How do I compress a PDF to make it smaller without ruining it?
Upload the PDF to Sealique and choose a quality level: images are recompressed on the server and the smaller copy lands in your library, ready for a digital signature.
A scanned contract of 30 MB, a photo-heavy report that bounces from a mailbox, a bundle for a portal with a size limit: compression makes the pictures lighter and the file structure tighter while the text stays sharp and selectable.
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Key facts
- Compress PDF on Sealique shrinks a PDF of up to 50 MB with a screen, e-book or print quality level, included with an account, with no card and no watermark.
- On the server the file is recompressed with Ghostscript when it is installed, otherwise images are downscaled and re-encoded as JPEG and streams recompressed in Python.
- The job page shows the size before and after; when the file cannot get smaller, the original is kept and you are told so.
- Text stays text: only pictures lose resolution, according to the level you chose.
- The compressed copy is saved in your library next to the original and can be signed or e-mailed.
What does the compression change?
With Ghostscript installed on the server, the PDF is rewritten with the chosen preset: images are resampled to a target resolution and re-encoded, duplicate resources are merged and streams are compressed. Without Ghostscript, Sealique opens the file in Python, downscales large images to the level's maximum size, re-encodes them as JPEG at the level's quality, drops unused resources and recompresses every stream. In both cases the text objects are untouched.
Compress, then sign
A PAdES digital signature seals the file as it is, so compress first and sign last. The sealed copy keeps the verification ID and QR code that let anyone verify it online.
Compress PDF, step by step
Open Compress PDF
Sign in, open PDF tools and choose Compress PDF.
Choose the PDF
Drop a PDF of up to 50 MB or pick a document from your library.
Pick a level
Screen gives the smallest file for reading on a phone, e-book balances size and quality, print keeps pictures sharp enough for paper.
Compress
Press Compress. The job page shows the saving; the smaller copy appears in your library next to the original.
Compress PDF is included with a Sealique account; the processing happens in your browser and on our servers, nothing is shared with third parties.
What Compress PDF includes
- Screen, e-book and print quality levels
- Ghostscript or Python image recompression
- Before and after sizes reported
- Text and vectors unchanged
- Original kept, compressed copy in your library
- Works from a phone or a computer
Questions people ask
How much smaller will the file be?
It depends on the pictures: scans and photos often shrink by half or more, while text-only PDFs are already small and change little.
The job page shows the sizes before and after, and a file that cannot be reduced is left as it was.
Does compression blur the text?
No. Text and vector drawings are kept as they are; only raster images are downscaled and re-encoded, according to the level.
Which level should I choose?
E-book for most documents; screen when size matters most; print when the pictures must stay sharp on paper.
Can I compress a signed PDF?
No. A sealed PDF must stay exactly as signed; compress before signing, or compress an unsigned copy.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is included with a Sealique account: no card, no watermark, no daily limit.