Optimize · 3 min read
How to Compress a PDF
Cut PDF size by 40–80% for email attachments or upload limits, with text still crisp.
Quick steps
- Open Compress PDF. Go to pdfoncall.com/compress.
- Drop your PDF. Any size works — nothing uploads to a server.
- Pick a level. Choose Recommended for most files, Extreme for the smallest size.
- Download. Get a smaller PDF that still looks great.
Why compress?
Email attachment limits are often 10–25 MB. Upload forms and portals cap even lower. Compression makes PDFs practical to send.
Will it hurt quality?
Recommended keeps text crisp and lightly re-encodes images — most people notice nothing. Extreme squeezes images harder for the smallest size.
Best practices
- Use Recommended for contracts and reports.
- Use Extreme for photo-heavy PDFs going by email.
- Run OCR before compressing scans so text stays searchable.
Related tools
- Repair PDF
- Split PDF to send only the pages you need
Ready to try it?
Free — 3 tasks a day, no card required. Upgrade any time.