How to Make Smaller PDF Download Files

Downsizing a PDF file makes it easier for others to download.

Adobe introduced the PDF (Portable Document Format) in 1993 as a way to share documents across various computer platforms. It since has grown in popularity throughout the world and is used by governments, businesses and professionals. Adobe Acrobat comes with a built-in file optimizer that allows a user to make documents smaller and thus easier to download. The ability to downsize PDF files helps make a document accessible to Internet users even with slower connection speeds.

Things You'll Need

• Adobe Acrobat Professional

Instructions

1. Start Adobe Acrobat Professional. Adobe Acrobat Reader, the widely used free version, doesn't allow you to create or edit PDF files.

2. Open the PDF file to be made smaller.

3. Select "PDF Optimizer" under the "Advanced" menu.

4. Click the "Audit Space Usage" button in the top right corner of the PDF Optimizer screen. You will be presented with another screen that shows how much space each element of the PDF is using.

5. Decide which portions of the document can be reduced in terms of file size. Images, font and text size are among the document items you can modify. These elements can be changed in the window on the left side of the screen. To change the size of an image, for example, click "Images" on the left side and then select the "minimum" setting. This will change the resolution of all images in the PDF, resulting in a reduced file size.

6. Click "OK" when satisfied with the choices.

7. Click "Save" to save the reduced-size PDF.

Tips & Warnings

• A free trial version of Acrobat Professional software can be downloaded at the Adobe site, adobe.com.

References

• Adobe: Optimizing PDFs
• Web Site Optimization: Tips on PDF Compression

Resources

• Planet PDF: Reducing File Size
• Adobe Acrobat: Official Site