It’s problematic if we can’t use a .pdf due to the file size limitation. But that’s where compressing a file comes in handy. And obviously, losing no quality is the first priority.
In this article, I’ll help you lower your PDF file size in several ways on different OS. Have a thorough look and perform your preferred one.
How to Compress a PDF on Mac & Windows
The best way to compress a PDF file is to use the Adobe Acrobat Reader app, and you can rely on this tool because Adobe Systems is the inventor of PDF! Plus, you can use its web-based tool. To add more, MS Word also helps to compress PDF size. And for Mac, its Preview app can reduce PDF size too.
Speaking of compressing a PDF file, you can also edit a PDF file without any issues.
You can compress PDFs both in a free & paid way. The paid ones give you more control while compressing a PDF. But free methods aren’t that bad. They can also reduce PDF size by a significant percentage. I mean, I find them good to go most of the time.
So, we’ll compress our files through paid Acrobat in the first two ways. Then we’ll do that using the free options.
Here are the ways to compress a PDF from both Windows & macOS:
1. Use Adobe Acrobat Desktop App (Windows & macOS)
You can use the Adobe Acrobat Pro app to compress a PDF document. But to compress PDF files, you must subscribe first to use this feature. There are several ways to reduce file size in Adobe Acrobat. Let me show them one by one.
Before you get into that, you must know that besides compressing a PDF, you can also add e-signatures to PDF. So, in case you need that, first sign your PDF and then compress it.
To compress PDF documents with Adobe Acrobat, you must install it first. However, if you have already installed Adobe Acrobat on your Windows or Mac, move to method 1.
So, go to Adobe Acrobat’s official website and download it. Click on the downloaded file to begin the installation process. And then, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation process.
Method 1: Save the PDF File as ‘Reduced Size PDF’
- Open the PDF document with Adobe Acrobat.
- Click on the File tab.
- Select Save As Other > Reduced Size PDF.
- Click the drop-down menu icon of Make compatible with.
- Select the Retain existing, which is the default one, or you can choose other options.
- Click the OK button.
This will compress the PDF while saving it on the PC.
Note: To reduce the file size even more, you can set the compatible version to an older one from the Make compatible with option.
Method 2: Use Adobe’s PDF Optimizer Option
- Open the PDF file that you want to compress with Adobe Acrobat.
- Go to the File tab from the ribbon.
- Select Save As Other > Optimized PDF.
- Click on the Audit space usage button from the top right corner to know which element occupied the most data.
- Click OK to close it.
- Tick the boxes from the left panel, like Images, Fonts, and so on, as per your requirement.
- Set the ppi to 75 for both Color Images and Gray Images options.
- Click OK and then select the Save button.
Now, check whether the compressed PDF file meets the expected file size. If you need to lose more bytes, go to the Optimized PDF option and tweak other elements.
2. Use Adobe Acrobat Web-based App (Windows & macOS)
You can use Adobe’s web-based app if you don’t want to install the Adobe Acrobat desktop app just for compressing the PDF file. You can compress one PDf free just for a trial, and you need to subscribe to it to compress more files.
- Go to the Adobe Acrobat website.
- Click the Convert button, scroll down, and select the Compress a PDF option.
- Click on the Select a File button and browse for the file to select it. Or, you can simply drag & drop the file.
- Choose any compression type from High, Medium, and Low.
- Hit the Compress button.
After that, Adobe Acrobat will start compressing it. You can see the compressed progress percentage. Once compressed, hit the Download button beside the preview.
Note: Choosing the High option for compressing the PDF will reduce the PDF quality. So, my recommendation is to select the Medium or Low option.
3. Use Microsoft Word (Windows & macOS)
Performing pdf file size shrinking is perfectly manageable in a non-paid way. Use your built-in MS Word to do so.
- Right-click on the PDF, select Open with, and choose MS Word.
- Click the File tab from the top ribbon.
- Select the Save as option, and select the file type as .pdf.
- Choose the Minimum size radio button from the Optimize for option.
- Hit the Save button afterward.
After saving the PDF, check the file properties and look for how much your compressed it. It’ll compress the file size by more than 60%.
However, if you face an error while exporting files as PDF in MS Word, you can solve it by reading this separate piece.
4. Use the Preview App (macOS Only)
Almost all macOS versions have a native image previewer app, and it’s called the Preview app. You can read PDF files, do some PDF editing, and add e-signatures with it. Even you can compress PDFs with it.
- Right-click on the app and click open with Preview app from the list.
- Select File > Export. A dialogue box will open.
- Give a name for the file if you want it in the Export as field.
- Click the Format field’s drop-down and select PDF.
- Select Reduce File Size from the Quartz Filter option.
- Choose a location to save the file from the Where section.
- Hit the Save button after that.
Now, check the compressed PDF document’s properties and the file size. You’ll find the PDF file size gets trimmed down.
FAQs
What is the purpose of compressing a PDF?
Compressing large PDF files is convenient for avoiding file size limits, whether it’s email or submitting elsewhere. Also, smaller PDF file sizes are easily sharable, and uploading is faster.
How to compress a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?
You can compress a PDF with MS Word or other web-based apps. If you’re using macOS, you can also use Microsoft Word or its built-in Preview app. The Preview app is a great tool for modifying any PDF files.
How can I compress a PDF by 50%?
Besides the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC desktop app, you can use the web-based version. Go to the official site, select the file, or simply drag & drop the file into the dropzone. Then choose the compression level, and click the Compress button.
Conclusion
When the upload file size limit is set, you should always reduce the file size. And this is so true for other file types, not just PDFs. This guide covers the perfect ways to compress PDF files without degrading the quality of PDF files that much.
I am sure you have understood all the methods and steps very well. If you need more PDF-related help, comment below. Wishing you all the best!
