Reducing the size of a pdf file online. How to Reduce PDF File Size Without Losing Image Quality

In this lesson, we will learn how to compress a PDF file. different ways and with different quality (corresponding to different PDF file size)

Our task: reduce the size of the existing PDF file but to send it by mail or if we just need a smaller document size.

What we have in stock: the actual PDF files themselves or the file that/s needs to be reduced in size.

What will we get at the end:

In our case, I suggest using online services for working with PDF files (i.e., all manipulations with PDF files will take place on the sites of the services we need).

Of the great abundance of services and sites, I would recommend 2 of them, with which we will reduce our PDF files to minimum size with maximum compression, or up to "decent" compression but maintaining the normal quality of photos in a PDF document.

So I present 2 services for working with PDF files: and. In principle, one service would be enough (SMALLPDF.COM), but the PDF-DOCS.RU service has something that I will talk about a little later in this lesson;)

SMALLPDF.COM

Let's start with the SMALLPDF.COM service. By clicking on the link above, we will see something like this picture:

This service has an intuitive interface, in my opinion, it will not be difficult to figure it out, it will also not work to get lost in the functions. Therefore, in our case, this is an excellent solution to our mini-problem.

Let's say we have a "compress PDF" folder and it contains all the files or one PDF file that needs to be reduced in size (I have 1 PDF file in the folder):

In order to compress the required PDF file, click the "Choose File" button:

After selecting the PDF file we need, the file selection window will close and the service will start manipulating the PDF file. The next thing we will see is the process of preparing and compressing a PDF file:

After passing the stage in "Download 100%", the page will be updated and we will see a block with the result of compressing our PDF file "big_file.pdf":

From this data, we learn that our original file "big_file.pdf" is compressed by 71% (good result) and that now it "weighs" 2.84 MB, and was originally 10.14 MB. Below we are offered a link to download the already modified file:

Click "Download PDF" and the download of the compressed PDF file will begin:

Finally, in our "compress PDF" folder there are 2 files - an uncompressed file "big_file.pdf" and a compressed PDF file "small_file.pdf":

With this service for compressing PDF files "SMALLPDF.COM" the lesson is over, let's move on to the next service with its distinctive features "PDF-DOCS.RU".

PDF-DOCS.RU

So moving on to . At the time of writing this tutorial "Compressing PDF Files", the main page of this service looked something like this:

Why this particular resource was chosen by me to solve our problem: in this service we will be able to achieve higher coefficient PDF compression file compared to SMALLPDF.COM, but the quality of photos and pictures in the final PDF file (compressed) will be noticeably worse, respectively.

Let's start using the service. What we have at the initial stage: 1 PDF file in a "raw", uncompressed form:

First, we need to tell the service the PDF file we want to compress. Click on the "Select file" button:

As a result of this, a new window will open in which we will indicate the path to the PDF file. In our case, this is the “compress PDF” folder and the file “big_file.pdf” located in it. Next, we need to set the compression level of the PDF file; for this, there is a special field in the PDF-DOCS.RU service:

We click on this field (I highlighted it in the figure above), we are invited to choose from three options PDF file compression ratio:

In our case (for maximum PDF compression) we use the “best compression” item. Now all the parameters for compression are configured, click the "Forward!" and the service will start downloading our source file and compressing it:

After pressing the button, the server will start its work and a message will appear for the duration of the work:

Some time later, after the PDF-DOCS.RU service has completed all necessary work above the compression of the PDF file, we are informed about the successful completion of the compression:

Based on the presented data, we see that our compressed PDF file now "weighs" only 1.7 MB. This, in my opinion, is a very good result in terms of the quality of images in a PDF file.

Now we need to download our compressed PDF file. To do this, click on the link below in the "Download file:" field. In our case, the link to the file will be called "new-314_big_file.pdf", click on this link to download the file:

Clicking on this link will start the process of downloading the PDF file. In some cases, depending on the browser and settings used, clicking on a download link may cause it to open in the browser. If the file opens in a browser, just save it to your computer.

