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Compress PDF

Make PDF files smaller so they are easier to email and upload.

Compression level

Your files never leave your device.

When to use it

Compress PDF makes PDF files smaller so they fit under email attachment limits, pass the upload limit on application and government portals, and download faster. It helps most with scanned documents and PDFs full of photos, such as brochures, reports exported from slide software, or a stack of phone-scanned pages. These are often 10 to 50 MB when a 1 to 3 MB file would look just the same on screen.

How to compress a PDF

  1. Choose a Compression level:
    • Light: best quality, smaller savings.
    • Recommended: good quality, good savings.
    • Strong: smallest file, lower image quality.
  2. Tap Choose PDF files, or drag PDFs onto the box. You can compress several at once.
  3. Wait while each file is processed. The progress shows which image is being optimized.
  4. Check the results: each file lists its old and new size and how many images were optimized.
  5. Press Download (a ZIP file if you compressed more than one), or change the level to try again.

A worked example

A university portal limits uploads to 5 MB, but your scanned transcript is a 14-page, 18 MB PDF. With Recommended, each scanned page image is reduced to at most 1800 pixels and re-saved, and the file usually ends up between 2 and 4 MB. The text is still easy to read on screen and on paper. If it’s still too big, switch to Strong, which typically halves it again.

How it works

Inside a PDF, each scanned page or photo is stored as an image, often at far higher resolution than needed. toolwise finds those images, scales down any that are larger than the chosen level allows, and saves them again as efficient JPEGs. Text, fonts and vector graphics are not touched. If the result isn’t smaller than the original, you get the original back.

Tips

  • Start with Recommended, and only step up to Strong if you must.
  • Compress before merging large scans, so you can check each part.
  • Check fine print after Strong compression, such as small footnotes in scans, at 100% zoom.
  • Keep the original for printing and archiving; send the compressed copy.

Common mistakes

  • Compressing again and again. Each pass lowers image quality further for little gain. Go back to the original and choose a stronger level instead.
  • Expecting big savings on text-only files. A 300 KB typed document is already compact.
  • Using Strong for photos meant for print. Printed images may look soft; Light is the better choice.

Private by design

Compression runs in your browser, so contracts, bank statements and medical records never leave your device.

Join files with Merge PDF, remove unneeded pages with Delete PDF Pages, or compress photos before making a PDF with Compress Image.

Frequently asked questions

Why didn't my PDF get smaller?

Compression works by shrinking the pictures inside a PDF. Documents that are mostly text, like a typed letter or an exported spreadsheet, are already small, so there is little to remove. toolwise keeps the original when it can't make the file smaller.

Will my text become blurry?

No. Text, fonts and vector drawings are left exactly as they are. Only photos and scanned page images are resized and re-saved, so typed text stays sharp at every level.

Which level should I choose for email?

Recommended suits most email and upload limits. If the file is still too large, try Strong. Keep Light for documents with photos that will be printed or zoomed into.

Can I compress a password-protected PDF?

Not while it's locked. Open it with Unlock PDF using its password, compress it, and add protection again with Protect PDF if needed.

Is there a size limit?

Each file can be up to 200 MB. Very large scanned documents may take a minute or two, especially on phones.

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