Compress Scanned Document PDFs for Easy Sharing
Scanned PDFs from scanners or multifunction printers tend to be large and may exceed email or e-submission size limits. Compress and remove unneeded pages — right in your browser.
8.4 MB → 1.2 MB
Oversized scanned PDF compressed and sent as email attachment
Why This Takes Longer Than It Should
A PDF straight out of an office scanner routinely exceeds 20 MB per file. The cause is resolution: most machines default to saving every page as a 300–600 dpi full-color image. Email attachment limits sit around 10 MB and web forms often cap at 5 MB, so the file simply won't go — and re-scanning means finding the paper originals again.
What's Actually At Risk Here
- ✓What gets scanned tends to be contracts, applications, and certificates — documents whose originals matter. There's no reason to send them out just to shrink them.
- ✓Compression happens in the browser, so internal documents never pass through an external PDF service.
- ✓The source file is never modified. If the compressed version doesn't meet the requirement, start again from the original.
2 Steps to Get It Done
Click any tool name below to go directly to that tool.
- 1Delete Pages
Delete blank pages and unnecessary pages introduced during scanning
- 2Compress PDF
Compress the PDF to meet email attachment or e-submission size limits
Where People Get Tripped Up
These catch people out even when the steps are followed correctly. Skimming them first saves a redo.
- Scanned pages are images, so compression degrades letter edges first. Always confirm names and figures are still legible.
- Scanning black-and-white originals in color multiplies the size. Switching the scanner to grayscale removes the need to compress at all.
- If it's still too large after compressing, splitting the file across several messages beats sacrificing legibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much can scanned PDFs be compressed?
- It depends on the scan resolution and content, but typical reductions are 50–80%.
- Will compression make the text hard to read?
- You can adjust the compression level to preserve readability. Use the preview to check quality before downloading.
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