Optimize PDF files using Preview app. To compress PDF files (that were not previously optimized), use the Preview app included in Mac OS X and newer versions. It works well for all text based files, includes many charts, simple graphs, spreadsheets, and basic vector drawings. Preview is the default PDF viewer on Mac. If you have bloated PDF files on Mac, you can also use it to reduce the PDF file size so as to save storage space or make the PDF file easy to send and share with other friends or colleagues. To compress a PDF file on Mac, follow these steps. Double click on the PDF file you like to compress in Finder.
The PDF file format is capable of keeping the original formatting in the document no matter which platform you're working on. However, sometimes the size of a PDF file could cause inconvenience for processing, sharing, or uploading the file, Especially when it's too big.
Suppose, if you cannot send a very large PDF file via email, then you can use Preview to compress the PDF file. Here's how to compress PDF files with Preview without worrying about losing quality. Preview is a built-in PDF document and image viewer for Mac. Tips: How to Compress PDF with Preview on Mac. If you need to reduce PDF file size in Preview on Mac, luckily it is quite simple. Just follow these easy steps: Step 1. Open your PDF using Preview on your Mac. Click on the 'File' menu and click 'Open' to upload your PDF file. Once the PDF file is open in Preview. Start compressing PDF on Mac Now go to the ' File ' menu and click on the ' Save as Other ' ' Optimized PDF ' option. The Optimization pop-up window will appear. From here, you can choose suitable compression settings and preview the result after compression.
That is why we always need an efficient tool to help us reduce the size of a PDF file.
There are indeed some efficient ways to reduce the size of a PDF file on Mac. So in this article, we're going to have a look at all possible ways for you to easily reduce PDF file size on Mac.
Now let's dive right in.
1. Using Preview to Compress PDF on Mac
To reduce the size of a PDF file on Mac, one of the easiest solutions, as well as the solution that is ignored by most people, is by using the pre-installed Preview app on your Mac computer.
Preview is a versatile media checking app in Mac OS. It is also probably one of the most frequently used apps if you process media files a lot on your computer. But little known to all is that Preview can do a lot more than just present the media file for you. It can also do a lot of simple media processing tasks like compressing a PDF file quickly.
Now, here is how to use preview to compress a PDF file on Mac.
Step 1: Open your PDF file by double clicking it. If your PDF file does not open in Preview, right click the file, and choose Open With, then Preview.
Step 2: On Preview, Click 'File' in the tool bar, then click 'Export'
Step 3: In the newly popped out window, find 'Quartz Filter', and then choose 'Reduce File Size'. How to uninstall games on steam mac.
Step 4: Now click 'Save' to save your compressed PDF file.
Cons
- Does not offer compressing quality options.
- Can only process 1 file at a time.
2. Using an Online Tool to Compress PDF on Mac
Besides using the Preview app introduced above, you can also use an online PDF compressing tool to reduce the size of your PDF file. The biggest advantage of using an online tool to compress your PDF file is that, you don't need to download or install any additional program on your computer. Simply visit the website upload your PDF file, and you can immediately start compressing the file size.
However, the great ease of use does not make the online compressing method the best way to reduce a PDF file on Mac. Although there are so many online PDF compressing tools on the Internet, most of them have various limitations for free users.
fortunately, there are still some great online PDF compress tools like iMyFone Online PDF Compressor which have the minimal limitations. With this kind of online PDF compressor, the online compressing method could still be considered a good way to reduce a PDF file size on Mac. It's simple, it's fast, and is likely to give you a decent compressing result. Now let me show you how to do compress a PDF file on Mac with iMyFone Online PDF Compressor.
Step 1: Visit the website of iMyFone Online PDF Compressor.
Step 2: Click 'Choose File' to select a PDF file or drag and drop the PDF file into the box in the center to upload. Uploading the original file from a URL or cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive is also supported.
Step 3: Then choose a PDF compressing level from 'Extreme Compression', 'Less Compression' and 'Medium Compression', and then the compressing task will start immediately.
