How PDF compression works here
This tool reduces file size by re-rendering each page as an optimized image at your chosen quality level, then rebuilding a new PDF from those images. This approach works especially well on scanned documents and image-heavy PDFs, which are usually the files that need compressing most.
Trade-off to know: because pages are rendered as images, text in the compressed file will no longer be selectable or searchable. If you need to keep text selectable, use a lighter compression level or consider whether compression is the right tool for that particular file.
Choosing a compression level
- Light: Smallest reduction, best visual quality — good for documents you'll print.
- Recommended: A balanced middle ground suitable for most emailing and sharing needs.
- Strong: Maximum size reduction, more visible quality loss — best when file size is the priority over appearance.
Frequently asked questions
Will compression make my text unselectable?
Yes — this tool rasterizes each page into an image to achieve real file size reduction, so text in the output won't be selectable or searchable. This is a common trade-off for browser-based compression, especially effective for scanned pages that weren't selectable text to begin with.
How much smaller will my file get?
It depends heavily on the original file — image-heavy or scanned PDFs typically shrink the most, while already-small, mostly-text PDFs may see limited size reduction.
Is my file uploaded anywhere during compression?
No. Rendering and recompression both happen locally in your browser — your file is never uploaded to a server.