There's nothing more frustrating than trying to email an important document only to get a "file too large" error. Most email services cap attachments at 25MB, and many online forms have even stricter limits. If your PDF is too big to send, you need a way to shrink it without destroying the quality.
PDFzipp's compression tool solves this problem. It reduces PDF file sizes significantly while keeping your documents readable and professional. The tool is free, requires no signup, and — importantly — processes your files entirely in your browser so your documents stay private.
How It Works
Open the PDFzipp Compress tool and upload your PDF by dragging it into the window or clicking to browse. You'll see options for different compression levels. The "Balanced" setting works best for most people — it reduces file size substantially while keeping text crisp and images looking good. If you need the absolute smallest file and can accept some image quality loss, choose "Maximum." If quality is critical and you just need a modest reduction, choose "Minimum."
Click compress, and within seconds you'll have a smaller version of your file ready to download. The original file on your computer stays untouched.
What Kind of Results to Expect
How much smaller your PDF gets depends entirely on what's in it. Documents that are mostly text — contracts, reports, articles — typically compress by 60 to 80 percent. That means a 10MB document might shrink to just 2 or 3MB. Documents with a mix of text and images usually compress by 40 to 60 percent. Image-heavy documents or scanned PDFs see smaller reductions, typically 20 to 40 percent, because the images are already compressed.
If your PDF was previously compressed by another tool, you might see minimal additional reduction. There's only so much you can squeeze out of a file that's already been optimized.
When Compression Makes Sense
The most common use case is email attachments. When your document is just a bit too large to send, compression usually solves the problem immediately. It's also useful for cloud storage — if you're paying for space, smaller files mean more documents fit in your quota. Many web forms and application portals also have strict upload limits that compression can help you meet.
Compression is also helpful for sharing files on slower connections. A 2MB PDF downloads almost instantly on any connection, while a 20MB file might take a while on mobile data.
A Note on Quality
With "Balanced" compression, most people can't tell the difference between the original and compressed versions when viewing on screen. Text remains sharp and readable. Only at "Maximum" compression might you notice some softening in photographs or detailed images. For documents that will only be viewed digitally (not printed at high resolution), this is rarely a problem.
What's Next
If you're working with multiple documents, you might want to merge them first and then compress the combined file. Need to send just a few pages instead of the whole document? Split it to extract only what you need. For documents you need to edit, convert to Word first.