About Compress PDF
Compress PDF makes a heavy file small enough for email, job portals and web forms. Pick Light, Strong or Extreme, and you see the size before and after. If the result is not smaller, you get your original back instead of a worse file.
Email says the attachment is too big? A form will not accept your file? Compress PDF can shrink scans and image-heavy files a lot. We show you the size before and after. If the result is not smaller, we tell you and give you your original back instead of making it worse.
How to use Compress PDF
- Choose your PDF.
- Pick a level. Not sure? Start with Strong.
- Press Compress PDF and compare the sizes before you download.
When to use Compress PDF
- Get a scanned document under the 2 MB or 5 MB limit of an upload form.
- Shrink a photo-heavy presentation so it fits in an email.
- Reduce storage space for archived invoices and statements.
- Make a PDF load faster on a phone with slow internet.
Tips for better results
- Light keeps text selectable but saves little. Strong and Extreme turn pages into compressed pictures.
- Start with Strong for scans and photos. Try Extreme only for a strict size limit and then check readability.
- Always compress a copy and keep your original file.
Why use 40PDF for this?
Most compressors upload your document and make you wait. 40PDF does the work on your own device, which is faster for normal files and keeps confidential paperwork off other people's servers.
Compress PDF: questions and answers
Why does Strong make text unselectable?
To shrink a PDF a lot, each page is saved as a compressed picture. That is the trade-off for a much smaller file.
When should I use Light?
When you need the text to stay selectable and searchable. Savings are small, mostly for files with extra data inside.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The compression runs on your own device.
How do I reduce the size of a PDF?
Open Compress PDF, add your file, choose a compression level and press Compress PDF. You will see the new size and can download the smaller file.
Which compression level should I choose?
Use Light for text documents that must stay selectable, Strong for scans and photos and Extreme when you need the smallest possible file.
Will compressing make my PDF blurry?
Strong and Extreme lower image quality to save space. Extreme is visibly softer, so check the result before sending.