Why did my scanned PDF shrink much more than a text PDF?
Scanned PDFs often contain large raster images on every page. Reducing those images can save much more space than optimizing a document that is mostly text and vector content.
How to Use Compress PDF
Step 1: Upload PDF
Select any PDF file you want to compress.
Step 2: Choose Compression Level
Select Extreme, Recommended, or Light compression depending on your target quality.
Step 3: Download Optimized PDF
Inspect your saved file size percentage and save the optimized document immediately.
Key Features & Capabilities
- Fast in-browser stream compression
- Multiple compression presets (Standard, High, Ultra)
- Displays exact before & after file sizes and savings percentage
- Retains interactive form fields and vector text
Specifications & Limits
- Supported Formats: .pdf, application/pdf
- Max File Size: 50 MB
- Batch Processing: Supported
- Free Tier Limit: Up to 50MB per file
Frequently Asked Questions
Will compression make PDF text blurry?
Text represented as actual PDF text can remain sharp, but image-based scans can lose detail if their raster resolution or compression is reduced too aggressively.
Why do some PDFs barely get smaller?
The file may already be efficiently compressed, or most of its size may come from content that does not offer much additional reduction.
Should I use the same compression level for screen and print PDFs?
Not necessarily. A screen-only document can often tolerate more image reduction than a document intended for high-quality printing.
Related Tools
- Merge PDF — Combine multiple PDF documents into a single organized file in seconds.
- PDF Metadata Remover — Strip hidden author names, creation software, GPS data, and edit history from PDFs.
- PDF Resize — Change PDF page dimensions to standard sizes like A4, Letter, A3, or Legal.