use it on their computer but they don’t know how to maximum compress a pdf file. This can waste a lot of storage especially when you have to print the PDF at some point.
Do you need a tool to help you compress PDF files? With PDFs being rather common across the Internet, a lot of people want to know how to compress PDF files. This article provides information on how to really compress a pdf file and how to compress pdf file, by using a free tool. In addition, some relatively unknown tips and tricks are given in this article.
Are you curious about how to really compress a pdf file? Or about how to compress pdf file? Well that question has been going around for a long time and I thought it would be appropriate to address these concerns. This article will look at free pdf compressor and highlight the 3 best free pdf compressors available today. I have tested each product on various files, but you can test on your own and see which one works for you. Just click on the blue links in this article to download and go through the setup. The setup should be easy enough for anyone to complete quickly.
Pdf files are meant to be read on screens and not printed. So, if you want to print a pdf file, you should compress pdf file prior printing. So that you can save more paper and ink. This article will teach you how to do it step by step. To compress pdf file is an easy task if you know which parameters to set.
How To Compress PDF to 300 KB or Less
- Go to the Smallpdf Compress PDF tool.
- Drag and drop your PDF file into the tool, choose “basic” or “strong compression.”
- Wait for us to reduce the file size.
- Click “Download” to save your PDF document!
How to compress PDF to 300 KB or less.
The basic compression mode will compress your PDF file substantially–while maintaining the content in a near-identical version as it was in the original PDF format. This should be more than enough for most PDFs. But if the tool’s not able to compress your larger PDFs down to 300KB or less, there’s always the strong compression option to save the day.
And don’t worry about file size caps—we can upload and shrink PDF files up to a whopping 5GB per file.
Stronger PDF Compression
The stronger compression mode is a premium option, but luckily, we offer 7-day free trials for those who need the tool immediately. To start a trial after you’ve uploaded your file to the compress tool, choose the second compression option and you’ll be prompted to sign up.
If you decide not to continue with a Pro account after the trial period, remember to disable the auto-renewal via the account page, and you won’t be charged. If you do stay, a Pro Smallpdf package will enable you to a variety of benefits, including:
- Batch compression – compress as many files as you’d like in one go
- Conversion – from images, Word, PPT, and Excel to and from PDF format
- Edit – annotate, add text, or even eSign PDF files
- Access to the Smallpdf Desktop App – in case you need to compress a PDF to 300 KB offline
- Full access to the Smallpdf Mobile App – get your work done on-the-go
Compress PDFs on Any Device
We understand the need for compatibility. The Smallpdf website can be accessed via any internet browser, any operating system, and even on electronic handheld devices (mobile phones, tablets … etc.). All that you need is a working internet connection and the PDF file on your device—ready to be compressed.
Browser PDF Tools
NeeviaPDF
If you want more control over the quality of your compressed PDF, try DocuPub’s NeeviaPDF (for files less than 24 MB in size).
To keep things simple, you can choose one of the presets, which range from low compression (for a higher image quality) to maximum compression (for a lower image quality). You’re also given the option to discard certain elements from within your PDF. This includes things like forms, annotations, and page labels, which can unnecessarily increase the size of the file.
Our sample PDF lost 98% of its size, clocking in at only 203KB, down from 11,775KB. This was the smallest we achieved in our tests, and the result looked just fine. How much of the original PDF you want to discard depends on how much space you really need to save.
Adobe Acrobat 9
- The simplest way to reduce the file size of a PDF document is, instead of clicking the “Save” Icon, click “File” and click “Save as” every time you make changes to the document. Adobe Acrobat 9 has a feature that automatically optimizes the file size in a single step. Another option is to select “Document | Reduce File Size” to lower the file size. The Reduce File Size command compresses the document structure, images and font size. The format of the file will not remain the same after compression and this can affect the quality of the document.
Windows PDF Tools
Windows 10 finally includes an option to print-to-PDF. However, advanced features, like tweaking the quality and size of a document, are not part of this feature. Meanwhile, many PDF printers let you choose quality and compression settings, which can greatly influence the size of your PDF files.
Note that the tools highlighted below require GhostScript to view and handle PDFs.
FreePDF
FreePDF is a classic PDF printer, and we highlight it here because it allows you to create your own compression profiles. Once installed (remember that you need GhostScript), you’ll find it listed as part of your Windows printers.
To reduce the size of a PDF document with FreePDF, open it, press Ctrl + P to launch the print dialog, choose FreePDF as your printer, click OK, and wait for the FreePDF dialog to pop up. Here, you can choose from three preset PDF profiles, including eBook, High Quality, and Medium Quality.
How to determine the size of your PDF document
If you’re using Adobe Acrobat, checking the size of your PDF is simple. Just click on File, then Properties. You’ll see lots of information about your document, including its size.
