PeekPlainFeatures / Compress PDF
Compress a PDF on Mac
Shrink a PDF so it fits in an email or an upload form, and see the result before you save.
Free
How to, in three steps
- Open the PDF you want to make smaller.
- Press ⌘K and type "Reduce File Size". Pick Smallest file, Balanced or Best quality.
- Save the smaller copy. Your original is left alone, so you can compare the two.
Free. The three Reduce File Size presets are free. Pro adds compressing to a target size you choose, such as "under 5 MB", and doing it for many files at once.
Works offline. Your files never leave your Mac.
The PDF is re-encoded on your Mac. Online compressors have to receive your file first; PeekPlain never does. PeekPlain sends no files and no usage data anywhere; see the privacy page.
PeekPlain is in free beta and some features are still arriving. The changelog lists what has shipped.
Questions
Does compressing lower the quality?
Usually a little, mostly for scanned or photo-heavy pages. Best quality keeps the most detail, Smallest file saves the most space. Try Balanced first.
Can I compress to an exact size?
Pro can aim for a target size, such as under a 10 MB email limit. The free presets do not promise a number.
Can I compress many PDFs at once?
Batch compression is a Pro feature. Free handles one file at a time.
Will my annotations survive?
Pages that are re-rendered may flatten annotations on those pages, so keep your original and check the result before you delete anything.