Reduce the size of PDF files that are too large for easy sharing by email.
Sharing a PDF file by email or sending a document online for paperwork can sometimes turn into a nightmare: some files are too large to attach as an attachment or upload online, while some recipients do not always have the option to download documents hosted on services like WeTransfer due to limitations in their business.
PDF files that are too large are, for the most part, from paper documents that have been scanned with unsuitable parameters. While the quality of a scan for an image needs to be high (300 dpi, or ppi, for pixels per inch), it is irrelevant for documents that do not include any text. The higher the quality of the scan, the greater the weight of the document.
To avoid being caught off guard, you can always follow certain rules or go through the use of third-party tools to reduce the size of your PDFs.
1. Choose the right quality before scanning
If you need to scan a multi-page document for emailing or uploading to a site with a size limit, set up your scanner properly before scanning. Go to your scanner settings (or scan settings) for this, and choose a quality that does not exceed 150 dpi (or ppp).
This average value is sufficient for documents containing only text. If, however, the size of the generated file is still too large, scan the document again gradually reducing the quality.
2. Compress the file using dedicated software
It is possible to drastically reduce the size of a PDF using dedicated software. Free PDF Compressor is a free utility capable of reducing the size of your documents with one click. The interface is simplistic, but the result is optimal.
- Download Free PDF Compressor for Windows (Free)
After downloading and installing the program, open it and then click Browse to select the PDF file whose size you want to reduce. Natively, Free PDF Compressor saves the compressed file in the same directory as the directory from which the PDF came, adding the suffix “.compressed “.
If you wish, you can customize the name of the compressed file as well as its save directory by clicking on Save As.
Then choose the compression quality you want to achieve. To maintain sufficient quality for both screen display and printing, select “eBook – medium resolution, low quality, 150 dpi images”. This setting, ideal if your file contains only text, should significantly reduce the file size.
3. Use an online service
Last possibility to reduce the size of a PDF file, to use an online service. Accessible from any web browser, online PDF compression services are generally very easy to use. A simple drag and drop is enough to upload the document to the platform which then compresses your file with one click.
However, they should be used with caution. The vast majority say they use an encryption system to protect the sending of your documents, say they do not access the content of the files and say they delete the files from their servers after a few hours.
This is the case of SmallPDF, a Swiss online service that indicates deleting uploaded documents within an hour and relies on a secure connection for sending files. Use of the service is free twice an hour. Beyond that, it will be necessary to subscribe to a professional offer offering unlimited access to all the tools.
- Using SmallPDF (Free)
To use it, access SmallPDF from your web browser, then drag and drop your document into the dedicated window. The service loads the file, then compresses it, telling you the compression rate applied.
Click Download File to save the compressed file to your hard drive.