Free
Compress a PDF without degrading the text
To compress a PDF with FontiaPDF, open it in the editor, press “Compress” and choose a level: “Standard” repacks the file without losing anything, and “Maximum” also scales large images down to 150 dpi. Text is never rasterized: it stays real text, sharp at any zoom, selectable and searchable.
When it finishes you see the size before and after, and you decide whether to download the result or try the other level.
A real example
We take a 3-page product catalog with large photos, a PDF whose weight is mostly in its images. In the “Compress PDF” dialog we pick “Maximum”, the level meant for exactly that, and press “Compress”. When it is done, the editor shows the size before and after and the percentage saved. Product names, prices and descriptions are still text: you can select them and search for them in the compressed file.
Before
After
How to compress a PDF in 3 steps
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Open the PDF
Upload it to the editor (up to 50 MB) and press “Compress”; on a phone it is under “⋯ More”. If you already made edits, they are applied first and the result is compressed.
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Pick a level
“Standard” is lossless and suits text documents. “Maximum” is meant for PDFs with photos or scanned pages, where the weight is in the images.
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Compare and download
Check the “before → after” sizes and press “Download compressed PDF”, or “Try another level” to compare. If the file was already optimized, the editor tells you so. The copy downloads with “_compressed” added to its name, so you won’t mix it up with the original.
What “Maximum” does, exactly
“Standard” packs the file more efficiently without changing anything you can see: it stores repeated images only once, drops resources nothing uses anymore and recompresses the PDF’s internal structure. “Maximum” does all of that and then goes through the images one by one:
- It works out each image’s real resolution from the size it is shown at on the page. If that is comfortably above 150 dpi, the image is scaled down to 150 dpi.
- It re-encodes color and grayscale images as JPEG at quality 75, and only swaps each one in if the result is smaller than the original.
- It leaves small images alone, anything under roughly 200 × 200 pixels (logos, icons, stamps, signatures), images with transparency or a mask, and any image it can’t measure on the page.
- CMYK images are converted to RGB. You won’t notice on screen, but if the PDF is headed to a print shop, use “Standard”.
- Text, vector graphics and fonts don’t change. When it finishes, the dialog tells you how many images it reduced.
When compressing barely reduces the size
If the result isn’t smaller than the original, FontiaPDF gives you back the PDF as it was and says so: “This PDF was already optimized — it could not be reduced further.” That usually happens when:
- The PDF is mostly text: the heaviest part is usually the embedded fonts, and those are left untouched.
- It was already compressed by the program that created it, or has been through a compressor before.
- Its images are already at 150 dpi or less, or they are small, so “Maximum” has nothing to reduce.
- The images have transparency, like many PNG graphics, so they are kept as they are.
- If you still need a lighter file, remove pages you don’t need or break the document into parts with “Split PDF”.
What leaves your browser when you compress
Compressing does send the PDF to our server, because that is where the file is repacked and the images are recompressed. It is processed in memory, never written to disk and discarded as soon as that is done; no copies are kept and it is not used to train AI models. The dialog says so under the “Compress” button, and nothing has been sent while you are still choosing a level: the PDF only leaves when you press it.
If you have edits you haven’t downloaded yet, the edited PDF is exported first, just as “Download PDF” would do, and then that result is compressed. The compressed PDF downloads separately: the document open in the editor doesn’t change, so you can keep editing it.
What’s preserved and what isn’t
Preserved
- Text, vector graphics and fonts are left intact at both levels.
- At “Standard” the PDF looks identical: it is just packed better.
- Text remains selectable and searchable after compression.
Limits
- “Maximum” scales large images down to 150 dpi and re-encodes them as JPEG: they look fine on screen, but it isn’t a good idea for photos you plan to print large.
- You can’t ask for an exact size, like “under 1 MB”: the result depends on the content.
- It compresses one document at a time. Very heavy PDFs can exceed the server’s memory; if that happens, the editor warns you and your file is left unchanged.
- With a password-protected PDF, it is exported without the password before compressing: that export counts as one of your 20 a day, and the compressed file has no password.
Free or Premium
Free
20 exports a day, no sign-up and no watermark.
- Compress at Standard or Maximum
- See the savings before downloading
- Edit the text before compressing
Premium
Unlimited exports and extra features.
- Unlimited exports of your edits
- Reorder, duplicate and extract pages from the panel
- Password-protect the PDF
Frequently asked questions
Does compressing a PDF reduce quality?
At Standard, no: the content doesn’t change. At Maximum only large images are scaled down, to 150 dpi; text stays just as sharp.
Is compression free?
Yes. Compression is part of the free plan and, on its own, doesn’t use any of your 20 daily exports. It only counts as one if you had edits you hadn’t downloaded yet or the PDF had a password, because it is exported first.
How much smaller will my file get?
It depends on the document. PDFs with photos or scanned pages shrink the most at Maximum, while a text-only PDF usually stays about the same. The editor shows you the exact percentage before you download.
Which level should I choose?
“Standard” if the document is mostly text, if it is going to a print shop or if you don’t want anything to change. “Maximum” if the weight comes from photos or scanned pages and the file will be viewed on screen or sent by email. You can try both: after compressing, “Try another level” takes you back to the options.
Can I compress several PDFs at once?
No. It compresses the document you have open in the editor, one at a time.
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