How to Make a PDF Smaller

This article explains ways to make a PDF file smaller using Microsoft programs, on a Mac, and on a smartphone when PDF file sizes are too large for a particular purpose, such as when uploading to a website or sending via email.

Reduce Size of PDFs on Windows

When you create a PDF using Microsoft programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, there is an easy way to ensure the file size is as small as possible. Here’s how it works in Word 2019, 2016, and 2013: 

1. Open your Word document. Select File.

2. Select Export.

3. On the next screen, under Export, select Create PDF/XPS Document.

4. To the right, select Create PDF/XPS. 

5. In the dialog, select Minimum Size (publishing online) and choose Publish to generate the PDF.

In Word 2010:

Word 2010 works slightly differently. Here's what you need to do:

1. Open your Word document.

2. Select File > Save As.

3. In the File name field, enter your file name.

   It may seem tempting to keep the same file name, but you should change it at least slightly so you still have a copy of the original PDF file.

4. In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf).

5. Select Minimum Size (publishing online).

6. Select Save. 

Compress the Size of PDFs on a Mac

This handy trick allows Mac users to easily reduce the size of PDFs.

1. From Finder, right-click on the PDF you want to open and choose Open With > Preview. 

2. Select File in the Preview menu bar and choose Export in the drop-down menu.

3. In the dialog box, in the Quartz Filter menu, select Reduce File Size. 

4. Select Save. 

Reduce Size of PDFs on Your Phone

To reduce the size of a PDF file on your phone, you need to install a PDF compression app such as iLovePDF, which is available for both Android and iOS. Each app is slightly different, but here's how it works with this one:

1. Open the iLovePDF app.

2. Tap Compress PDF.

3. Select the location (Device, Google Drive, or Dropbox) from which you will retrieve the PDF document.

4. Give the app permission to access each location.

5. Navigate to the PDF file you want to compress, select it, and tap Next.

6. Choose the level of compression you want: Extreme, Recommended, or Low. Tap Compress.

7. You will see a completion message. To see the compressed file, tap Go to File.