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PDF Compressor
PDF Compressor
What is this tool?
A browser-based PDF compressor. In "Keep the text" mode it walks through the file's own image objects, re-encodes each one as a smaller JPEG, compresses any stream that was stored raw, and writes the document back with the text, links and structure untouched. In "Squeeze hardest" mode each page is rendered to a single picture and the PDF is rebuilt from those pictures, which shrinks even a text-heavy scan but leaves nothing selectable. Nothing is uploaded — the whole file is parsed and rewritten in your tab.
When to use it
- A PDF is over an email or upload size limit
- A scanned document is far larger than it needs to be
- A report full of photos or screenshots has to go on a website
- You want a smaller PDF that is still searchable and copyable
- You want to strip the author, creator and producer details while shrinking the file
How to use it
- 1Drop in a PDF — the tool reports how many pictures it contains and how many it can re-encode
- 2Choose a method: keep the text, or squeeze hardest by redrawing the pages
- 3Pick a level — Light, Balanced or Strong
- 4Leave "Remove document metadata" on unless you need the original title and author kept
- 5Click Compress, compare the before and after sizes, and download
Frequently asked questions
How much smaller will my PDF get?
It depends entirely on what is inside it. A photo-heavy or scanned file often drops by half or more; a PDF that is only text and vector shapes may barely move, because there are no pictures to re-encode. The tool shows the exact before and after sizes, and refuses to hand you a file that came out larger.
Will the text still be selectable and searchable?
Yes in "Keep the text" mode — only the pictures are touched. In "Squeeze hardest" mode the pages become images, so the text can no longer be selected, searched or read by a screen reader.
Why were some pictures left untouched?
Pictures in CMYK, indexed palettes, fax (CCITT) or JBIG2 scans, JPEG 2000, and transparency masks are deliberately skipped: re-encoding them in a browser would either shift their colours or make them larger. The tool tells you how many it skipped rather than pretending it compressed everything.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read, rewritten and saved entirely in your browser — it never reaches a server.