Quick answer
To compress a PDF for email, open a PDF compressor, choose a balanced compression level and download the smaller file. Most of a PDF's size comes from images, so recompressing them typically cuts scanned documents by half or more while keeping text readable. Gmail allows attachments up to 25 MB.
Why is my PDF too big to email?
Email services limit attachment size. Gmail allows up to 25 MB per message, and many work email servers set lower limits. PDFs get large mainly because of images: phone scans, photos and screenshots saved at high resolution.
How do I compress a PDF step by step?
- Open Compress PDF.
- Drop in your PDF.
- Choose a level:
- Light keeps the best quality.
- Balanced is right for most documents.
- Strong gives the smallest file, best for scans you only need to read.
- Click Compress and check the before-and-after size.
- Open the result and zoom in on small text before you send it.
Which compression level should I use?
| Document type | Recommended level | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Text-only report | Light | Little to gain; keeps fonts crisp |
| Scanned letter or ID | Balanced | Big savings, still readable |
| Photo-heavy brochure | Balanced | Images shrink the most |
| Long scan you only need to read | Strong | Smallest possible file |
What if it's still too big after compressing?
First, find out why. Why is my PDF big? shows how much space images, fonts and pages take. If the file is mostly pages rather than images, split it into two attachments, or share only the pages that matter.
Converting to grayscale helps a lot with colour scans of black-and-white documents.
Is it safe to compress confidential PDFs online?
It is when the compression happens on your device. With a local tool, your contract or payslip is processed in the browser and never uploaded, so there's no copy on a server.
Frequently asked questions
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