How to save pdf as a smaller file

Here are 5 ways to make your PDF smaller:

1. Re-save the PDF to reduce PDF size
2. Compress PDF with Adobe Acrobat or Nitro
3. Remove unwanted objects from PDF files
4. Clear unused space – Use the PDF Optimizer
5. Colors can be a problem in a file size

We’ll take them one by one and explain them thoroughly. We’ve also inserted some images, and hopefully, they’ll help you reduce PDF size easier. So, let’s start with the first one:

Re-save the PDF to reduce PDF size

We don’t mean that you have to redo it from scratch. A simple, yet handy trick to reduce the size of a PDF file is to strip out unwanted objects, remove tags, and compress images. You can do that with any program that has a “print to PDF” option, or with the free online software. With most PDF editing tools, the file size reduction can be done in just a few easy steps:

1. Open the PDF file
2. Choose the Export / Save as dialog
3. Select the PDF as file type
4. Click Save and you’re done

Compress PDF with Adobe Acrobat or Nitro

Whether you are using Adobe Acrobat or Nitro PDF Professional, you can reduce PDF size in a simple, yet highly effective way. The “Save” feature is often much faster than the “Save As”, simply because any additional changes to the file are appended at the end of the file, without a complete rewrite, so a bulk of info is just adding up. Instead, by using the “Save As” feature, you can forget about this and reduce PDF size.

All you have to do is:

1. Open the PDF editor
2. In Acrobat go to File – Save As – Click Save once again
3. In Nitro PDF Professional go to File – Save As – Choose the file you want to compress – Click Save

Remove unwanted objects from PDF files

There are many features that can help you decrease the size of your PDF files. Some of the best tools are Adobe and Nitro PDF. The size of a PDF file is increased by links, bookmarks, form fields, and JavaScript. But this shouldn’t be an issue. Whether you use the Nitro PDF Professional or Adobe, just follow the steps below. They’ll surely help you reduce PDF size:

1. Open the PDF in the PDF editor
2. In Nitro PDF Professional: Go to File > Optimize PDF > Click Custom
   

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3 Comments

1. elvy September 30, 2012 at 8:48 pm - Reply

   good

2. Matt March 17, 2013 at 4:18 am - Reply

   Please also have a look at our tool: http://smallpdf.com – it’s a nice little tool and does a great job reducing your pdf.

   We appreciate every kind of feedback! Thanks!

3. Whitney Barone March 22, 2021 at 1:36 am - Reply

   As a print production professional, I must warn you to think of the final use of the PDF. I’ve seen so many ruined files, saved or exported for interactive or screen viewing only. Know the difference, know how to downsave rasterized linked images. Save your RAW files. It’s really easy to take away, but you can never add it back or resize. ” Enhance” only works in movies. .eps and vectors are your friend.

   PDF files can be rather large and can cause the transport and saving of these files to be a problematic. In this tutorial we will show you how to reduce the file size using Adobe's Acrobat.

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   1. With Acrobat Pro open, go to File > Open.

      

   2. After your file is open, Go to File > Save as Other > Reduced Size PDF....

      

   3. Select the Acrobat version that is compatible with the features in your PDF file. To potentially reduce the file size greatly, choose later versions of Acrobat. We generally recommend two versions below the most current. If you happen to have embedded video in your PDF file, use the most recent version of Acrobat.

      

   4. Re-name your file and Click Save.

      
      
      In the image below, you can see that we saved 18.1MB using this process. Depending on the initial size of your file, the amount reduced will vary.