Step 4: Once the compression is finished, you can then download your compressed PDF file, save it to cloud storage service or send it via email.
Pros
- Beautiful webpage design.
- 3 Compressing level available.
- No platform limitation.
3. Using Adobe Acrobat DC to Compress PDF on Mac
Adobe Acrobat DC is a professional PDF processing tool developed by Adobe Inc. With it, you can view, create, manipulate, print, and manage files in the PDF file format quickly.
Adobe Acrobat DC features an easy to use PDF compressing tool that allows you to reduce the size of your PDF file on Mac quickly an effortlessly. The PDF compressing tool is integrated in the Optimize PDF tool in Adobe Acrobat DC. And it's very simple to use it to compress A PDF file.
Here is how you can use Adobe Acrobat DC to compress your PDF file on Mac.
Step 1: Open Adobe Acrobat DC and then open the Optimize PDF tool in 'Tools center'.
Step 2: Once the optimized PDF tool is opened, select the PDF that you want to compress and import the file into the program by clicking 'open'.
Step 3: After your PDF file gets opened in the optimize tool, you should be able to see a reduce file size button in the toolbar. Now click on it.
Step 4: Keep the compatible option as 'Retain existing' and click 'OK' to start compressing the PDF file.
Pros
- Free to use.
- Great compressing result.
- Multiple PDF professing tools integrated.
4. Using a Free Program to Compress PDF on Mac
If you prefer using a simple application to reduce the size of your PDF files, then the next solution might be better than all the previously introduced solutions. Lightweight PDF is an extremely simple, yet efficient PDF compressing tool now it allows you to compress the PDF file on Mac within only a couple of seconds.
Lightweight PDF features an extremely simple user interface with an intuitive drag and drop interacting style. It requires no prior technical skills for anyone to compress A PDF file on Mac quickly.
Here is how to use lightweight PDF to reduce the size of your PDF file on Mac.
Step 1: Visit the website of the free PDF compressing tool, or directly download it form the Mac App Store.
Step 2: Launch the application, drag your PDF file into the window and the compressing would be ready to begin.
Step 3: Once the compressing is done, check the PDF file in the default folder.
Pros
Compress Pdf In Preview Machine
- Lightweight
- Free to use
Cons
- No customization options
- No compressing level options
5. Using a Professional Paid Tool to Compress PDF on Mac
As you can see. Light with PDF it's a completely free application for compressing PDF files on Mac, and it is extremely simple and straightforward. If you need more functions or more customization options when processing your PDF files, using a free PDF compressing tool like lightweight PDF might not be the most ideal option for you. The freeware nature of this kind of application makes them less professional an multi functional then those paid tools for the same kind of task.
So if you are an advanced PDF user, then picking a good paid application to compress, or even do more tasks on your PDF files might be a better idea. This kind of applications there's not usually cost much but provide a much more optimized am professional functions to boost your working efficiency.
Reduce Pdf Size In Preview
Now I will take PDF Expert as an example to show you how to use a paid PDF processing program to reduce the size of a PDF file on Mac.
Step 1: Download and install PDF Expert on your Mac computer.
Step 2: Go to the 'File' in the upper menu-bar, and click on Reduce File Size.
Step 3: Select the quality of the compressed file. Once done, save it by clicking 'Save', or send via Email by clicking 'Share'
Pros
- Great user interface.
- Multiple advanced PDF processing functions like encrypt, edit, annotate, combine and more.
- A free trial is available.
To Sum Up
To be honest, compressing a PDF file is not a hard task to do if you don't have many requirements for the compressing process. There are a lot of PDF compressing programs, applications, online tools, or even built in apps on a Mac operating system that can help you reduce the size of your PDF files. However, if you have the needs to compress multiple files at a time, to choose the compressing level, or to perform any other advanced tasks, then you might have to take some time to pick the best PDF compressing method for yourself. Today we introduced five different methods for you to compress a PDF file on Mac. iMyFone Online PDF Compressor is seemingly the most effective one, while others are just as practical in different scenarios. I hope one or more of them can do some favor for you and improve your working efficiency.
