Reduce the weight of a pdf file online. How to compress a pdf file

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 “ideal”; often, when they weigh even 100÷500 MB, sometimes it reaches 1 GB! Moreover, such a file size is not always justified: i.e. it doesn't have any very high-precision graphics that take up so much space.

Of course, when you are dealing with such a size, there are difficulties in transferring it to other PCs, tablets, phones (for example, your phone simply may not have enough memory for dozens of similar files!) .

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

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

Method No. 1: archiving

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

Addition! The 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 in the link above) : just right-click on the file and select from the menu that appears "Add to archive..." . See screenshot below.

In fact, my file was compressed almost 3 times! Example below.

Advantages of the method:

• after unpacking the archive, the PDF file does not lose its quality;
• ZIP archive formats can be opened by most modern ones;
• one archive file (with hundreds of PDFs inside) is copied much faster than doing the same with the same files without adding them to the archive.

Disadvantages of this 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 can be compressed equally well: one can be compressed very decently, another by 0.5%...
• When choosing some archive formats, it may take considerable time to pack the files.

Method number 2: compression using quality reduction (DPI)

DPI is the number of dots per inch. The more dots per inch, the higher the quality of the displayed image (and the larger the file weighs). Naturally, when resaving 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 would like to note right away that it is not always the case that when DPI is reduced, the picture quality deteriorates (in many cases you will not notice the difference by eye!).

You can do a similar procedure in many programs : Adobe Acrobat (not to be confused with Adobe Reader), Fine Reader, Cute PDF Writer, Libre Office, etc. Below I will give a couple of free examples...

1) Libre Office ()

A good and free office suite (I have already recommended it as an alternative to MS Office). It has the 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 things in the screenshot 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 installation, "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 (can be used in any other PDF reader) and press “Print” (combination Ctrl+P).

Then select the line " CutePDF Writer", and open its "Properties".

Properties of CutePDF Writer

Then 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, which are available on the program’s official website!

Advantages of the method:

• we do not lose compatibility (the file remains the same PDF);
• the operation goes quite quickly;
• The DPI change operation can be carried out by dozens of different programs.

Disadvantages of this method:

• in some cases, the quality drops significantly (for example, if you are dealing with schemes and high-quality portfolios, this option most likely will not work).

Method number 3: converting to DjVU format

The DjVU format, on average, provides stronger compression than PDF. And we 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

It’s very simple to use: just add the desired file (Add PDF), set the settings (you don’t have to touch anything) and press the button "Generate DjVU". A “black” window should appear for a while, after which the program will inform you that the file has been re-converted.

By the way, the program will place the DjVU file in the same folder where the original PDF was located. As an example, see the screenshot below. 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!

PS

Below are a few more online services that can perform 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).

Disadvantages of this method:

• Large files require significant conversion time;
• quality may be “lost” during conversion (so check important graphs manually to see how they were compressed);
• The DjVU format supports fewer programs than PDF.

Method #4: Using Online Tools

An excellent site for quick 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 affect document markup, links, menus, etc. elements. Compression occurs due to graphics (that is, the PDI parameter).

Another universal service for quickly converting PDF to DjVU, or 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...

The service offers 3 compression levels: minimal, normal and extreme. It works very quickly, 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 will also note that on this service you can split a PDF file into several parts, convert it to other formats, combine several PDFs, etc. In general, it’s quite a multifunctional service, I recommend you check it out!

Advantages:

• 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 decide 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).

Additions on the topic are welcome...

There is often 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 on the Adobe website (registration may be required). Please note that a regular PDF viewer (i.e. Acrobar Reader) is not suitable for these purposes! What you need is a PDF document editor.

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

So, open the PDF file that needs to be compressed, go to the menu "File" - "Save as another" and select the item "Reduced PDF file size":

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, for example, version "Acrobat 10.0 and higher", the file may not open in version 7, 8, or 9, i.e. previous ones. But now most users use Acrobat Reader version 10 and above, so there should be no problems. And if not, then a newer version of the PDF viewer can be freely downloaded and installed.

By the way, you can use this opportunity if necessary Reduce the PDF size of several files at once! It’s very convenient when there are a lot of them, so as not to open each one separately:

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

It’s probably not news to you that the pdf format is widely used in all areas of activity due to its “weight” and its image quality. Why did I focus on “weight”? Because usually this file weighs a lot due to the many colored, bulky and bright graphs and so on. Therefore, today we will look at the question: “how to reduce the size of a pdf file,” since most people have questions about this very issue. Some people even prefer using other programs because of this problem. Compressing PDF files is a process that requires the use of special software. To reduce the file size, you can use the following programs: Adobe Acrobat, using standard Windows compression. Adobe Acrobat can be downloaded from the developer's website.

How to compress a pdf file?

Method using Adobe Acrobat

In order to reduce a pdf file, open Adobe Acrobat, then click on the “File” - “Open” tab in the main menu - these actions give us the opportunity to open the file required for compression. Then repeat the steps “File” – “Open” – “Save as another” – “ Reduced PDF file size" In the window that appears, select the version compatibility setting and click “OK”; in order to apply the settings to several files, click “Apply for all”, to save you need to click “Save As”.

