Compress a PDF for email

Mail providers do not share one attachment limit. Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, and Proton publish 25 MB. GMX publishes 20 MB.

This page starts a little under the published Gmail limit of 25 MB. Pick another portal or a smaller size if yours is stricter.

Questions

Does the file leave my device?

No. The PDF is compressed in this browser and is not uploaded.

Will the text stay selectable?

The lossless pass and the recompression of embedded images keep the text selectable. If you then turn the pages into images, the text can no longer be copied or searched.

What happens if the file cannot reach this size?

You can download the smallest file that still keeps the text. If that is still too big, you can turn the pages into images. If even that cannot reach the target, the smallest result is shown and can still be downloaded.

How do I start with a smaller PDF?

Fewer pages, a grayscale scan, or a lower scan resolution all make a smaller file. A photo of a page is usually larger than a text scan of the same page.