Reducing digital file sizes and managing digital files can be a frustrating, unnecessary roadblock. Here's how to compress a PDF file on Mac.
Did you know that over 2.2 billion files on the public web are PDF files?
If you use PDF files on a Mac a lot, you might experience some space issues. It's especially the case when you handle lots of files for long periods. If you don't know how to make a file smaller, your hard drive will get full before you know it.
Don't fret, we've prepared solutions for you below.
With this guide, you'll learn how to compress a PDF file on Mac computers. Read on and find out some methods to save your disk space:
1. Use Preview to Reduce the Size of the PDF
Now let's dive right in.
1. Using Preview to Compress PDF on Mac
To reduce the size of a PDF file on Mac, one of the easiest solutions, as well as the solution that is ignored by most people, is by using the pre-installed Preview app on your Mac computer.
Preview is a versatile media checking app in Mac OS. It is also probably one of the most frequently used apps if you process media files a lot on your computer. But little known to all is that Preview can do a lot more than just present the media file for you. It can also do a lot of simple media processing tasks like compressing a PDF file quickly.
Now, here is how to use preview to compress a PDF file on Mac.
Step 1: Open your PDF file by double clicking it. If your PDF file does not open in Preview, right click the file, and choose Open With, then Preview.
Step 2: On Preview, Click 'File' in the tool bar, then click 'Export'
Step 3: In the newly popped out window, find 'Quartz Filter', and then choose 'Reduce File Size'. How to uninstall games on steam mac.
Step 4: Now click 'Save' to save your compressed PDF file.
Cons
- Does not offer compressing quality options.
- Can only process 1 file at a time.
2. Using an Online Tool to Compress PDF on Mac
Besides using the Preview app introduced above, you can also use an online PDF compressing tool to reduce the size of your PDF file. The biggest advantage of using an online tool to compress your PDF file is that, you don't need to download or install any additional program on your computer. Simply visit the website upload your PDF file, and you can immediately start compressing the file size.
However, the great ease of use does not make the online compressing method the best way to reduce a PDF file on Mac. Although there are so many online PDF compressing tools on the Internet, most of them have various limitations for free users.
fortunately, there are still some great online PDF compress tools like iMyFone Online PDF Compressor which have the minimal limitations. With this kind of online PDF compressor, the online compressing method could still be considered a good way to reduce a PDF file size on Mac. It's simple, it's fast, and is likely to give you a decent compressing result. Now let me show you how to do compress a PDF file on Mac with iMyFone Online PDF Compressor.
Step 1: Visit the website of iMyFone Online PDF Compressor.
Step 2: Click 'Choose File' to select a PDF file or drag and drop the PDF file into the box in the center to upload. Uploading the original file from a URL or cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive is also supported.
Step 3: Then choose a PDF compressing level from 'Extreme Compression', 'Less Compression' and 'Medium Compression', and then the compressing task will start immediately.
Step 4: Once the compression is finished, you can then download your compressed PDF file, save it to cloud storage service or send it via email.
Pros
- Beautiful webpage design.
- 3 Compressing level available.
- No platform limitation.
3. Using Adobe Acrobat DC to Compress PDF on Mac
Adobe Acrobat DC is a professional PDF processing tool developed by Adobe Inc. With it, you can view, create, manipulate, print, and manage files in the PDF file format quickly.
Adobe Acrobat DC features an easy to use PDF compressing tool that allows you to reduce the size of your PDF file on Mac quickly an effortlessly. The PDF compressing tool is integrated in the Optimize PDF tool in Adobe Acrobat DC. And it's very simple to use it to compress A PDF file.
Here is how you can use Adobe Acrobat DC to compress your PDF file on Mac.
