How to reduce a PDF’s file size for Mac and Windows
On the internet, size matters. If you’ve ever wanted to transmit PDF files to a friend, colleague, or if you own a business, it’s quite likely that you’ve run into the problem of being unable to transfer a file owing to its size. Fortunately, by learning how to reduce the size of a PDF for mac, this problem might be quickly fixed.
Why compress a PDF file?
Along with Word documents, PDF files are becoming more and more popular because of their many advantages. The key benefit is that PDF files may adapt to any programme or operating system, letting you know in advance if the systems of the sender and recipient are compatible. Additionally, formatting is preserved when you upload a PDF, but not always with Word files.
Another advantage that cannot be overlooked is how easily PDFs can be stored on any device or attached to an email. Due to its versatility in terms of content, such as text or photographs, PDFs are commonly used for demonstrations and the display of high-quality papers.
However, these benefits might occasionally become negatives. In this case, when more content is added, a PDF’s download size increases, slowing your internet speed and stressing website servers. You already know what will happen if the file size exceeds a predetermined limit depending on the platform you’re using: you won’t be able to upload or transmit the file. As a solution, several sites advise switching to a premium subscription, which enables you to upload larger files.
Knowing how to reduce a PDF’s file size is a pretty easy way to avoid incurring additional costs. You may continue sending your PDFs fast in this way without considerably straining your internet connection or the available storage on your device. How to reduce the size of PDF documents on a Mac or Windows computer
You are now aware of the option to make your papers smaller. The interesting part is learning just how to reduce a PDF’s file size. There are a variety of tools available to do this, but the most useful and efficient ones are detailed below:
FormatPDF
You may easily and rapidly reduce the file size of a PDF by using the FormatPDF website. By glancing at the top menu and choosing the third option, where you may shrink your PDF files, even a beginner will be able to utilise it with ease.
Once you are on the page, you may upload a file by dragging it there or by selecting it from where it is saved on your device. The website will automatically process your PDF when you add it and get it ready for compression.
Choose your selections for file size, quality, and the ratio between the two using the menu on the right. You can choose between:
- Both the file size and quality are greatly decreased when using full compression.
- A proposal for compression that will help maintain the balance between your PDF’s size and quality.
- The third choice is low compression, which drastically decreases the file size with little to no effect on the image’s quality.
After choosing the choice that best suits your needs, click the red “Compress PDF” button. Once the compression is complete, the download will be available. It’s finally over! The PDF file you have now is smaller and prepared for uploading or emailing. Additionally, you have the choice of rotating, protecting, or reformatting your documents. This option is also accessible if you’re dealing with many PDFs at once and wish to combine them into a single document.
Adobe Acrobat
Another way to make your PDF files smaller is to use the Acrobat application from Adobe. To do this, open the PDF file in Acrobat, choose “File,” “Compress PDF,” and then choose the location where you want the compressed PDF file to be stored.
It should be noted that Adobe Acrobat is a premium product with a current annual membership cost of US$155.88. There are many of useful free or inexpensive alternatives available since it is expensive. Therefore, before reaching for your wallet to make the payment, consider a cloud-based option.
Compress to ZIP or RAR
Our third recommendation for minimising a PDF’s file size is to include it to a ZIP or RAR archive. To do this, choose your PDF in “Documents,” right-click on it, and you should see a panel with the options “Send to,” “ZIP compressed folder,” or “Compress to ZIP file.” Your options will vary depending on the operating system you’re running.
However, putting your PDF to a ZIP or RAR archive only makes sense if you have one or more large files. However, you will again go above the size limit if your intention is to send the files by email or upload them anywhere.
Compress a PDF with Word
The last option is to use LibreOffice or the official programme to convert your PDF file into a Word document. Start by selecting one of the two options, then click “File” and pick “Convert to.doc Format.”
After converting to a.doc or a similar, go back to “File” and select “Export to PDF.” It may have a label that reads something close to this or something similar. Once more, things may differ based on your operating system.
Conclusion
You now know how to utilise a variety of tools to reduce the size of a PDF file. The first choice, FormatPDF, gives you the best guarantees about the quality of your file and how it corresponds to its file size without imposing unreasonable fees.
The option may seem interesting if you don’t care about the final PDF quality or if you don’t need to adjust the file size, but as we just saw, sending or uploading the file may be problematic, or it may result in a loss of funds in your bank account.
