How to reduce the quality of a PDF so it takes up less space

If you've ever struggled with a file that won't fit in an email or form because it's too large, you've probably wondered How to reduce the quality of a PDF so that it takes up less spacePDF documents are designed to be portable and maintain their format, but sometimes they come loaded with huge images, graphics, or unnecessary elements that increase their size.

The good news is that there are several very simple ways to Compress a PDF and reduce its size without ruining its appearanceFrom online tools like Smallpdf or iLovePDF to options integrated into programs like Word or LibreOffice, you have a range of solutions to make your documents lighter, easier to send and store, while maintaining legible text and the ability to... adjust its quality.

What does reducing the quality of a PDF really mean?

When we talk about "lowering the quality" of a PDF, we are actually referring to Optimize how images, fonts, and other internal elements are stored.The text is barely affected, but photos, graphics, and backgrounds may be. compress or rescale, which greatly reduces the file size.

A PDF can contain Formatted text, different fonts, links, images, and even audio or video. tools like Adobe Acrobat They allow you to manage these elements and adjust how they are packaged within the PDF to save space.

The usual thing is that The reading of the texts hardly changes after compressionThis is most noticeable in images: they are reduced in size, their resolution is lowered, or more aggressive compression algorithms are applied. In documents with many photos, graphics, or high-resolution scans (see guide for Convert JPG to PDF and vice versa), the difference in weight can be brutal without you feeling that the PDF looks "bad".

Reducing the quality of the PDF is key if You need to send files by email, upload them to a limited platform, or save them to a memory with limited space.The smaller the document, the easier it is to share and store, especially if you work with many PDFs at once.

Advantages of compressing your PDF files

One of the main advantages of reducing the quality of a PDF is that You gain convenience when sharing itA file several megabytes in size can cause problems when attached to emails. apps messaging platforms or other platforms that limit upload size. By compressing it, the same document is sent much faster and without "file too large" errors.

Another important advantage is the saving storage spaceIf you work daily with PDF documents (invoices, reports, contracts, scanned notes, etc.) and they are all quite large, your hard drive and memory will soon fill up. USB Your cloud storage is filling up. Compressing them allows you to store many more files in the same place.

Furthermore, when you reduce the size of a PDF, It improves the experience of the person who opens it.Especially if you're using slow connections or mobile data. Lightweight PDFs download faster, open quickly, and handle better on less powerful devices, such as older phones or tablets.

Finally, there is a practical aspect if you work in a team or with clients: Having lightweight versions of PDFs makes them easier to manage, send in bulk, and archive.Moving 100 documents of 20 MB is not the same as moving 100 documents of 1 MB, both in terms of transfer time and the space required on servers or storage services.

How to compress a PDF with specialized online tools

The quickest and most direct way to reduce the quality of a PDF is to use Websites specifically designed to compress filesThese are services that work from the browser, without installing anything, and that convert your large PDF into a much smaller one in a matter of seconds.

A very popular example is the Smallpdf compression tool, accessible from its website. PDF compressionUpon entering, you'll see a main area where you can drop the file or a button labeled "Choose File." They also often offer shortcuts for uploading documents from [location/device]. Google Drive or Dropbox, which is great if you have them saved in the cloud.

The process is simple: You can drag the PDF from your desktop or use the file explorer which opens when you click the button to choose a document. Once loaded, the website automatically starts the compression process. For a few seconds, you'll see messages like "Compressing PDFs..." and, if the connection fails, you may see warnings like "Something is wrong with your internet connection."

When the process is complete, the tool shows you How much has it managed to reduce the size of the original PDF?It usually shows the initial size, the final size, and the percentage reduction. From there, you can download the new version by clicking the "Download" button or similar, or take advantage of the options to share it directly, save it to your cloud storage, edit it, or convert it to other formats, such as images.

Services like Smallpdf or iLovePDF also allow, in some cases, upload multiple files and process them in batchesThis is especially useful if you work in a company or organization that generates a large number of PDFs, as you can compress many documents in a row without having to do it one by one.

Compression levels and output quality

Online PDF compression tools usually offer different levels of compressionsuch as “basic”, “medium” or “strong”. Each level implies a different balance between final file size and visual quality of the document.

In a basic compression, The weight is reduced without significantly affecting the quality.It's ideal for documents that need to look virtually identical to the original, such as reports with charts or presentations you'll be showing on screen. The size reduction is moderate, but the PDF still looks very sharp.

In heavy or advanced compression, the tool applies more aggressive methods: The images are further rescaled, their resolution is lowered, and they are optimized to the fullest extent.The result is a very lightweight PDF, perfect for sending by email or sharing on a large scale, but with a somewhat more noticeable loss of detail in photos or highly graphic elements.

Platforms like iLovePDF, for example, allow you explicitly choose your preferred compression levelSimply upload your file, select the compression level that best suits your needs, and let the tool do the work. Afterward, you can download the compressed file and check the size reduction.

In services like Smallpdf, basic compression is usually free, while Strong or advanced compression options are reserved for Pro accountsThis means you can use the tool for free with certain limitations (number of files per day, maximum size, etc.) and, if you want more powerful features or intensive use, you will have to opt for a subscription.

Using Smallpdf to reduce the quality of a PDF

Smallpdf is one of the best-known solutions for those who need Compress PDFs quickly, without complicating your lifeIt works directly from the browser and its interface is very simple, making the process easy for any user, even those without much experience.

