When we upload a PDF file on a certain site, it is usually required that the size is smaller than 100KB, 200KB, 300KB, 500KB, or 1MB, the goal is to make the upload process faster and the storage on the site server not full quickly.
This makes us have to adjust the capacity of our PDF files so that their size does not exceed the predetermined limit. To reduce the size of the PDF file, the most effective way is to compress it, either online using the web or using an application to compress PDF offline.
To reduce the size of the PDF file to the size you want, you can do it using a cellphone or laptop. You can determine for yourself how much capacity you want according to your individual needs.
How to compress PDF files to the size you want
1. Open a browser on your cellphone or laptop
First you open the browser application on your cellphone or laptop, you can use any browser but it is recommended to use Google Chrome.
2. Enter the online PDF compress site
Then open the following PDF compress site:
https://smallpdf.com/compress-pdf
3. Upload the PDF file
Click the Choose Files button> select the PDF file you want to compress. Wait for the upload process to complete.
4. Select the desired size
Then you can determine the size of the PDF you want. There are two types of compress methods that you can use, namely Basic and Strong. There you can see the estimated capacity of the compressed file.
For example, the file we uploaded is 123KB in size and we want it compressed to make it less than 100KB. By using the Basic Compression method, the file was successfully compressed to 73.7KB (reduced by 40%).
The second example of a 482KB PDF file can be compressed to less than 300KB with the Basic method and less than 200KB with the Strong method.
The third example, we can also compress a large PDF file to less than 1MB using the Basic method and less than 500KB using the Strong method.
5. Press the Choose Option button
After determining the desired size and compress method you want to use, click the Choose Option button to start the compressing process.
6. Wait for the process to complete
Then you just have to wait, the smaller the compressed PDF size, the faster the process will be.
7. Download the compressed PDF file
When finished, you can download the PDF file to your cellphone or laptop by pressing the Download button. Another option you can also import the file directly to Google Drive or Dropbox.
8. Double check whether the size is as you wish
To make sure the file size is the way you want, please double check the file by looking at the Propreties or Details. When it fits, the PDF is ready to use for your purposes.
Several other PDF compress site alternatives that you can use
There are several other sites you can use to shrink PDF files online. As you can see, the site used in the above tutorial only allows compression using the Basic method for free users. While in the Strong method we have to pay, can use a trial account for 7 days, but the condition is that you have to have a credit card.
As an alternative, there are many other sites that provide a pretty good free PDF compression service. You can save it as a backup in case the first site was down or closed.
Good online PDF compress sites include:
- https://www.ilovepdf.com/compress_pdf
- https://pdfcompressor.com
- https://www.sodapdf.com/id/compress-pdf/
- https://pdfcandy.com/compress-pdf.html
- https://www.foxitsoftware.com/compress-pdf/
- https://docupub.com/pdfcompress/
- https://www.pdf2go.com/compress-pdf
Feel free to try for yourself which of the sites above is the most suitable and meets your needs.
