I Tried Compressing a PDF 5 Different Ways — Here's What Actually Worked

The Setup

Let me set the scene. It's 4 PM on a Wednesday. I've got a proposal document — 47MB, 38 pages of content including high-res images, charts, and diagrams. My client needs it by end of day. Their company email blocks anything over 25MB.

Cloud link? Not allowed. Company policy. Separate emails with split files? Client says no, too confusing. I need to get this PDF under 25MB. Challenge accepted.

Method 1: Adobe Acrobat's “Reduce File Size”

I have Acrobat Pro (subscription that costs more than my Netflix). First thing I tried. File → Reduce File Size. Easy, right?

Result: 47MB → 41MB. Are you kidding me? That's barely a dent. I need to lose 22MB, not 6MB. Acrobat gave me a tiny reduction and called it a day. Maybe it works great for text-heavy documents, but mine had images. No dice.

Method 2: macOS Preview “Reduce File Size” Filter

If you're on Mac, Preview has a built-in quartz filter for reducing PDF size. Export → Quartz Filter → Reduce File Size.

Result: 47MB → 8MB. Holy cow! That's amazing! Wait... why do my images look like they were faxed from 1995? The compression is absolutely brutal. Charts are unreadable. This is worse than blurry — this is unprofessional.

The Mac filter doesn't give you any control over quality. It just nukes everything. Fine for personal documents, disaster for anything business-related.

Method 3: The “Print to PDF” Trick

I read somewhere that printing a PDF to a new PDF can sometimes reduce file size because it removes hidden data and layers. Worth a shot.

Result: 47MB → 52MB. It got BIGGER. The print-to-PDF process apparently converted some of my vector graphics to bitmaps. Great. Next.

Method 4: Splitting the PDF

Okay, different approach. What if I split the document into two parts? 19 pages each should each be under 25MB, right?

Using a PDF splitter, I broke it into Part A and Part B. Part A: 26MB. Part B: 21MB. One under, one still over. My client specifically said they didn't want separate files. But honestly, this could work in a pinch for others.

Method 5: Online Compression with Quality Control

Finally, I tried an online tool that lets you actually choose your compression level. Here's the difference — instead of “compress” as a binary on/off, you get a slider or percentage choice.

I set it to medium compression — specifically targeting images while leaving text sharp.

Result: 47MB → 22MB. Under the limit! And when I checked the quality? Charts readable. Images clear. Maybe slightly less crisp than the original if you zoom in at 400%, but at normal viewing? Perfect.

The key was control. Being able to say “I want medium compression, not maximum” made all the difference.

What I Learned

• →Built-in tools are lazy. They either barely compress or completely destroy quality. No middle ground.
• →Control matters. Being able to choose your compression level is the difference between success and “faxCopy from 1995.”
• →Images are the problem. A text-only PDF barely needs compression. It's the images eating up space.
• →Sometimes splitting works. If you can send separate files, splitting your PDF is a valid option.

My Recommendation

If you're fighting with a big PDF right now, save yourself the afternoon I wasted. Use a tool that gives you actual control over compression quality. Our PDF Compressor lets you pick your compression level — you can preview the quality before committing.

Start with light compression. If that's not enough, bump it up. It takes 30 seconds instead of 3 hours.

Compress Your PDF Now

Don't waste your afternoon like I did. Get your PDF under that email limit: