Compress PDF
Compression re-renders every page as an image, so text in the result can no longer be selected or searched. If you need to keep the text layer, use a different tool.
Drop PDFs here, or click to pick
Files are processed in your browser and never uploaded
About Compress PDF
Compression here works one way: every page is re-rendered as an image at the resolution you pick, then packed into a new PDF. The trade-off comes first — the text layer is gone, so nothing in the result can be selected, searched or copied. Scans and image-heavy PDFs benefit the most; a few pages of pure text often barely shrink, or even grow, and the page will tell you so honestly.
Check the result before you commit
When it finishes you get the original size, the compressed size and the percentage change side by side. If it says the file got bigger, there was nothing left to squeeze: try 72 DPI with low quality once, and if it still grows, leave it alone — another pass only makes it blurrier.
What each setting does
Resolution decides how many pixels each page is rendered at, and it drives the file size. 72 DPI is fine on screen, 110 DPI is the default balance, 150 DPI suits contracts and receipts you need to print, 200 DPI is for drawings where details matter.
Image quality is the JPEG compression ratio: high (85) is visually indistinguishable, medium (70) usually halves the size, low (50) shows ringing around dense text.
Grayscale converts colour pages to black and white. On colour scans and tinted tables it often saves another half.
What you lose
The text layer, clickable internal links and bookmarks all disappear with the re-render. So the compressed file is a poor choice for full-text search, citation or machine reading. If you need the text, skip this tool and work from the original.
Frequently asked questions
Does it modify my original file?
No. Everything runs in the browser and the original is untouched; the output is a new file you can download or throw away.
Why did the file get bigger?
Pure text, vector graphics and already-tiny PDFs have no bitmap to squeeze, so re-rendering them as images takes more space. In that case, don't compress.
Can I still search the text afterwards?
No. Compression turns each page into a photo, so the text layer is gone. Keep the original if you need search or copy-paste.
How many pages can it handle?
Memory is the only limit, and more pages means slower. For scanned books, compress in batches of about fifty pages using the page range.
Does it hurt print quality?
That depends on the resolution. Above 150 DPI prints look the same; 72 DPI is for on-screen reading only.
