How to reduce PDF size for email
Most email services refuse attachments above 20 to 25 MB, and many company mailboxes stop at 10 MB. A scanned contract or a report full of photos passes that limit quickly. The fix is to compress the PDF: the pictures inside are resized and re-saved more efficiently, while the text stays exactly as sharp.
Compress PDFShrink a PDF step by step
- Open the Compress PDF tool and drop your file into the upload area.
- Choose a compression level. Balanced is the right choice for most documents.
- Click Compress PDF. You will see the original size, the new size and the percentage saved.
- Download the compressed PDF and attach it to your email.
Which compression level should you choose?
Balanced keeps pictures clear on screen and when printed on an office printer, and usually cuts the size by half or more. Start there.
Maximum gives the smallest file. Use it when the limit is strict and the document is mainly read on a screen. Photos lose some detail.
Minimum keeps the best image quality and saves less. Choose it for documents that will be printed professionally.
Why some PDFs barely shrink
Compression works on pictures. A PDF made only of text, such as an exported Word document, is already small and will hardly change. If the result is not smaller, you get the original file back, never a larger one.
If the file is still too big after Maximum compression, split it into two parts and send two emails, or share it through a cloud link instead.
Free, no sign-up and no watermark. Your file is processed in memory and never stored.
Compress PDFFrequently asked questions
Does compression damage the text?
No. Text and vector drawings are left untouched. Only the pictures inside the PDF are resized and re-saved.
Is there a size limit for the file I upload?
You can upload PDFs of up to 50 MB.
Is my document kept on the site?
No. The file is processed in memory and discarded as soon as the compressed version is ready.