How to make a PDF smaller and reduce file size.

Here’s a quick and easy way to reduce the size of a PDF that’s too big to share or takes up too much storage on your computer or device.

Some PDFs are very large, especially if they have a lot of pages. Whether you’re running out of storage space or need to send a file for work, school, or personal use, it’s often necessary to reduce the file size beforehand. Adobe Acrobat online services make it easy to compress and reduce PDFs in just minutes, from anywhere and using any web browser.

How to determine the PDF size.

Before you can start making PDFs smaller, you need to know how big they are. Checking the file size of a PDF is simple.

1. Open the PDF using Adobe Acrobat or free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2. Select File.
3. Select Properties.
4. Find the file size listed in the “Document Properties Description” tab.

You can also go directly to the file itself using the files app on your device.

On a Mac:

1. Open Finder.
2. Right-click on the PDF file.
3. Select “Get Info.”
4. Look at “File Size” to see how large the PDF is.

On a PC:

1. Open Files Explorer.
2. Right-click on the PDF file.
3. Select “Properties.”
4. Look at “File Size” to see how large the PDF is.

Remember, one megabyte (MB) equals 1,000 kilobytes (KB). So a document that is 25MB may look small, but it’s actually 25,000KB.

Benefits of reducing the PDF size.

Large PDFs have longer upload times and are more difficult to share electronically. Many email servers have limits for how large a file they can send. A hefty PDF also takes up critical storage on your servers or devices. In some cases, like when readers are opening a PDF in a web browser, a reduced file size can even improve the document’s performance and strain on your device.

How to make a PDF file size smaller.

While you can use the same process on any device or computer, keep in mind that the interface may look slightly different on each as you complete the following steps.

1. Visit Acrobat online services and navigate to the Compress page by clicking Compress in the menu.
2. Click or tap on the “Select a file” button.
3. Choose the file from your device or from a cloud service like Google Drive. It must be no larger than 2GB.
4. Your file will upload and compress.
5. Download it or sign in to share it with someone else.

Now that your file is a more reasonable size, it will be much easier to work with — plus, you’ll have more free space on your computer or device. For even more options on managing compression, merging PDFs, plus many other functions, explore everything you can do with Acrobat online services.

How to reduce a PDF file size in Google Drive.

Can you reduce file size on Google Drive? The answer is yes, but with restrictions.

When you download multiple folders or files to your computer from Google Drive, they will automatically compress into a zip folder for easy sharing.

If you want to reduce the file size of a single PDF, there are many extensions you can download and add to your Google workspace to accomplish the task. The simplest solution is to follow the steps above and bring the PDF document directly into Adobe Acrobat online services from your Google Drive.