For Freelancers
Compress a PDF to Fit Email Attachment Limits
Most email providers cap attachments well below what a scanned or image-heavy PDF actually weighs — Gmail's limit is 25 MB, and Outlook.com caps out around 20 MB for a single message. If your PDF bounces back or shows as "too large to send," compression is the fix, not switching providers.
PDF Compressor re-renders each page and re-encodes it at a lower resolution and JPEG quality, entirely in your browser. For email specifically, the Medium preset (200 DPI, 0.82 JPEG quality) is usually the right starting point — it cuts file size substantially while keeping text legible on screen. If the file is still too large after Medium, step up to High (150 DPI, 0.70 quality) rather than jumping straight to Maximum, which visibly degrades image detail.
One trade-off worth knowing before you compress: this process rebuilds each page as an image, so the output PDF is no longer searchable or has selectable text. If the recipient needs to copy text or search the document, send the original and mention the file size instead, or compress a copy and keep the original for reference.
How to handle this workflow
Launch the PDF Compressor and load your document. No account creation or software installation is required.
Select your preferred settings. Core processing runs on your device, keeping your documents confidential and private.
Inspect the output to confirm page quality and formatting, then save your updated PDF directly to your device.
What's the best compression setting for emailing a PDF?
Medium (200 DPI, 0.82 quality) is the usual starting point — it cuts file size substantially while keeping text legible, and covers most email limits (Gmail 25 MB, Outlook around 20 MB) without needing to go more aggressive.