How to compress a PDF so it fits in an email

Upload the PDF to Compress PDF, choose Smart compression, and download the smaller file. If it is still too large, run the original again with Maximum compression. The result message tells you how much space you saved.

Step by step

1. Open the Compress PDF tool and upload your file.
2. Choose Smart compression first. It balances file size and quality and is usually enough.
3. Click "Compress PDF" and read the result message, which shows how much smaller the file is.
4. Download the file and check its size on your computer. If it is still too big, go back to your original (not the compressed copy) and try Maximum compression.
5. Open the compressed file and look at a few pages, especially any photos or scans, to be sure you are happy with how they look.

How big can an email attachment be?

Gmail allows attachments up to 25 MB, and larger files are turned into a Google Drive link. Other mail providers and company mail servers often set lower limits, sometimes around 10 MB, so it is worth checking with the recipient if the file matters.

Smart or Maximum?

• Smart: aims for a barely noticeable change in quality. Start here.
• Maximum: makes the smallest file it can, which can visibly soften photos and scanned pages. Use it when size matters more than looks.
• Always compress from the original. Compressing an already-compressed file again loses quality without saving much.

Why a PDF is sometimes still large

Most of a PDF's weight is usually images, and scanned documents are nothing but images. Text-only PDFs are already small and may barely shrink at all.

The tool uses the strongest compression method available and tells you which kind ran. In its basic mode the saving is typically 5 to 15 percent, so do not expect a 50 MB scan to become 2 MB.

Other ways to get under the limit

• Send only the pages the person needs: extract those pages into a smaller file.
• Split a big document into two parts with the split guide and send two emails.
• On a Mac, Preview can export a smaller copy using the "Reduce File Size" filter, though it tends to be heavy-handed with image quality.

Frequently asked questions

Can I choose an exact target size, like 1 MB?

No. The tool offers Smart and Maximum compression and shows the result, but it cannot guarantee a specific size because that depends on what is inside the PDF.

Will compression ruin my document?

Smart compression aims for barely noticeable changes. Maximum can visibly soften images, so check a few pages before sending.

Why did my file barely shrink?

Files that are mostly text, or already optimized, have little to remove. Image-heavy files and scans shrink the most.

Is my file safe while it is being compressed?

Yes. Processing is private, and on the free plan the file is removed from our servers within 24 hours.

Can I compress several PDFs at once?

Compress them one at a time with this tool. Pro plans also include a batch feature in the dashboard for processing several files together.

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