Alternatively, you can navigate to the folder containing your document, right-click on it, and click Properties.
Larger files will take longer to upload, are cumbersome to share electronically (via email, for instance), and will use up your law firm’s file storage more rapidly. And even when the courts accept larger file sizes, they prefer to handle smaller, optimized files.
So, how should you set about reducing the size of your PDF documents? Here are five quick tips.
#1 Avoid scanning PDFs wherever possible
It’s a common misconception that, to create PDFs, or to combine multiple documents and exhibits into a single PDF, you need to print everything out and scan it together. Electronically converted files are generally much smaller in size than scans.
You only ever need to scan documents that exist in paper form only — all other documents can be electronically converted from the original file by saving them as PDFs. Furthermore, individual documents can be quickly combined as PDFs using software such as Adobe Acrobat, avoiding any need to print out documents to combine them.
#2 Save as “Reduced Size PDF”
If your file is still very large after you’ve created it electronically, rather than by scanning, there are still some steps you can take. The simplest is to re-save your file as a reduced-size PDF.
In the latest version of Adobe Acrobat, open the PDF you wish to re-save as a smaller file, choose File, Save as Other, and then Reduced Size PDF. You’ll be prompted to select the version compatibility you need and then you can click OK to save. We recommend setting your compatibility with at least Acrobat X, as that version is still widely used.
This method is quick and simple but be warned that it will reduce the quality of images and will remove digital signatures. If you want more control over how your PDF is compressed in Acrobat, use the optimization method described below instead.
#3 Use Adobe Acrobat’s PDF Optimizer
Sometimes you’ll want more control over which elements of your document are reduced in quality or removed. In these circumstances, you should choose the PDF optimizer tool.
Before you optimize a file, it’s a good idea to audit the file’s space usage — review which elements, such as fonts, images, and so on, are using the most data. The results of this may give you ideas about where best to reduce file size.
To begin optimization, open your PDF in Acrobat, click File, Save as Other, and then Optimized PDF. In the dialog box that appears, click on Audit space usage in the top right-hand corner. You’ll see a table of information a bit like this:
The optimizer gives you complete control over the elements of your PDF that will be compressed. Select the checkbox next to a panel (e.g. Images, Fonts), and then select options in that panel. There’s a lot of choices, so it’s worth reading through the Adobe help file to understand what each option does.
Okay, we know that not everyone uses Adobe Acrobat. What options are available to you if you’re using other software or only the basic Adobe Reader? Here are two more options for reducing the size of your PDF file if you’re not using Acrobat.
#4 Reduce the size as you save in Word
In Word, to convert a document to PDF, you use the Save As option. This option generally produces a fairly small file, depending on the number of images in your document. However, if you find that your Word-converted PDF is still too large, there is a further option in Word that will produce a significantly smaller file. Here’s how to use it:
Open the Word document you are going to convert to PDF. Click on the File button and then Save As. In the Save as type menu, select PDF and enter your preferred file name. Here’s the extra step: where it says Optimize for at the bottom of the dialog box, select Minimum size (publishing online).
#5 Use a print-to-PDF tool
Other (non-Adobe) PDF tools generally contain features that will reduce the size of your PDF. However, if you’re looking for a free option, there are some available. Currently, the most downloaded free PDF creator (according to download.com) is PrimoPDF.
Once you’ve installed PrimoPDF, simply open the PDF you wish to compress (in Acrobat Reader, or a web browser, for example), press Ctrl+P to open the print dialog, select PrimoPDF from the list of available printers, and then click Create PDF.
Note that this method, like simply saving as a reduced-size PDF in Adobe Acrobat, reduces image quality and resolution.
Reduce your PDF file to your desired size using Smallpdf’s online compression tool.
Smallpdf is the most popular online compression tool for PDF documents. There has been so much demand that we offer two different compression strengths to help you compress your documents.
How to Compress a PDF to a Chosen Size
- Go to the ‘Compress PDF’ online tool.
- Select your PDF, then drag and drop it into the tool.
- Choose either ‘Basic compression’ or ‘Strong compression’. We’ll also show an estimation of the compression rates here.
- Click ‘Choose option’ to compress your document.
- Download your PDF.
Conclusion
Pdf compression is a required process for many reasons.For instance, you may want to send a large pdf file via email and keep its size down to a manageable level. Or you might need to send a pdf document to someone through email and want them to be able to download it without error. Compressing the pdf does both of these things.
You know that a PDF file can be read only by the Adobe Reader. Right? And you have also known that every time you save a PDF file it will not get smaller (loss in quality when compressing pdf file). In addition, you may be familiar with some online sites which claim to help you compress pdf files and scale down the cost of your business document by getting it printed out.