ToolPix

PDF Compress

Reduce PDF file size by removing unused data and optimizing the file structure. All processing happens in your browser — your files never leave your device.

Drop your PDF here, or click to browse

Select a PDF file to compress

How to Compress PDF Files

  1. 1

    Upload PDF File

    Select the PDF document you want to compress.

  2. 2

    Choose Compression Level

    Select light, medium, or heavy compression based on your needs.

  3. 3

    Process Document

    The tool optimizes images and removes unused data within the PDF.

  4. 4

    Download Compressed PDF

    Compare file sizes and download the smaller PDF.

About PDF Compression

PDF compression reduces file size by optimizing embedded images and removing unnecessary metadata. Large PDFs with high-resolution images can often be reduced by 50-80% without noticeable quality loss.

The compression process targets the largest contributors to file size — embedded images are re-encoded at lower quality, unused font subsets may be removed, and redundant metadata is stripped.

This is particularly useful when PDFs exceed email attachment limits or when you need to upload documents to platforms with file size restrictions. The compressed PDF retains all text, formatting, and page structure.

Key Features

Multiple compression levels (light, medium, heavy)
Image optimization within PDF pages
Metadata and unused data removal
File size comparison before and after
Preserves text and layout quality
Browser-based processing — no server uploads

Common Use Cases

  • Reduce PDF size to meet email attachment limits (typically 25MB)
  • Compress scanned documents that contain large embedded images
  • Optimize PDFs for faster loading on websites
  • Reduce storage space for PDF document archives
  • Prepare PDFs for upload to platforms with file size restrictions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I reduce the file size?

Results vary by content. PDFs with large images can be reduced by 50-80%. Text-heavy PDFs with few images may see smaller reductions (10-30%).

Does compression affect text quality?

No. Text in PDFs is vector-based and is not affected by compression. Only embedded images are re-encoded at lower quality levels.

What compression level should I choose?

Light compression preserves high quality with moderate size reduction. Medium is a good balance. Heavy provides maximum size reduction but images may show quality loss.

Can I compress password-protected PDFs?

No. The PDF must be unlocked before compression. Remove password protection first, then compress.

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