Make any PDF smaller
Shrink Your PDF File Size
Before you shrink a PDF, it helps to know what is actually making it big. Most oversized PDFs are heavy for one reason: scanned pages stored as full-resolution images. Plain text and vector graphics barely add weight at all.
Once you know the cause, the fix is targeted: compress the images that bloat the file, and leave the text alone. That is how you cut megabytes without touching readability.
While using the browser tool, your PDF is processed locally in your browser. The tool detects whether your PDF is text-based or scanned, then shrinks the part that is actually large.
How to shrink a PDF the right way
What is taking up space in your PDF
- Scanned pages: each page is a full photo of the paper, often the single biggest cause of a large file.
- High-resolution images: a 300 DPI colour photo carries far more data than the text around it.
- Embedded fonts and logos: usually small, but a heavy logo repeated on every page adds up.
- Selectable text: almost weightless, which is why text-only PDFs are already small and compress little.
Try it with your PDF
Upload your PDF, see what is making it large, pick a target, and download a smaller version that is still easy to read.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is my PDF so large in the first place?
Almost always because it contains scanned pages or high-resolution images. Text and vector content add very little, so images are where the size lives.
How much can a PDF shrink?
Image-heavy and scanned PDFs can shrink dramatically because there is a lot of image data to optimise. Lean text PDFs are already small and have little to cut.
Can I shrink a PDF without touching the text?
Yes. Compression targets images; the selectable text is left intact, so shrinking an image-heavy PDF does not degrade the wording.
Does my PDF upload to your server?
No. The whole process runs in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.
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