How to compress PDF without losing too much quality using my MacBook Air?

I’m trying to upload a PDF to a website, but the file is almost 10MB and the site only allows PDFs under 5MB. Is there a way to compress the PDF without losing too much quality? I need a quick solution since I’m on a tight deadline.




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MacBook Air 13″, macOS 14.4

Posted on May 26, 2025 6:57 PM

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Posted on May 26, 2025 8:12 PM

How much size can be compressed depends on how much useless data there is in the file. I’m not an expert, so I can’t dive into all the technical details. If you’re looking for better compression, you might need to try a PDF product like Adobe, or PDFgear if you need a free one just to compress that PDF.

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May 26, 2025 8:12 PM in response to barden_k

How much size can be compressed depends on how much useless data there is in the file. I’m not an expert, so I can’t dive into all the technical details. If you’re looking for better compression, you might need to try a PDF product like Adobe, or PDFgear if you need a free one just to compress that PDF.

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Jun 18, 2025 2:51 AM in response to barden_k

I have also used Preview to compress files before. It sometimes works well, but sometimes the exported file is even larger than the original.


You can use an online PDF compressor if your files are not private and you only need to convert a few files. There are many good online tools on Google that you can try. If you often compress files and are afraid of the risk of information leakage, it is more recommended to use an offline PDF compressor such as adobe and cisdem.

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How to compress PDF without losing too much quality using my MacBook Air?

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