Easily share your large PDF files by email with these five free tools to reduce the size of your documents …
If you’ve ever tried scanning multipage documents for emailing, you may have faced a terrible problem: the size of the 50-page file you just scanned is far too large to fit into one. email. The fault is undoubtedly a bad choice (or a lack of knowledge) in the settings of your scanner. By default, scanning is often set to be done at a resolution of 300 dpi, which is optimal for printing, especially if your file contains images.
For documents containing only text, such a resolution is of no interest, especially if the scanned document is intended to be displayed only on a screen. In this case, scanning in a resolution up to 150 dpi maximum is more than enough to obtain a quality result on screen and after printing.
To avoid having to go through the long and tedious scanning box again, and to be able to share your file quickly, the easiest solution is to pass your PDF document into a dedicated compression software. There is also a plethora of online services that have the advantage of being able to be used on both Macs and PCs. All of these tools work on the same principle by changing the display resolution of the file. As a result, by compressing a PDF document with a dedicated tool, you can significantly reduce the weight of your documents. The editorial staff at Telecharger.com reviewed several PDF compression tools and picked the top five.
1. FileOptimizer
FileOptimizer offers, as its name suggests, to optimize your files, and more particularly to compress them in order to reduce their size. Its main particularity lies in its compatibility with a large number of file formats. FileOptimizer is able to compress files in formats as diverse as they are varied to reduce their size and thus optimize the space on your hard disk. In our case, used with a 24-page PDF document with text and images, FileOptimizer was able to reduce the file size by almost 42%. Thus, the electronic magazine submitted went from 6798KB to 3971KB. The result is convincing, the document remains perfectly readable and the quality of the images it contains does not seem to have been affected.
Add to that its ability to be able to process files in batches and the ability to customize compression settings to suit the submitted file format, and you have a complete tool that should quickly become part of your digital toolbox. In our case, the customizable settings for compressing PDF files allow you to choose from four resolutions: 72 dpi (screen), 150 dpi (ebook, default), 300 dpi (for printing), and a custom resolution that you can choose from. ‘it should be defined according to your needs. Note, for the latter, that it is necessary to proceed sparingly and check the compressed document to ensure its perfect readability.
The +:
+ Compatible with many formats
+ Batch file processing
+ Compression without apparent loss of quality
The – :
– Simple interface
Download FileOptimizer for Windows (Free)
2. Smallpdf
If you do not have the possibility to install software on your PC, or if you have to carry out the operation outside your home, it is always possible to go through an online service. The process to follow to compress a PDF document is trivial since you just have to upload your file on the platform which is responsible for compressing everything and providing you with a download link for your reduced file.
Smallpdf offers manipulation and even goes a step further by allowing you to convert your PDFs to various formats. If you are worried about sending your documents to the Cloud, know that Smallpdf says in its FAQ that files are deleted an hour after they are created. If, however, you do not trust the cloud, it is best to avoid submitting documents with potentially sensitive personal data.
Using the online service is easy since you only have to drag and drop the file to compress into the dedicated window for Smallpdf to instantly start compressing the document. Our test file went from 6,798KB to 4,336KB, a reduction of almost 37%. To achieve this, Smallpdf reduced the resolution of the PDF to 144dpi. You are then offered several choices to save the compressed document. Smallpdf offers to download the compressed version in PDF, or to send it to your Dropbox and Google Drive online storage spaces. You can also convert your PDF to JPEG on the fly, and even put your signature on the document, handy if you need to resend a contract or the like. Signing is done with your finger on your PC’s trackpad or with your mouse, and Smallpdf lets you choose exactly where you want to put it. Please note, although free, the online service limits processing to two documents per hour.
The +:
+ Great ease of use
+ Many accessible tools
+ Ability to send compressed documents to Google Drive and Dropbox
The –
– Limited to two documents per hour
Using Smallpdf (Free)
3. PDFCompress!
In the same vein as Smallpdf, PDFCompress! offers you to go through your web browser to compress your PDF files on the Cloud. Again, the service says it deletes any files you submit to it after one hour. To submit a PDF for compression, PDFCompress! offers you to go dig into the directories of your computer or your online storage spaces, Dropbox and Google Drive.
Once the process is complete, PDFCompress! allows you to download your compressed file directly to your computer. The test file we submitted to it went from 6,798KB to 4,432KB, an almost identical compression level to Smallpdf of around 37%. PDFCompress! offers fewer options than its competitor but does not limit its use over time. The only limit imposed by the service concerns the maximum size of the file to be submitted which must not exceed 100 MB.
The +:
+ Easy to use
+ No time limit
+ Ability to import documents stored online
The – :
– Maximum file size 100 MB
Using PDFCompress (Free)
4.PDF24 Creator
PDF24 Creator is a real toolkit for PDFs. The utility allows you to create PDF files, but also offers a print wizard, a page extraction tool, online tools and converters, an import module from a scanner or a camera, a screen capture tool, an (online) solution allowing you to send your documents by Fax for free, but also and above all a PDF file compression module called PDF24 Compress, which, once launched, opens in a window dedicated to him.
The interface of the tool is simple but intuitive, and will allow the less seasoned users to reach their end. Importing a PDF is done by clicking a big, impossible-to-miss button that lets you select the file from your local directories. The program then instantly displays the size before and after compression. It is possible to adjust on the fly the compression parameters, namely the resolution and the quality of the images contained in the file. To view the new size of the compressed file, click on the “Layer size” button which recalculates the new size of the compressed file taking into account your new parameters.
Our test file, an electronic magazine made up of 24 pages of text and images, weighed 6798 KB before compression. After going through the PDF24 Creator mill, it was only 4203 KB, which is a compression of 38 %.
The +:
+ Easy to use
+ Many other integrated tools
The – :
– Obligation to download the entire suite to take advantage of the compression tool
Download PDF24 Creator for Windows (Free)
5. Orpalis PDF Reducer Free
Orpalis PDF Reducer Free has the merit of offering an interface that goes straight to the point: choice of source file, choice of destination directory, and start button. In less than 10 seconds, you can process your PDF document. The application is only used to compress your PDF files and the personalized settings it offers are to be found in the program options.
The tool knows how to separately manage the compression of the images contained in your file, and allows you to indicate whether the PDF you are submitting to it comes from a scanner. Overall, the settings available in Orpalis PDF Reducer Free are aimed more at an informed audience.
The file submitted to the program weighed before the regime 6798 KB to end at 4686 KB after compression, a reduction of just over 31%.
The +:
+ Clear and intuitive interface
+ Speed of compression
The – :
– Wait a few seconds before being able to launch the software for free
– No multiple file processing
– Customization of the compression settings a little complicated
Download Orpalis PDF Reducer Free for Windows (Free)
Verdict
FileOptimizer is the simplest and most complete tool. Its compatibility with many file formats and its ability to be able to process files in batches make it the tool of choice for compressing your PDF files. The personalized settings dedicated to each type of file are clear and the compression rate applied to the file is the highest among all the free applications that we have been able to test. Last important point, the file obtained after compression is perfectly readable and does not seem to have suffered from any deterioration.