Compress PDF files and scanned documents

Compress a PDF with Lossless cleanup or Screen copy for scans. Check file size and readability; an already compact PDF may stay the same size.

Prepare your files

PDF · Up to 32 MB per file.

Try the sample or choose your own files. We remove your uploads after each preview or tool run. File privacy.

Using Compress PDF

Compress a PDF with Lossless cleanup or Screen copy for scans. Check file size and readability; an already compact PDF may stay the same size.

Three steps

Choose a PDF of up to 32 MB. Start with Lossless if text selection or interactive form fields matter.
For scans or image-heavy documents, try Screen copy on the original and compare the reported result size.
Download and reopen the result. Check small text, numbers and any codes the recipient needs to read.

Worked example

Our synthetic eight-page checklist went from 45,675 bytes to 8,219 bytes using Lossless, with its text preserved. It was deliberately created without content-stream compression: these are demonstration results, not typical savings. Try the downloadable original, then check your own result for readability.

Original checklist (PDF, 45.7 kB) · Lossless result (PDF, 8.2 kB)

Why did the file size stay the same?

The tool keeps the smallest candidate, including the original. A PDF that is already compact may not shrink. Screen copy can flatten searchable text and forms into pictures; use Lossless when those matter.

Can I compress a PDF to an exact size, such as 1 MB?

There is no target-size setting or guaranteed reduction. The tool returns the smallest candidate, including the original. If it still exceeds an upload limit, remove unnecessary pages or split it if the recipient accepts separate files.

Which mode keeps searchable text?

Lossless cleans up PDF structure without rendering the pages into images. Screen copy also tries a lower-resolution image version; if that candidate is chosen, text and form fields are flattened. Check the actual result before using it.

Files and processing

Previews and PDF tools process your uploads on our server. We remove the original files after each operation. Save the result before leaving the tool. File privacy.