PlainPDF can reduce some PDF files by rebuilding their document structure, but it cannot guarantee a target size. It does not downsample or recompress embedded images, so image-heavy and scanned PDFs may stay the same size or become larger.
Reviewed by PlainPDF on . How we review our tools.
How it works
The browser loads the PDF with pdf-lib and saves a rebuilt copy using object streams. The current implementation does not resize pages, rasterize content, or downsample embedded images.
Best suited to
- PDFs with removable structural overhead.
- Files that must keep their current image quality.
Not designed for
- Guaranteeing a specific limit such as 500KB or 1MB.
- Aggressively reducing scanned or image-heavy PDFs.
How to compress pdf
- Choose one PDF file.
- Let the browser rebuild the PDF.
- Download the rebuilt PDF.
When to use this tool
- Prepare a PDF for email or upload.
- Remove unused document structure where possible.
Privacy and file handling
Files are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to our servers. Closing or resetting the tool clears the selected files from this page.
Limitations
- Results vary and image quality is not reduced.
- Some PDFs may become the same size or larger.
Frequently asked questions
Can this guarantee a 1MB file?
No. Final size depends on the original PDF and its contents.
Will image quality change?
This browser tool does not downsample images, so visual quality should stay the same.
Do I need an account?
No. Core tools do not require an account or email address.
Can I use this on a phone?
Yes. The page and upload controls work in modern mobile browsers.