How to Compress a PDF for Email

Sharing documents via email is a common task in both personal and professional settings. However, large file sizes can pose challenges, especially when providers have attachment restrictions.

Knowing how to compress a PDF for email is an ideal way to swiftly send any archive without concerning yourself with these size limitations. Plus, it reduces bandwidth usage and storage requirements.

Learn how to make a PDF smaller for an email with one of the 6 free ways we will review in this article.

Option 1: PDF Candy

PDF Candy is by far the easiest, fastest, and safest way to deal with the problem of PDF being too large to email. Just try it yourself - the interface is very intuitive, and the whole process can be completed in several clicks.

Guide on compressing your PDF files for email with PDF Candy

1. Land on the "Compress PDF" tool's page: hit the corresponding button on our homepage.
2. Upload a file to the free online PDF compressor: you can either get a draft from your desktop or from Google Drive or Dropbox.
3. Set the PDF condensation level. Read about them below.
4. Reduce PDF size by clicking the "Compress" button to initiate the process.
5. Download the new file and save the archive to your device.

Levels offered by this PDF compressor:

• Maximum to get the file of the smallest weight possible.
• Recommended to achieve the perfect balance between size and fidelity.

Regardless of which mode you choose, you will notice a big difference in size. You will be able to flatten PDF to email without any inconvenience. If the PDF is still too large, it’d be advisable to zip it and then split PDF into two documents.

Best for:

• Freelance writers sending manuscripts to editors.
• Marketing specialists sharing campaign proposals with clients.
• Event coordinators distributing schedules or brochures to attendees.

Option 2: PDF Candy Desktop

Encoding PDFs for email is a breeze thanks to PDF Candy Desktop for Windows. It's an all-in-one editor, converter, and more.

How to compress a PDF for email via PDF Candy Desktop

1. Download the program on your Windows PC and open it.
2. Select the "Compress PDF" tool. Choose the papers you need to compact. Alternatively, it is possible to drag and drop them onto the tool icon.
3. Pick the folder where you want to save the resulting documents and click the "Compress" button.

Using a desktop app to shrink your PDFs is honestly a great deal. You can make those files way smaller and still keep them looking sharp — no blurry mess here. And let’s be real, batch processing is a game-changer. Just pile up your PDFs, hit go, and you’re golden. Saves you a ton of time and headache.

Plus, you don’t have to freak out about security. Everything stays safe on your PC, so you can send your docs without stressing.

Best for:

• Office administrators managing multiple departmental reports.
• Accountants handling financial statements in bulk.
• Legal assistants organizing large cases securely on a local device.

Option 3: Adobe Acrobat

So, you’ve got a PDF that’s a bit of a heavyweight and you want to email it without getting that annoying "paper too big" message? No sweat — Adobe Acrobat’s got your back.

How to downsize PDF for an email with Adobe Acrobat

1. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat and go to "File" > "Save As Other" > "Reduce File Size".
2. Select your preferred optimization level.
3. Click the "Save" button.

Compressing PDFs in Adobe is easy and takes only a few steps. It's an effective method of shrinking large PDFs when you need to send them via email, lightening the load on both sender and receiver alike!

Best for:

• Graphic designers delivering high-resolution portfolios.
• Architects transmitting detailed blueprints to contractors.
• University researchers sending lengthy publications to collaborators.

Option 4: Cloud Storage

Another simple way of solving the problem of sending heavy PDFs is to try cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox. Both platforms provide user-friendly instruments for compressing PDF files for email.

How to reduce PDF size with Google Drive or Dropbox

1. Sign in to your account in either of the services.
2. Import your PDF by selecting the item from your computer.
3. Right-click on the uploaded element and choose "Open with" > "Google Docs" (for Google Drive) or "Compress" or "Zip" (for Dropbox).
4. Opt for "Download" to save the output to your computer.

Best for:

• Remote team leaders sharing collaborative reports.
• Educators distributing assignments or study materials.
• Nonprofit staff sending policy manuals to partners.

Option 5: Archiver

Another great possibility to shrink PDF is to zip it with relevant software or service.

Keep in mind that there are different archivers available on the market. For example, people with different operating systems may face the problem that their OS does not recognize the ZIP format. In such a case they cannot open it correctly.

However, if you do not have compressors pre-installed in advance, it will be your approach to reduce PDF size.

Best for:

• IT professionals bundling multiple PDFs for transfer.
• Software developers packaging technical documentation for distribution.
• Consultants sending comprehensive reports to clients efficiently.

Option 6: Files app

Sending large PDFs via email is easy with the built-in Files app on your iPhone or iPad. You can turn drafts into ZIP archives without installing additional tools.

How to compress a PDF for email on iOS via Files

1. Launch the Files app and locate the PDF you want to shrink.
2. Tap and hold the preview until a menu appears.
3. Choose "Compress" to generate an archive in the same location.
4. Open your Mail app, affix the new ZIP, and send it without hassle.

Best for:

• Sales reps emailing contracts while on the move.
• Field researchers submitting surveys or forms directly from the site.
• Journalists transmitting draft articles or press releases quickly from mobile devices.

What are the size limits for emailing?

Concerning appendix dimensions, email providers have their own set of restrictions. To prevent any difficulties, it is wise to retain the overall size of attachments lower than the suggested boundary.

Most email providers suggest keeping paper sizes under 20MB, however, some may have higher or lower caps:

Knowing your provider's limitations and how to compress PDF for email is key in making sure the file goes through.

How to compress a PDF for email: FAQ

What's the best method for downsizing a PDF?

Honestly, just grab an online PDF compressor. Super quick, super easy — no headaches.

What if my PDF is huge? How am I supposed to send that?

Try splitting your PDF into bite-sized pieces and then press those. Nobody likes waiting forever for a giant pack to go through.

Can I compress multiple PDFs at once?

You bet! There are sites and desktop apps out there that let you drop in a pile of PDFs and shrink them all at once. Major time-saver.

What is the difference between compressing and resizing a PDF?

Not quite! Compressing a file decreases its volume, rendering it simpler to distribute. Resizing is just about changing how big the pages look, not the actual weight. It's common to mix up these two processes.

What else to do if PDF too large to email?

1. Convert to PDF/A. Turn your PDF to the ISO-standardized PDF/A format, as it is designed for long-term archiving and smaller sizes.
2. Compress images. Reduce or downsample any footage in the PDF, as this can greatly reduce its overall size.
3. Change to grayscale. If color isn't important to the content of your paper, transform it to grayscale or black and white before compressing it, as this will also lessen its dimensions.
4. Remove unnecessary elements. If there are any pages in your PDF that are not necessary for its purpose, consider removing them prior to reducing the size for emailing.

Compressing your PDF files for email: key takeaway

So, making your PDF small enough to email? Totally doable, and you don’t need to be a tech wizard or shell out cash.

You’ve got options: Adobe Acrobat Pro if you’re feeling fancy, a PDF Candy if you like things quick and easy, or even some random software you might already have. Each one works a little differently, but honestly, just go with whatever’s easiest for you. You’ve got this!

Explore more tools to edit PDF online:

• Edit PDF - do whatever you want with your PDFs: play with zoom, draw, add new text, and images, and many more.
• Extract text - a very useful tool when you don't need to send the whole PDF to someone. Extract text from PDF pages in no time!
• Incline watermark to PDF - insert a logo to show the ownership.