Step 1: Open Adobe Acrobat DC and then open the Optimize PDF tool in 'Tools center'.
Step 2: Once the optimized PDF tool is opened, select the PDF that you want to compress and import the file into the program by clicking 'open'.
Step 3: After your PDF file gets opened in the optimize tool, you should be able to see a reduce file size button in the toolbar. Now click on it.
Step 4: Keep the compatible option as 'Retain existing' and click 'OK' to start compressing the PDF file.
Pros
- Free to use.
- Great compressing result.
- Multiple PDF professing tools integrated.
4. Using a Free Program to Compress PDF on Mac
If you prefer using a simple application to reduce the size of your PDF files, then the next solution might be better than all the previously introduced solutions. Lightweight PDF is an extremely simple, yet efficient PDF compressing tool now it allows you to compress the PDF file on Mac within only a couple of seconds.
Lightweight PDF features an extremely simple user interface with an intuitive drag and drop interacting style. It requires no prior technical skills for anyone to compress A PDF file on Mac quickly.
Here is how to use lightweight PDF to reduce the size of your PDF file on Mac.
Step 1: Visit the website of the free PDF compressing tool, or directly download it form the Mac App Store.
Step 2: Launch the application, drag your PDF file into the window and the compressing would be ready to begin.
Step 3: Once the compressing is done, check the PDF file in the default folder.
Pros
Compress Pdf In Preview Machine
- Lightweight
- Free to use
Cons
- No customization options
- No compressing level options
5. Using a Professional Paid Tool to Compress PDF on Mac
As you can see. Light with PDF it's a completely free application for compressing PDF files on Mac, and it is extremely simple and straightforward. If you need more functions or more customization options when processing your PDF files, using a free PDF compressing tool like lightweight PDF might not be the most ideal option for you. The freeware nature of this kind of application makes them less professional an multi functional then those paid tools for the same kind of task.
So if you are an advanced PDF user, then picking a good paid application to compress, or even do more tasks on your PDF files might be a better idea. This kind of applications there's not usually cost much but provide a much more optimized am professional functions to boost your working efficiency.
Reduce Pdf Size In Preview
Now I will take PDF Expert as an example to show you how to use a paid PDF processing program to reduce the size of a PDF file on Mac.
Step 1: Download and install PDF Expert on your Mac computer.
Step 2: Go to the 'File' in the upper menu-bar, and click on Reduce File Size.
Step 3: Select the quality of the compressed file. Once done, save it by clicking 'Save', or send via Email by clicking 'Share'
Pros
- Great user interface.
- Multiple advanced PDF processing functions like encrypt, edit, annotate, combine and more.
- A free trial is available.
To Sum Up
To be honest, compressing a PDF file is not a hard task to do if you don't have many requirements for the compressing process. There are a lot of PDF compressing programs, applications, online tools, or even built in apps on a Mac operating system that can help you reduce the size of your PDF files. However, if you have the needs to compress multiple files at a time, to choose the compressing level, or to perform any other advanced tasks, then you might have to take some time to pick the best PDF compressing method for yourself. Today we introduced five different methods for you to compress a PDF file on Mac. iMyFone Online PDF Compressor is seemingly the most effective one, while others are just as practical in different scenarios. I hope one or more of them can do some favor for you and improve your working efficiency.
Reducing digital file sizes and managing digital files can be a frustrating, unnecessary roadblock. Here's how to compress a PDF file on Mac.
Did you know that over 2.2 billion files on the public web are PDF files?
If you use PDF files on a Mac a lot, you might experience some space issues. It's especially the case when you handle lots of files for long periods. If you don't know how to make a file smaller, your hard drive will get full before you know it.
Don't fret, we've prepared solutions for you below.
With this guide, you'll learn how to compress a PDF file on Mac computers. Read on and find out some methods to save your disk space:
1. Use Preview to Reduce the Size of the PDF
OS X has a built-in application called Preview. It's a versatile app that handles the majority of your basic PDF functions, which includes PDF file size reduction. To reduce PDF size on Mac, it uses the 'Quartz Filter'.
