PDF files generated by various programs and services sometimes swell to inconvenient sizes. It is then difficult to send them by e-mail or archive them on local storage or in the cloud. Fortunately, there are tools to optimize them. And therefore, reducing the PDF file size.

PDF files can contain text, fonts, vector graphics, raster graphics, and many other objects. Not all applications build these files optimally, which may result in the large size issue. Is there anything that can be done about this, apart from archiving such files to compressed folders that are not entirely convenient to use? Fortunately, yes.

Step by step guides to compress a PDF file with SwifDoo PDF

The PDF compressor tool from SwifDoo PDF is a good option. It is a desktop PDF program and requires internet connectivity to function. To use it, you need to open it, send it the file to be reduced via the Internet – and it will return it in the most optimized form possible.

The SwifDoo PDF requires installation, it works on Windows PC and its free online PDF converter is for any browser. 

To finish compressing a PDF file with the SwifDoo PDF, you only need to follow the steps below.

After opening it, press the Compress PDF tag and select the PDF file to be optimized.

In the next step, the program will ask about the compression level. The higher it is, the less memory the document will take up. However, increasing the compression level may result in a slight loss of quality of graphic elements in the document, which should be taken into account.

And you can also customize the compress quality as you like. 

After that, simply hit the Start button. The application will start working on the file, which will take literally a few seconds – then it will report the end of work. 

After pressing the file, the program will open the file or the file folder as it set.

SwifDoo PDF is also a professional PDF program that allows you to create, edit and manage PDF documents. The software is available in both paid and free versions. The paid version offers more features than the free version though.

How to compress a PDF file with Office Word

Office Word is also for PDF editing task. It is able to scan a PDF file and convert it to Word, so you can change text, add new graphics, and perform other editing. In fact, it provides more PDF-related features, including compressing PDF files one by one.

Step 1: Open the PDF file in MS Word or suppose you intend to save the document as PDF.

Step 2: Go to the File menu in the top left corner and select ”Save As”. This will open the Save as Dialog.

Step 3: First, select a specific folder to save the compressed PDF file and save the file name in the File Name box. Click the drop-down option next to Save as type and select PDF or Relative.

Step 4: Make sure you select Minimum file size (publish online) under Optimize for in the pop-up dialog.

Step 5: As long as you are ready, click the Save button to compress the PDF file and export it to your hard drive.

Notes: This method is only available for PDF files created by the PDF editor or MS Word. Creates a fairly small file depending on the number of images in the PDF. Scanned PDF files cannot be compressed using Word because the file size will not change much.

The PDF format is considered the most secure and most often used for sending documents or collected photos. However, some systems or email accounts may have limits on the size of files transferred. This is one of the reasons why you should know how to reduce the size of a PDF file.

Additionally, keeping smaller files increases free space on your hard drive or memory while maintaining the authenticity of the document without compromising confidentiality.

In closing

PDF files can be useful when you want to create important documents. However, there are times when you want to upload a PDF file to a platform that has a PDF file size restriction. This means that you will not be able to upload your PDF if it exceeds a certain limit. 

So, if the size of the PDF file exceeds the size limit, you will need to compress the PDF file to make it smaller.

The applications presented above effectively facilitate editing and reducing the size of PDF files. Personally, I recommend the SwifDoo PDF program, which will intuitively allow you to optimize the size of documents in this format. If you are a Windows PC user, you will certainly appreciate the file compression capabilities of the SwifDoo PDF.