How to Compress a PDF
- Select or drop your PDF document into the box above.
- Keep Recommended, or choose Strong for the smallest file or Lossless for no quality change.
- Select Compress PDF.
- Download the smaller PDF. If it cannot be made smaller, you keep your original.
How does it make a PDF smaller?
Most of the size of a PDF is usually its photos and scans. The tool finds each image, works out how large it is drawn on the page, and stores it at the resolution that size needs (150 DPI for Recommended, 96 DPI for Strong) as a JPEG. Text, fonts and drawings are not changed, so they stay sharp and searchable. Then the file is packed more tightly.
A PDF that is mostly text is usually small already and may not shrink much. The tool never gives you a file that is bigger than the one you started with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are my PDF files uploaded to a server?
No. QuickFileTools compresses PDFs entirely inside your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your documents never leave your computer or phone.
Will compression reduce text clarity?
No. Text and vector drawings are never turned into images, so they stay sharp at any zoom in every mode. Only photos and scans are reduced.
Are bookmarks, fillable forms, or links preserved?
Yes, usually. They are kept unless removing unused data saves at least a further 10%; the result then says that bookmarks and form fields were removed.
Why did my PDF not get much smaller?
Text-only PDFs are usually small already, and some PDFs are already well compressed. If yours has photos, try Strong. If no smaller version is possible, the tool keeps your original file. Read the guide: Reduce PDF size for upload.
Can I compress password-protected PDFs?
No. Encrypted and password-protected PDFs are not supported. Please decrypt the file before compressing.
Guides for this tool
Related Tools
Check it yourself: your file is not uploaded
- Choose your file on this page.
- Turn off Wi-Fi or mobile data.
- Run the tool. It still finishes and saves the result, because all the work happens in your browser.
On a computer you can also open the browser's developer tools (F12), choose the Network tab and watch: no request carries your file.