Shrink your scanned PDFs
PDFs that come from a scanner or phone photos often weigh several megabytes. This tool regenerates the pages at a resolution suitable for screen and print, and can cut the size by up to 90%.
We show you how much smaller the file got. If we can't make it smaller, we tell you instead of handing you a bigger file.
How to compress a PDF, step by step
- 1
Select the PDF that's too large.
- 2
Choose a level: strong (for strict limits), medium (good sharpness) or lossless (keeps the text selectable).
- 3
Download the compressed PDF and check the size reduction.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my PDF barely shrink?
If the PDF is just text (for example, exported from Word), it's already optimized. Compression works best on scans and photos.
Will I lose selectable text?
With the strong and medium levels the pages become images and the text is no longer selectable. The lossless level keeps it.
Which level should I use for a 2 MB limit?
Start with medium compression. If it's still too big, use strong compression, or try Compress to Exact Size.