Compress a Scanned PDF Without Making Text Blurry
Blurry output comes from compressing colour photographs of paper. Convert the scan to grayscale first and the same file size buys you far more text detail.
Drop files here
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Target file size
KB
3 free tasks a day · No signup · Files never leave your device
Step by step
- 1Add the scanned PDF.
- 2Tick “Convert to grayscale” — scans rarely need colour, and it frees up most of the budget for detail.
- 3Pick the size your form or inbox requires.
- 4Check the preview size; if text still looks soft, raise the target by 100–200KB.
Questions
Why does grayscale keep text sharper?+
Colour scans spend bits describing paper tint. In grayscale those bits go to edge detail instead, so characters stay defined at the same file size.
Should I re-scan instead?+
If you still have the paper, photographing it with our scan tool in black & white mode produces a smaller and sharper file than compressing a bad scan.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?+
No. Every PDFOnCall tool runs inside your browser, so the file never leaves your device. That is also why it finishes in seconds instead of waiting in an upload queue.