Compress PDF

Reduce PDF file size in your browser. Pick a compression level, see the savings, download — 100% private, no upload.

Overview

Compress PDF reduces the size of a PDF entirely in your browser. It re-renders each page as an image at a resolution and quality you control — from a small Screen preset up to high-quality Prepress, or a fully custom DPI and quality with optional grayscale. You see the file's size, page count, and a first-page preview before compressing, and the exact before/after size and percentage saved afterward. Because everything runs client-side with pdf.js and pdf-lib, your document never leaves your device. Note this method rasterizes pages, so selectable text is not preserved — keep your original if you need it.

Key Features

  • Screen / eBook / Print / Prepress presets
  • Custom DPI and quality control
  • Optional grayscale for extra savings
  • Before/after size comparison
  • First-page preview
  • No upload — fully private

Common Use Cases

  • Emailing Large PDFs — Shrink a scan-heavy PDF so it fits under an email attachment size limit.
  • Uploading to Portals — Reduce a document to meet the file-size cap of an application or upload form.
  • Saving Storage — Compress bulky archived PDFs to reclaim space without moving files to a cloud service.
  • Faster Sharing — Make a heavy brochure or report quicker to download and share.
  • Web-Ready Documents — Optimize PDFs for on-screen viewing where the Screen preset's small size is ideal.

How It Works
1

Open your PDF

Drop your PDF to see its size, page count, and a first-page preview.

2

Choose a level

Pick a preset from Screen to Prepress, or set a custom DPI and quality — and optionally grayscale.

3

Compress and download

See how much smaller the result is, then download it. Nothing is uploaded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does compressing remove selectable text?
The only way to meaningfully shrink an arbitrary PDF entirely in your browser is to re-render each page as an image at a lower resolution and quality. That makes pages much smaller but turns text into pixels, so it's no longer selectable or searchable, and links and form fields are dropped. Keep the original if you need those.

Which level should I choose?
Screen gives the smallest files for on-screen viewing, eBook is a good balance for reading, Print stays sharp for desktop printing, and Prepress keeps the highest quality. Use custom settings for fine control over DPI and quality.

How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends heavily on the original. Image-heavy or inefficiently-saved PDFs can shrink dramatically; already-optimized or text-only PDFs may not shrink much — the tool shows the exact before/after size so you can decide.

Are my files uploaded?
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser using pdf.js and pdf-lib, so your document never leaves your device.

Can I keep the text selectable?
Yes — turn on ‘Keep text selectable (lossless)’. It compresses by regenerating and re-deflating the PDF's streams and linearizing the file, which preserves text, fonts, links, and form fields. The savings are more modest than rasterizing, but nothing is turned into an image.

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