Method for reducing file size in Adobe Acrobat using PDF optimizer

As you noticed, Adobe Acrobat makes it possible to reduce the file size in a convenient way for us. First, you need to select the documents that need to be reduced in size. To do this, we need to click on the “File” – “Open” tab in the main menu. Then we repeat the same steps, then click on “Save as another” - “ Optimized PDF file" Then you need to adjust the settings to your taste and save the file by clicking on the “Save As” button.

Method for reducing the weight of a pdf file according to OS Windows standards

In order to achieve the best quality and lightest weight, OS Windows developers strongly recommend using standard file reduction before starting work on it. This can be done by right-clicking on the file you created – “Properties” – “General” – “Other” – then you need to check the box “Compress...”. This procedure takes no more than one minute and is one of the most effective.

Compressing PDF files is not as complicated a process as it might seem at first glance. There are a number of programs with which you can perform these actions easily and quickly. They will be discussed in this article.

Advanced PDF Compressor provides the user with the ability to reduce the size of the required PDF document. Here you can clearly see how much this file has been reduced. Also, thanks to Advanced PDF Compressor, you can convert images into one or more such documents, or group any number of PDF files into one. A significant difference from other similar programs is the ability to create profiles with different settings, which, in turn, simplifies its use by several people.

Free PDF Compressor

Free PDF Compressor is a free software tool that is only capable of reducing the size of a specified PDF document. For these purposes, there are several template settings that can be selected based on the required quality. Thus, the user is able to give a PDF file the quality of a screenshot, an e-book, and also prepare it for color or black and white printing.

FILEminimizer PDF

FILEminimizer PDF is a simple and easy-to-use program that does an excellent job of compressing PDF files. For these purposes, the user is offered four template options. If none of them suits you, you can use the settings and set your level. In addition, it is the only product that provides the ability to export a compressed document directly to for later sending by email.

CutePDF Writer

CutePDF Writer is a free printer driver that is designed to convert any document into PDF format. In addition, the program is capable of compressing PDF files. To do this, go to the advanced printer settings and set the print quality to be lower than that of the original. Thus, the user will receive a PDF document with a significantly smaller size.

The article contains the best software tools with which you can significantly reduce the size of the required PDF document. Unfortunately, none of the programs reviewed have been translated into Russian, but despite this, working with them is very simple and convenient. All you have to do is decide which solution to use, because each has its own unique capabilities.

Find any book or magazine in PDF format on your computer and note how much it weighs. 50 and even 100 MB is not the limit. Solid, isn't it? Oh, if only there was a magic program with which you can compress PDF at least 2 times...

What affects PDF size

The PDF format (read as PDF) is mainly used to create electronic copies of printed products, art books, and scanned copies. It has 3 main goals:

• Protect information from unauthorized copying.
• Optimize content for electronic exchange.
• Maintain formatting style during printing.

Its dimensions depend on several parameters:

• The quality and quantity of images it contains.
• Fonts used.
• Compression method.

Thus, the smaller the file in pdf format, the easier it is to store it on a medium and send it by email. Let's figure out how to make such content convenient for forwarding and further use.

4 Easy Compression Methods

When the user is dealing with a ready-made pdf file, its size can be easily reduced using:

• Standard archiving programs. For example, WinRAR or 7-ZIP. However, keep in mind that the format of your document will be completely different.

Adobe Acrobat application, which will also compress your document to a smaller size. It is important that the versions of Reader and Acrobat from Adobe match. The utility is also useful because it can optimize such files, remove unnecessary components such as built-in fonts, and so on.

• Special programs that can work with pdf files, edit documents, and so on. Check out PrimoPDF and CutePDF.
• Online services. The advantage is that you don’t need to download anything - all files are compressed online. Among the most popular services, we note PDF -docs.ru, smallpdf.com.

What is the advantage of the Small PDF service?

We would like to tell you more about the method of compressing files using the Small PDF service. This is a free pdf compression program that works online. To compress a document, just drag it into the browser window (orange block on the site pages). Then wait for the compression to finish and download the finished work. It's really very simple!

Among the advantages of Small PDF I would like to note:

• Simply perfect quality. We recommend reducing PDF files to 144 dpi. This is quite enough for online downloading and sending by e-mail.
• Ease of use. Drag the file and wait a few seconds for compression to complete, download in one click. The process is fast and reliable.
• 100% safety. Exactly one hour after compression, all PDF files are deleted from servers on the Internet. No one but you will be able to access them.
• Platform support. Since the application is browser-based, it will work on absolutely any platform. Be it Windows, Linux or even Mac.
• Work even on the most ancient computers. Smaa PDF does not load the system at all, since file compression occurs “in the cloud”.

How to compress using SmallPDF (video)

How to initially create a small PDF file

Even at the stage of creating a pdf document, you can make sure that its dimensions are minimal. Try scanning a paper document at a lower dpi resolution. For text, 200 or even less dpi is enough, for text with pictures – 300.

And when you convert a file using doPDF or FineReader from ABBYY, you can change the DPI resolution on the output.

Another trick is related to Microsoft Office software, more precisely the office program Word. To make your pdf file smaller for free, first save it in docx or doc format. Next, you need to convert again, but to PDF. This method will also help you reduce the size of your document.

Thus, even heavy magazines and books in PDF format can be compressed several times. If done correctly, you can save a lot of disk space without losing quality.