FastHan / PDF Tools / Compress PDF
COMPRESS PDF
Compress PDF
Shrink a PDF toward your target size — 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, or 1 MB.
100% private — processed in your browser
Your files are processed locally in your browser with JavaScript. They are never uploaded to a server. You can verify this yourself: open your browser DevTools, go to the Network tab, and watch — no file data leaves your device.
How to compress a PDF to a target size
PDFs get too big for a reason: embedded photos. A scanned contract, a photo-heavy report, or a slide deck exported to PDF can easily reach 20 or 50 MB, and then email rejects it, a form refuses it, or an upload times out. This tool shrinks your PDF to a size you choose — 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, or 1 MB — by re-encoding the images inside it at lower quality and rebuilding the file.
Pick a target size and drop your PDF. The tool first rebuilds the document without unused objects, which alone can save space. Then it processes the embedded images: each photo is re-encoded as a JPEG at a quality level chosen to hit your target. If the first attempt is still above target, it tries a lower quality and smaller dimensions, and repeats until the file fits — or until quality would drop so far that shrinking further is not useful, in which case it tells you the smallest size it could reach honestly instead of pretending.
Text in your PDF is never touched. Compression only affects raster images (photos and scans); vector text and lines stay exactly as sharp as they were. That is why a text-only PDF barely shrinks, while a photo-heavy one can drop by 90 percent. If your PDF is mostly scanned pages, those pages are images too, so they compress the same way — with some loss of sharpness at very small targets. For forms that demand a specific size, choose the largest target the form allows; the result will look better.
Everything is processed in your browser, so a confidential report never travels to a server. The trade-off is speed: a 50 MB file with many photos takes longer on a phone than on a desktop, because your device does the work. The page shows progress while it runs, and you can cancel at any time.
If the tool cannot reach your target — for example, a PDF whose pages are all high-resolution scans — it will say so and offer the smallest size it achieved. Pick a larger target, or split the document first and compress the parts separately.
How to use this tool
- 1Drop a PDF file onto the page.
- 2Choose a target size: 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, or 1 MB.
- 3Press Compress and download the smaller file.
Frequently asked questions
What target size should I choose?
Choose the largest size your form, email, or upload allows. A 1 MB target keeps photos looking good; 100 KB is for strict forms and will visibly soften photos. Text is never affected.
Will compression make my text blurry?
No. Only raster images (photos and scans) are re-encoded. Vector text and lines are preserved exactly. Scanned pages are images, so they will soften at very small targets.
Why can some PDFs not reach 100 KB?
A PDF made of high-resolution scans has a minimum size: the images themselves take space even at low quality. If the tool cannot reach your target, it reports the smallest size it achieved instead of failing silently.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser. Your files never leave your device.