Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size while maintaining readability. Choose a compression level or set an exact target size.
Drag & drop your PDF here, or click to browse
PDF only, up to 100MB
Ghostscript Engine
Powered by Ghostscript — the industry-standard PDF renderer used by Adobe, Linux distributions, and professional print workflows. Achieves up to 90% reduction while preserving text sharpness.
Level or Exact Target Size
Choose a named quality preset (Screen, eBook, Office Print, Professional) or type a precise KB target. Our algorithm hits your target within ±15% for portal uploads.
Secure & Private
PDFs are uploaded over HTTPS, processed immediately, and deleted from our server after you download. We never store, read, index, or share your document content.
Text Always Sharp
Text in PDFs is vector data — it is never re-rasterised. Only embedded images are compressed. Printed text, fonts, and form fields remain pixel-perfect.
Fast Turnaround
Most PDFs are compressed in under 10 seconds. Large image-heavy files up to 100MB typically process in under 30 seconds, depending on server load.
Compress to Exact KB
Need exactly 100KB, 200KB, or 1MB? Use the Target Size tab or jump to a dedicated page below to compress any PDF to a specific portal requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a PDF be compressed?
Typically 30–90% depending on content. Image-heavy PDFs (scanned documents, photo albums, presentations) compress the most — often 80–90%. Text-only PDFs may only achieve 20–40% since text is already stored efficiently as vectors.
What do the compression levels mean?
Screen/Email applies the most aggressive image compression — ideal for email attachments and portal uploads where file size matters most. eBook/Web balances quality and size for online reading. Office Print is suitable for printing. Professional Print is near-lossless and produces larger files.
Will my PDF text become unreadable?
No. Text in PDFs is stored as vector outlines, not images. It is never affected by compression — only embedded bitmap images are quality-reduced. All fonts, diagrams, and form fields remain perfectly sharp.
What is the maximum file size?
Up to 100MB per PDF. Files larger than 100MB cannot be uploaded — consider splitting the PDF first.
How does Target Size mode work?
Enter your required KB value and click Compress PDF. Ghostscript re-renders the PDF at decreasing quality levels until the output fits within your target. The result panel shows exactly what was achieved.
Is it safe to compress confidential documents?
Yes. All uploads use HTTPS encryption. Files are processed on our server and deleted immediately after download. We do not log document content or retain any metadata from uploaded PDFs.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
Password-protected PDFs cannot be processed unless the PDF is first unlocked. Use a PDF unlocker tool to remove the password, then compress.
Why is my compressed PDF only slightly smaller?
If your PDF contains mostly vector graphics and text (no embedded images), Ghostscript has little to compress. PDF size is dominated by image data — a text-only legal document may only shrink 10–20%.
Compression Level Comparison
| Level | Image Quality | Size Reduction | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen / Email | 72 DPI | 60–90% | Portal uploads, email attachments |
| eBook / Web | 150 DPI | 40–70% | Online reading, web sharing |
| Office Print | 300 DPI | 20–50% | Office printing, internal documents |
| Professional Print | 300 DPI+ | 5–20% | Print shops, near-lossless archiving |
Compress PDF to a Specific Size
Portal requires an exact KB limit? Jump straight to the right page:
Related Compress Tools
More free tools you might find useful
Compress Image
Reduce file size of JPG, PNG, SVG, GIFs while maintaining quality.
JPG/JPEG Compressor
Compress JPG and JPEG images without losing quality.
PNG Compressor
Compress PNG images with transparency support.
WebP Compressor
Compress WebP images for faster web loading.
GIF Compressor
Reduce GIF file size while preserving animation.
BMP Compressor
Compress BMP bitmap images efficiently.