As a result of our manipulations to compress the PDF file, we have 2 PDF files in the "compress PDF" folder:

As we can see, the source file weighs only 1.7 MB, which is very convenient for sending via e-mail or uploads to the server.

After creating a PDF document, it usually has a very big size to optimize it, you need to know how to reduce PDF size file.

PDF- a very popular document format among users. A universal program for viewing this format on all types of OS is adobe reader.

Format advantages:

The quality of file display is superior to compression types such as JPEG and GIF;
Standardization - documents with this format can be opened on all devices, while appearance document will not change;
Ensuring security - by transferring PDF files online, you can always be sure that no one will have access to edit the file. It is also difficult to embed a viral malicious script into such files;
Support for a large number of compression algorithms;
Automatic detection of document authenticity.

Adobe Acrobat Pro for compression. Using Standard Functions

One of the most popular programs for working with PDF files is Adobe Acrobat Pro. With it, you can edit a previously created document and reduce its final size.

The application is paid, however, users can download a free one. trial version for 30 days or a portable version with reduced functionality for editing.

The program allows you to significantly reduce the size of the final file.

Follow instructions:

Open your document in Adobe Acrobat;
On the main panel, enable the File tab;
Find and select the item "Save as another document ..." and then "File with reduced size", as shown in the figure below;

Next, a window will appear in which you will need to specify the necessary parameters and the level of protection of the document being created;
After converting the file, click again on the "Open" tab - "Optimized file" and in the pop-up list click on the item "Save as another ...";
Select a location on your hard drive where you want to save the reduced size document and click the OK button. This program allows compression without loss of quality.

In Adobe Acrobat, you can not only optimize the file, but also forcefully reduce its size.

To do this, follow the instructions:

Open the document in the program;
Now enable the File tab on the utility's main toolbar;
Select "Save as different" and in the new list that appears, click on "Reduce size", as shown in the figure below;

This method is perfect if, after optimization, the size has not decreased to the level you need.

In the new window, select the version of the program with which the final file will be compatible;

Press the OK key to apply the options to only one file or Apply To Multiple to save the settings for multiple PDFs at once.

You can compress a file using the built-in functions of the operating system. Windows systems. If the document does not open or takes too long to start, you need to perform an emergency compression. To do this, open the properties of the PDF file.

Then, in the general settings, find the "Other" key and in the window that opens, check the box next to the item "Compress content ..." marked in the figure below. Save your changes by pressing OK.

This compression method is the simplest, so after compressing files that are several GB in size, the overall image of the content may be slightly distorted.

After compression, open the document in adobe reader to check its quality.

If it is invalid, return the original properties and optimize the file using third-party utilities.

If you need to reduce the file size only for a certain amount of time, use data archiving utilities.

For example, 7Zip or WinRAR. In the future, if necessary, you can quickly unpack the archive and get a PDF with the initial size.

Cute PDF Utility

Consider the Cute PDF program. It is one of the most common applications for converting to PDF and for optimizing final documents.

The utility is free to download and offers a wide range of features. Direct link to download the file: http://www.cutePDF.com/ .

The program creates a virtual printer on the computer, through which the user interacts with the main functions.

To reduce the size of the desired file using Cute PDF, follow the instructions below:

Open the document in any PDF reader;
Now click on the "Print" button;

In the window that opens to configure print settings, specify that the printer is called "Cute PDF", find the "Properties" or "Properties" button and click on it. AT operating system Windows, this key is located opposite the printer name;

Note! If there is no Cute PDF name in the drop-down list of available printers, the program may not have been installed correctly or you did not restart your computer after installation.

