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PDF CodexNeo

Compress PDF

Reduce PDF file size without losing quality. Smart Content Recompression, garbage collection, and stream deflation.

5 compression presets Custom DPI & quality Up to 100 MB Free - no signup

Drop your PDF here

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PDF only · Max 100 MB

Compression Preset

Choose a preset or select Custom to fine-tune every setting.

Advanced Options

How PDF Compression Works

1. Upload PDF

Drop or browse to upload your PDF. Up to 100 MB supported.

2. Choose Preset

Pick a preset from Screen to Prepress, or use Custom to set exact DPI and quality.

3. Download Smaller PDF

See exactly how much was saved. Download your compressed file instantly.

Smart Compression Technology

Smart Content Recompression

Automatically detects whether your PDF is image-heavy or text-based and applies the best compression strategy for maximum size reduction.

Garbage Collection

Removes all dead objects, orphaned streams, duplicate content, and xref gaps that accumulate from editing. Often reduces size by 10–30% alone.

Stream Deflation

Compresses all content streams, font data, and image streams with zlib deflate. Applied to every object in the file for maximum reduction.

5 Compression Presets

Screen (72 DPI), eBook (150 DPI), Default (150 DPI balanced), Printer (300 DPI), Prepress (300 DPI lossless) - each tuned for a specific use case.

Custom Controls

Set exact resolution (36–600 DPI), compression quality (1–95), and output mode. Combine with grayscale conversion, metadata stripping, and linearization.

Size Reduction Report

After compression, see the original size, new size, bytes saved, and percentage reduction - so you know exactly what was achieved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I compress a PDF for free?
Go to pdf.codexneo.com/compress-pdf/, upload your PDF (up to 100 MB), choose a compression preset — eBook is recommended for most uses — then click Compress PDF. Your smaller file is ready in seconds with no signup required.
Which compression preset should I choose?
Screen gives the smallest file size (72 DPI) for on-screen viewing and email. eBook (150 DPI) is the best balance of quality and size for digital distribution. Printer (300 DPI) maintains quality for printing. Prepress is lossless for professional print workflows. Use Custom to set exact DPI and quality values.
Will compression reduce the visual quality of my PDF?
Text and vector graphics are never degraded — only raster images are resampled. Screen and eBook presets reduce image resolution which may be visible on close inspection of photos. Printer and Prepress presets maintain high quality. Use Custom mode to find the exact balance you need.
Why is my PDF not getting smaller after compression?
PDFs containing mostly text and vector graphics (no photos) may only reduce by 5–15% since there are no images to downsample. The garbage collection and stream deflation still remove dead objects and compress streams. Try the Screen preset for maximum reduction on image-heavy PDFs.
What is PDF linearization?
Linearization (Fast Web View) restructures the PDF so the first page loads immediately in a browser without downloading the entire file. It adds a small overhead but significantly improves perceived loading speed for large PDFs served online or via email.
How long are my files stored after compression?
All uploaded and compressed PDF files are automatically deleted from our servers within 5 minutes of processing. Files are never shared with third parties, and all transfers use encrypted HTTPS connections.
Reviewed by the PDF CodexNeo editorial team ·