How to Compress a PDF on a Mac

A sample icon for the file that needs to be compressed.

You may need to email a PDF to someone, but if the file size is too large, every time you click "Send," you may receive an error message or an email bounceback announcing that your file was undeliverable. If you are using a Mac, you can compress the size of your PDF file in a few simple steps, enabling you to successfully send the document.

Instructions

1. Find the PDF file you would like to compress. Open it with the Preview application.

2. Choose "File" at the top of your screen, then click "Open."

3. Choose "File" and then "Save As" and select "Reduce File Size" from the pop-up menu. Provide a new file name and location for your compressed PDF file.

4. Click "Save." Your PDF file is now compressed.

Tips & Warnings

• If you'd like to check the size of your PDF after following the steps to compress it, simply click the PDF's icon and hold down the "Command-I" keys at the same time. A window will appear with details about your file. Under "General," there is a row labeled "Size."

References

• Apple: Compressing a PDF File

Resources

• Read this Article in Portuguese
• Read this Article in UK English