To start your conversion process, open your desired PDF file using Preview. Look at the menu bar and under File, select Export. On the resulting pop-up window, pick 'Reduce file size' in the Quartz Filter setting, which you'll find under Format.
The primary advantage of using Preview is that it's built-in. It means you need not spend more money to make PDF files smaller. It's reliable and quick while maintaining a relatively easy process that even beginners can understand.
But for its drawbacks, the most noticeable one is its use of a preset filter when reducing the file size of the PDF. It means Preview makes your PDF file size smaller by making the image quality and dpi worse.
In many cases, the PDF file can get blurry after getting compressed. This is a common result when compressing a PDF of scanned papers with small fonts.
2. Use Adobe to Squeeze PDFs
The most popular method of reducing PDF sizes is through Adobe Acrobat. After all, this application is one of the most prominent names for anything related to PDF. That means you can rely on it to reduce your file sizes.
To use Adobe Acrobat, you must have the Pro version. If you do, click on File from the menu bar and select Open. On the pop-up window, pick the file you want to compress to open it.
Mac Preview Reduce Pdf Size
Once opened, click on File once more and select 'Save as Other'. There, you'll find the 'Reduced size PDF' option. Select it to open a pop-up window where you'll pick the 'Retain existing' option from the selector 'Make compatible with'.
Select your desired location and click Save to finish the compression.
Adobe Acrobat is reliable, but it suffers from a more cumbersome process compared to Preview. Also, getting the Pro version of the Adobe Acrobat software can be expensive. If you have no extra funds, this method isn't ideal.
3. Use an Online PDF Compressor
If you aren't keen on installing new software on your Mac, you could use a web-based service to compress your PDF files. One example is CleverPDF since it's a utility website that lets you convert PDF files to other formats as well. To start the compression, go to their website and pick 'Compress PDF'.
Once you're on the right page, you can drag and drop your desired PDF file to the appropriate file area. Wait for a few seconds while the file uploads since this can vary depending on how large your PDF file is. Also, if you're one of the many people using Google Drive, you can use this website to compress files from there.
As soon as you finish uploading, the file compression will start instantly. The best part is that you have more options related to compression. That way, if the resulting PDF file size isn't small enough, you can reduce it further.
The primary selling point of this method is the web app's ease of use. It needs no personal information since it doesn't ask for your email. The file download can start as soon as it finishes the compression process.
It also works regardless of the operating system or device you use, whether it's Mac, Windows, or Linux. As long as you have a stable internet connection, you can use this website. It also has 20 other free tools for PDF manipulation.
Tips on How to Compress a PDF File on Mac
When looking for how to make a file smaller, you must keep a few things in mind. That way, you avoid wasting time doing unnecessary things. Also, if you want to know more methods on how to reduce PDF file size on Mac, read the linked post.
Delete Unnecessary Elements
If your PDF file has images or graphs, you should get rid of them if they aren't necessary. This can go a long way in reducing its size. Take note that visual assets can take lots of space, regardless of file format.
Get Rid of Extra Pages
Think about your reasons for exporting the file. When letting someone read through a whitepaper, they often neglect some parts of the document. Be sure to consider the pages that your file can do without.
Make Multiple Files
If your colleagues only need to see a specific part of the PDF file, consider making a separate file. This should only have the content they need. This might take some effort if you have no means of automating the process, but it's worth looking into.
Export to Other Formats First
A good technique is to open a file using a word processor and then convert it to a PDF. After that, use the compression processes stated earlier. This makes the most out of compression while maintaining quality.
Learn How to Make a File Smaller Today!
These are some tips on how to compress a PDF file on Mac. Consider these and use them whenever appropriate.
Did this guide help you find ways to compress your PDF files? If so, read our other posts and learn more valuable computer tips and tricks today.
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