In the window that appears, open the Compression tab, then select the desired quality level and compression level for the document. Save the settings and close the properties window;
Now in the printer settings window for printing, press the Print button;
Next, a window will appear for selecting a location to save the document;
Wait for the save to finish and check the size of the final file. If necessary, you can carry out all the above steps with compressed file to further reduce its size.

Using Google Drive storage and Adobe Acrobat

You can compress directly through your Google drive. You must also have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer. Log into your account on disk and download the required PDF file.

Then you need to open the PDF in your browser. To do this, select a document from the list of previously downloaded ones, right-click on it and click on the “Open” or “Open” item.

Now we need to send the contents of the PDF tab to the print queue. To do this, open the print settings window in the browser settings. Select Adobe PDF from the list of available devices. Next, press the OK button.

Instead of the usual printing process, the process of saving the document to HDD computer. At the same time, the program automatically optimizes it, due to which the size will be reduced.

Remember! In order for the Adobe PDF item to be available in the print list, Adobe Acrobat must be installed on your personal computer. Otherwise, saving in this way will not be possible.

Compressing with MS Word

The popular word processor Word from the MS Office software package will also help you reduce the size of the final PDF. Open the file with Adobe Acrobat. Then save the document as MS Word (Figure below).

Now find the saved object and click on it with the right mouse button. In the pop-up list, click on the "Convert to Adobe PDF" item, as shown in the figure below.

Wait until the end of the process. As a rule, it will not take more than two minutes. In this way, you can reduce the document size by about thirty percent without significant loss of quality.

The best online converters

Thanks to software With open source, a lot of services have appeared on the Internet that replace some desktop programs.

To reduce the size of the document you need, you can use the following services:

Shrink PDF. Official link to the resource: http://shrinkPDF.com/ru/. This online converter allows you to reduce the size of up to 20 documents at a time without losing quality.

To get started, click on the "Open" button and select the documents to be compressed on your computer. Wait for the object to be uploaded to the service.

The file and the status of its compression process will now appear at the bottom of the page. Wait for the process to complete and download the resulting file to your device. The figure below shows an example of using the service;

Also, using this service, you can instantly compress JPEG and PNG files. To do this, switch to the corresponding service tab.

SmallPDF. Link to home page website: https://smallPDF.com/ru/compress-PDF . With this service, you can optimize popular formats, including PDF.

To get started, drag the file from the desktop to the red area open page in the browser. You can also open the file using Google's cloud storage or Dropbox.

Wait for your document to finish uploading. The compression process will then start automatically. As a rule, the service allows you to compress the file by 5% -20%. This is not much, but this method allows you to maintain the original quality of the document.

http://PDF-docs.ru/.

To compress, find small window on the right side of the page. Then upload your file and select the compression type. Press the Forward key and wait a few minutes for the process to complete. The file will then automatically start downloading to your computer.

Video footage:

Often there is a need reduce the size of a PDF document, which has already been created. For these purposes, the easiest way is to use Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Professional versions). For example, Adobe Acrobat 7.0 is now available for free download from the Adobe website (registration may be required). I draw your attention to the fact that for these purposes a regular PDF viewer (ie Acrobar Reader) is not suitable! You need a PDF editor.

For information. A PDF file cannot be reduced if it is made from vector objects, i.e. for example, from Microsoft Office text applications (Word, Excel) or AutoCAD - because vector graphics always take up a minimum of space, unlike raster graphics. That's why this decision will help you a lot most likely only when compressing SCAN documents to PDF, i.e. created from bitmaps.

So, open the PDF file that needs to be compressed, Go to the menu "File" - "Save as different" and choose the item "Reduced PDF File":

Next, you need to select the version with which the resulting compressed reduced PDF file will be compatible. The newer the version selected, the smaller the file size will be. But keep in mind that if you select "Acrobat 10.0 and above" for example, the file may not open in version 7, 8, or 9, ie. previous ones. But now most users use Acrobat Reader version 10 and above, so there shouldn't be any problems. And if not, then more new version PDF viewers can be freely downloaded and installed.

