What it does
Reduce the file size by rewriting the document structure and re-encoding the images inside it. Low only cleans up the structure. Balanced and High also shrink images, which costs image quality. The result is shown next to the original size before you save.
report.pdf 8.4 MB
report-compressed.pdf 2.1 MBUse cases
Send a document that is too large for an email attachment, upload a form that has a size limit, or store scans that take too much space.
Limitations
A PDF that holds only text has little to compress, so the saving can be small. Stronger settings visibly soften photographs and scans. Compression removes optional metadata and thumbnails and can invalidate a digital signature. If the result is not smaller, the original file is kept.
Common questions
Output example
The example in the description shows the intended output. Actual results depend on your input.
report.pdf 8.4 MB
report-compressed.pdf 2.1 MB