How to compress a PDF for email without blurry text
Which settings shrink a file the most and which ones soften the text.
- Published
- Updated
- Reading time
- 1 min
On this page
Have a PDF open?
Open Compress PDFMost of the weight in a PDF is images. Compression shrinks those images, so the text itself stays sharp as long as it is real text and not a picture of text.
Start with a medium setting and look at the result at full size. If a scan looks soft, step back one level rather than compressing again, because every pass loses a little more detail. Check the file size against your mail limit before you send.
If the file is still too large, split it into two parts or share it as a link instead of an attachment.
Questions people ask about Compress PDF
Why does compression make a scanned PDF look soft?
Most of a PDF's weight is images, and compression shrinks those. A scan is all images, so text in it softens first.
Should I compress a file more than once?
No. Every pass loses a little more detail. If the result looks soft, step back one setting instead.
What if the file is still too large for email?
Split it into two parts or share it as a link instead of an attachment.
About the author
indox Team
Staff writers, PDF and document toolsThe people who build and test the indox document tools write these guides from what they see in daily use.