Smallpdf's compression tool takes care of Analyze your document, detect redundant information, and re-encode large imagesThanks to this, you can reduce the file size while keeping the content intact, without altering text or fonts. What is optimized are the graphic elements and the way the data is stored internally.

An important feature is that Compression does not modify the document's fonts.The font types, sizes, styles, and embedded fonts remain intact. This ensures that the document's professional appearance is preserved: paragraphs are not misaligned, the design remains unchanged, and the layout is not disrupted.

Smallpdf offers a free version with certain usage limitations (for example, number of tasks per day or maximum file size) and a Pro version that It provides unlimited access to all features and advanced compression.With the Pro plan, you can also use more than 30 tools to edit, combine, convert, and work with PDFs, including features based on IA.

If you work in a team, there is also a Smallpdf Pro plan for teamsThis allows multiple people in the same group to enjoy all the Pro features. This type of subscription offers flexible payment options, designed for organizations of varying sizes that need to process PDFs regularly.

Other features and security in Smallpdf

In addition to compressing PDFs, Smallpdf allows reduce the size of other types of files, such as documents of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and commonly used image formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF. The goal is to optimize these files without noticeably affecting visual quality, which is very useful when working with presentations or reports full of photos (Compress multimedia in PowerPoint).

In the security section, the service It uses TLS encryption and complies with GDPR.The European data protection regulation. Furthermore, it is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and conducts annual security audits, providing added peace of mind for those handling sensitive or confidential documents.

The compression process is performed with the connection fully encrypted end-to-endThis means that the data travels encrypted between your device and the tool's servers, reducing the risk of third parties intercepting or accessing it during the process.

Another advantage is that You don't need to register to try the toolYou can log in, upload your PDF, compress it, and download it without creating an account, which speeds up occasional use. If you later need more features or don't want limitations, you always have the option to upgrade to the Pro version.

Smallpdf also offers mobile applications for iOS y AndroidWith these apps you can compress large PDFs from your mobile phone or tablet, which is very practical if you work outside the office, travel often, or need to send small documents using mobile data or public Wi-Fi networks.

How to compress a PDF with iLovePDF

iLovePDF is another great reference when it comes to optimize and reduce the size of PDF files from the browserTheir "Compress PDF" tool is free and quite intuitive: you upload the file, choose how strong you want the compression to be, and downloads the result.

The user flow is very similar to that of other online solutions. First You select your PDF file or drag it to the indicated areaOnce loaded, the website displays different compression levels. Depending on your choice, the system adjusts the image quality and other internal elements, generating a lighter version.

The people behind iLovePDF often describe the process as almost "magical" because The user doesn't have to touch anything technicalNo resolutions, no formats, no advanced parameters. Simply choose the compression level and the platform takes care of all the necessary optimizations to reduce the document's file size.

Once it's over, you can Download the compressed file and check the size savingsIf the PDF is going to be sent by email, uploaded to a virtual campus, shared via messaging, or stored in a limited space, this reduction in weight makes all the difference.

For companies or organizations that handle large volumes of documents, iLovePDF offers Premium options and desktop applications for macOS and WindowsThanks to these versions, batch files can be processed offline, without depending on an internet connection, and without strict usage limits like in the free online version.

Compress PDFs from your mobile device with iLovePDF

If you usually work remotely or study online, you may often have to Send large PDFs from your mobile phone or tabletIn these cases, the iLovePDF mobile app is especially useful, as it integrates almost the same tools as the web version, including the PDF compressor.

It works very simply: from the app, You import the file from your device or from a cloud serviceYou select the compression tool and choose the level that best suits your needs. In seconds, you get a "light" version of the document ready to be shared.

The app also allows, Send the compressed PDF directly using your favorite messaging app. or by email. This saves intermediate steps, because you don't have to download the file, search for it, and attach it manually; everything is done within the app's workflow.

iLovePDF offers its Free mobile app for Android and iOSAlthough there may be some advanced features reserved for Premium users, for basic compression tasks it is usually more than sufficient and gets you out of a bind when you need to reduce the size of a PDF on the fly.

Having the compressor on your mobile phone is also useful for save mobile data and storage spaceBy sending smaller files, you consume less data when uploading and downloading, and you also take up less internal memory on your device, which is key on phones with limited free space.

How to reduce the size of a PDF using Word or LibreOffice

If you prefer not to use online services or don't want to upload your documents to the internet, you can also Reduce the quality and size of a PDF using office software , the Microsoft Word or LibreOffice. The idea is simple: you convert the PDF to an editable document and then export it again as an optimized PDF.

In the case of Word, the first step is open the PDF file directly in the programWhen you do this, Word warns you that it's going to Convert the PDF into an editable documentThis may slightly alter the formatting, but it works reasonably well for most text documents.

Once the PDF has been converted into a Word document, Changing its content is not mandatory. (you can keep the format intactIf you are only interested in obtaining a lighter version, you can go directly to the "File" menu and choose the "Export" option, which is used to save the document in other formats.

Within the export options, you have to select “Create PDF/XPS document”This will open a window to save the file, where you can choose the name and location of the new PDF. It is in this same window that the key setting for reducing the file size appears.

Before saving, you'll see a section called "Optimize for" with several options. This is where you should go. select the “Minimum size” optionThis tells Word to generate a PDF optimized for online publishing, reducing the quality of images and other elements to create a smaller file. Then simply click "Publish" and you'll get a new, much lighter PDF.