How to Make a PDF Smaller

Shrink a PDF that's too big to email or upload, while keeping it readable.

1. On a Mac, use Preview's "Reduce File Size"

   Open the PDF in Preview, choose File > Export, and in the "Quartz Filter" dropdown pick "Reduce File Size." Save under a new name and compare — sometimes it shrinks a lot, sometimes a little.

2. On Windows, re-save through a PDF printer

   Open the file, choose Print, select "Microsoft Print to PDF," and save. Re-rendering often drops the size of image-heavy PDFs.

3. Use a free online compressor for a quick job

   Tools like Adobe's or Smallpdf's compressor work in the browser. Don't upload anything sensitive (contracts, IDs, tax forms) to a third-party site — use the offline methods above for private documents.

4. Check that it still looks right

   Open the compressed copy and make sure text is sharp and images aren't too blurry. If it's over-compressed, redo it with a lighter setting.