By the way, this opportunity can be used if necessary. reduce PDF size of multiple files at once! It is very convenient when there are a lot of them, so as not to open each one separately:

After pressing the "OK" button - select a location to save the finished reduced PDF file, and give it a name. Due to some quality loss, the document will take less space, than usual.

Good day!

PDF files seem to be good for everyone, but they have one cornerstone ... The fact is that the size of some PDF files is far from the "ideal", often, when they weigh even 100÷500 MB, sometimes it reaches 1 GB! Moreover, such a file size is far from always justified: i.e. it does not have some very high-precision graphics that take up so much space.

Of course, when dealing with such a size, it is difficult to transfer it to other PCs, tablets, phones (for example, the phone simply may not have enough memory for a dozen of these files!) .

In such cases, you can "somewhat" reduce the size of the PDF by compressing it. By the way, you can compress different ways. Actually, this is what today's article will be about ...

By the way! If you delete some pages from PDF document- then you can reduce its size due to this. If this option suits you, then I recommend this note:

Method number 1: archiving

Perhaps the most simple and obvious is to add PDF files to the archive. Thus, sometimes, it is possible to significantly reduce the size they occupy. In addition, one archive file is much faster and more convenient to copy from one PC to another. (rather than a dozen or even a hundred PDFs) .

Addition! Best free archivers for Windows -

To send a file to the archive - just 1-2 mouse clicks are enough. For example, in such a popular archiver as 7-Zip (you can also find it at the link above) : just right-click on the file and select from the menu that appears "Add to archive..." . See screenshot below.

Actually, my file was compressed almost 3 times! An example is below.

Advantages of the method:

after unpacking the archive, the PDF file does not lose its quality;
ZIP archive formats can open most modern ;
one archive file (in which there are hundreds of PDFs) is copied much faster than doing it with the same files without adding them to the archive.

The disadvantages of the method:

to open a file, you need to extract it from the archive (and not all PCs/phones/tablets may have the required archiver installed);
not all files compress equally well: one can be compressed very decently, another - by 0.5%...
when choosing some archive formats, it may take a long time to pack the files.

Method #2: Compress with Downscaling (DPI)

DPI is the number of dots per inch. The more dots per inch - the higher the quality of the displayed image (and the more the file weighs). Naturally, when re-saving a PDF file, you can specify a new number of dots per inch (DPI) and thereby reduce the file size (along with its quality).

However, I’ll note right away that it’s far from always that with a decrease in DPI, the quality of the picture worsens (in many cases you won’t notice a difference by eye!).

It is possible to do such a procedure in many programs : Adobe Acrobat (not to be confused with Adobe Reader), Fine Reader, Cute PDF Writer, Libre Office, etc. Here are a couple of free examples...

1) LibreOffice ()

Good and free office suite (I have previously recommended it as an alternative to MS Office). It has a DRAW program in its arsenal, which can easily and naturally make changes to PDF (including changing DPI). Let's take a closer look...

To launch DRAW - launch Libre Office, and select "DRAW Drawing" from the menu.

A window will open with many options for saving. Here you can change the compression quality, resolution (DPI) and other parameters. In general, I have highlighted the most necessary on the screen below.

After setting the parameters - click the export button to create a new file.

Fast, simple and easy! Is not it?

2) CutePDF Writer ()

This free program after setting "creates" a separate special line when printing a document (with the necessary properties for compression) ...

Those. install it, then open some PDF file, say, in Adobe Reader (you can also use any other program for PDF reader) and press "Print" (combination Ctrl + P).

Then choose instead of a real printer the line " CutePDF Writer", and open its "Properties".

Properties of CutePDF Writer

After you need to open the print quality tab and go to "Advanced".

Here you can set the print quality in DPI (and other parameters).

NOTE.

By the way, you need to install both files that are available on the official website of the program!

