Compress PDF
To make a PDF smaller, choose it and press Compress. Lossless mode re-packs the file without changing anything you see; Strong mode re-draws pages as JPEG images, which shrinks scans and photo-heavy PDFs the most but turns text into pictures.
- ๐ Runs on your device
- โค 0 bytes uploaded
- ๐ด Works offline
- โ Free, no sign-up, no watermark
- โฌ 3 MB engine, first use only
How to use Compress PDF
- Choose the PDF file.
- Pick Lossless (keeps everything) or Strong (pages become images).
- For Strong, pick a resolution and JPEG quality.
- Press Compress, compare the sizes and download.
About Compress PDF
Lossless mode runs qpdf to rebuild the file with compressed object streams and re-compresses every Flate stream at the highest level, and compares that with a pdf-lib re-save. The smallest valid result wins.
Strong mode is the same idea as "print to PDF as image": pdf.js draws each page at the resolution you choose and the picture is saved as a JPEG page of the same size. It is the right choice for scanned documents, and the wrong one for documents whose text you need to search or copy.
Is it private?
Yes. Compress PDF runs entirely in your web browser using your device's own processor. Your files are never uploaded to Nolo or anyone else, and the page cannot send them anywhere: its security policy only allows it to talk to nolotools.com, which has no place to receive files. Results are kept encrypted on your device for 60 minutes in Your files, then deleted automatically, or straight away with Delete all. How Nolo works.
Questions and answers
Is my PDF uploaded to compress it?
No. Compression runs in your browser with qpdf (WebAssembly) and pdf.js. The file never leaves your device.
What is the difference between Lossless and Strong?
Lossless re-packs the PDF structure with maximum compression; nothing visible changes and text stays selectable, but savings are usually modest. Strong re-draws every page as a JPEG picture: scans and photo PDFs often shrink by 70 to 95%, but text is no longer selectable or searchable, and links and form fields are removed.
Why did my PDF not get smaller?
Some PDFs are already tightly packed. If the result would not be smaller, Nolo gives you the original file back and tells you so, instead of handing you a bigger file.
Will Strong mode make the text blurry?
At 72 DPI small text can look soft when you zoom in. 100 DPI is a good balance for reading on screen, and 150 DPI keeps small print sharp at a larger size.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
If it needs a password to open, unlock it first with Unlock PDF. PDFs that only restrict editing can be compressed losslessly and keep their restrictions.
Does Nolo downsample the images inside my PDF in Lossless mode?
No. Lossless mode never touches image data. Use Strong mode to reduce image resolution.