How to Compress a PDF for Email Attachments

Email services limit attachments, commonly to around 20 to 25 MB per message, and many company systems set lower limits. If your PDF is over the line, try this sequence.

Try compression with sensible settings

Open Compress PDF and choose Strong compression at 110 dpi and Medium quality. That is readable on any screen and usually far smaller than a raw scan. Check the result by opening it and zooming into small text.

If it is still too big

• Use the lowest quality option for a final push.
• Remove pages you do not need with Delete PDF pages.
• Split the file with Split PDF and send two messages.

Keep text searchable when you can

Strong compression turns pages into images. If the document is mostly text and you need it searchable, try Light compression first. Savings are small but the content stays intact.

Alternatives to attachments

For files that cannot be shrunk, upload to a cloud drive and share a link. This is often better for very large documents anyway, since recipients are not bound by attachment limits.

Do not forget privacy

Uploading a document to a random website to compress it means giving that site your document. Browser-based tools process the file on your device and avoid that exposure.