Pros of the method:

do not lose compatibility (the file then remains the same PDF);
the operation is quite fast;
the operation "by changing the DPI" can be carried out by dozens of different programs.

Cons of the method:

in some cases, the quality drops a lot (for example, if you are dealing with schemes and high-quality portfolios, this option is most likely not suitable).

Method number 3: converting to DjVU format

The DjVU format, on average, provides stronger compression than PDF. And I must admit that DjVU is one of the few formats that really competes with it.

To convert from PDF to DjVU, in my opinion, it is most preferable to use one small utility - PdfToDjvuGUI .

PdfToDjvuGUI

Of. website: http://www.trustfm.net/software/utilities/PdfToDjvuGUI.php

Note: Please note that the utility sometimes incorrectly reads the "names" of files written in Russian.

PDF to DjVU - a small utility

Using it is very simple: just add the desired file (Add PDF), set the settings (you can not touch anything) and click the button "Generate DjVU". A "black" window should appear for a while, after which the program will inform you that the file has been converted.

By the way, Djvu file the program will place it in the same folder where the original PDF was located. See the screenshot below as an example. Without changing the quality (and the program allows you to change the DPI), we managed to reduce the space occupied by the file by almost 2 times!

Below are a few more online servicesthat can do a similar conversion operation.

Advantages of the method:

maximum file compression (i.e. saving disk space!);
the file can be immediately opened in the reader, just as you do with PDF (i.e. it is not an archive).

The disadvantages of the method:

large files require significant time to convert;
quality may be "lost" during conversion (so check important graphics manually to see how they are compressed);
DjVU format is supported by fewer programs than PDF.

Method #4: Using Online Tools

Great site for fast compression and conversion from one format to another. Files up to 20-30 Mb in size are processed literally within 10-15 seconds! The service does not touch the document markup, links, menus, and other elements. Compression occurs due to graphics (that is, the PDI parameter).

Another universal service for quickly converting PDF to DjVU, or for compressing PDF without changing the format. The result can not only be downloaded to your PC, but also immediately sent to a cloud drive: Google Drive, Dropbox...

There are 3 compression levels available on the service: minimum, normal and extreme. It works very fast, it processes files up to 3-040 MB in 5-10 seconds. (at least that was the case with my dozen test files) .

The files have been compressed // Service "I love DPF"

I also note that on this service you can split a PDF file into several parts, convert it to other formats, merge several PDFs, etc. In general, a rather multifunctional service, I recommend it for review!

Advantages:

there is no need to install any programs on your computer;
services can be used even from mobile devices;
as a rule, compression of small files on services is faster.

Flaws:

confidentiality (I think not everyone will dare to send some of their documents to an unfamiliar service);
the need to upload / download files to the service (if the Internet is not very fast and there are a lot of files, this will turn into a "headache").

Suggestions on the subject are welcome...

The PDF file size can be large for two reasons:

high quality of documents, for example, when scanning, a high resolution was chosen;
a large number of pages in the document, while sometimes only one or a few pages are needed from the entire document.

How to save a single page from a multipage PDF file

We will be using the smallpdf.com resource. Upload your document to the site and select the pages that should be in the final document. The choice can be made with the mouse or simply specify the required page numbers. Then click the "Split PDF" button and download the file with the result. Thus, you can remove one page, and also leave one page in the document.

You can also simply print the desired pages from the document on a virtual PDF printer, how to do this is described in detail.

How to reduce the size of a PDF file

Some people try to compress PDF files with archivers (an excellent article about that), but this does not give a serious result, since any images are almost not compressed, so you need to act differently - reduce the quality of documents.

It is better to use the same site smallpdf.com for compression. Upload your document and click Compress PDF. In most cases, the size of the original document will be greatly reduced.

Sometimes the size can decrease several times, while the quality, of course, deteriorates, but it is completely uncritical.

Read our other articles about working with PDF format and new questions, we will be happy to help you!