How to Compress PDF Files

PDF files can be very large, especially if they contain high-resolution images or other graphics. For this reason, you may need to compress a PDF file to email or upload it somewhere.


Step # 1 - Download and Install PDF Compressor
An option is to use “PDF Compressor”, a program that compresses PDF files using lossless technology, without destroying the quality. The app supports batch processing of thousands of documents at once, including encrypted PDFs.
To use this program, go to this site: “www.pdfcompressor.org”, and click the “download” button. Then run the setup and follow the instructions to install the program.
Step # 2 - Add a file to “PDF Compressor”
After installation is complete, open the program. You can add a file or drag and drop one. Let’s click to add a PDF file. Select the file and click “Open”.
Step # 3 - Choose your settings for compression
Then choose the “Compression settings” option. In the window that appears, you can choose to “Better compress with minor quality loss” in the compression tab or “Compress for web in the optimization” tab. After this, press “OK”.
Step # 4 - Start compression
In the upper right hand corner, choose where to Output the PDF file and then click on “Start Compression”.
Step # 5 - Optimize a PDF in Microsoft Office
A second option is to use “Microsoft Office”. The new versions have built-in PDF creation features so you can choose the quality level when you export the PDF file. To export a document to PDF in Office 2013, click the “File” menu, select “Export”, and click “Create PDF/XPS”.
In the Save dialog, choose your “Optimize for” setting, either Standard or Minimum size.
Step # 6 - Split PDFs and remove pages
Splitting a large PDF into two separate files will allow you to email it in two emails. Removing pages from a PDF file will free up some space, as well.
To split a PDF file you can download the “PDFtk” program. Go to the pdf labs site: “www.pdflabs.com/tools/pdftk-the-pdf-toolkit”, and click the “Download” button. Run the Setup and follow the instructions to install the program.
Step # 7 - Add PDF file to the software
Then open it and click the “Add PDF” button, to add a file. Double-click on the right column and enter the page range you want for the new file. For example, if you have a 16-page PDF file and you only want pages 5-10, you’d enter 5-10 in the column. If you only want pages 3, 9, and 12, you’d enter 3, 9,12 into the column.
After this, click the “Create PDF” button. If you want to split a PDF file into two files, you should go through this process twice and specify a different half each time.
Step # 5 - Put a PDF Into a ZIP File
You can also try compressing the PDF into a .zip file. To easily create a zip file without installing anything in Windows, right-click your PDF file, click “Send to”, and select “Compressed (zipped) folder”. Windows will create a new compressed ZIP archive containing your PDF file.
And that’s it!
Result: Congratulations! You’ve just learned How to Compress PDF Files.