It is not uncommon for PDF files to feature numerous images and graphics – these often make the documents too big. On top of eating a lot of space on your Mac, these documents could present a problem if your goal is to send them via email. These issues can be solved by compressing the document. In this article, you will learn how to reduce a PDF size on Mac without losing quality.
How Does Compressing PDFs Work on Mac?
You probably experienced this: you are uploading a PDF onto a webpage or you are trying to attach a PDF file to your email, and then you get a notification saying that your PDF size exceeds the file size limit. This is the time when you should need to reduce the PDF size.
Alternatively, you can download a free software like PDFwriter for Mac to help you shrink PDF on Mac. Although it is traditionally used to 'print' non-PDF documents to PDF, you can still use it to help you reduce the size of large PDF files. Set the Print Settings. Cisdem PDF Compressor for Mac. Cisdem PDF Compressor is an application that works on macOS computers. The tool is capable of reducing the size of more than 1 PDF file. You can import up to 50 files to the program and reduce all PDF size on Mac at once. The tool features a 100% success rate. Your documents will be compressed without losing their.
Since PDF can be bulky easily when it contains a lot of information, PDF size reduction, or PDF compression, is of great importance for those who need to deal with PDF files daily.
When you compress a PDF file size, you reduce the size of the PDF. Consequently, the file reduction process will result in the creation of files that you can store in the basic database systems without any need to purchase and add a new database drive. The need to use the systems to compress a PDF file size will lead to more efficient documents.
Oct 24, 2018 PDF Shrink can reduce most PDF files - including those created by Mac OS X iLife and iWork applications, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Word & PowerPoint - by as much as 90% of their original size. PDF Shrink is ideal for consumers and small businesses that need to produce PDFs at a quality and file size appropriate for use on the Web, as.
PDF compression has no information loss during the process, compared to other file format compression. For example, we use the image or JPEG compression, but image compression normally results in image quality loss or data loss. In this case, PDF compression seems to be the best way to compress a document.
Reduce PDF size on Mac with Preview
The Preview feature is available on all computersrunning OS X. It is an inbuilt feature capable of handling all the basic PDFneeds, including compressing the Portable Document Format (PDF) file. Previewusually uses the Quartz filter to compress the PDF file.
The steps we have outlined below will take you through the process of reducing the size of your PDF file using the Preview feature:
Step1: Locate the fileyou would like to compress on your Mac. Open the file with Preview.
Step2: Once the file isopen, tap File > Export on the menu bar.
Step 3: On the popup window that appears, choose the Reduce file size option in the Quartz Filter Setting (this should be available under the Format setting).
Note: While the overall quality of the PDF documentmay not be reduced too much, the image quality and the dpi will be reduced tomake the document smaller. If your goal is to retain the image quality and dpi,the Preview feature may not be the best option for compressing your PDF document.
Make a PDF Smaller on Mac Using ColorSync
ColorSync is available by default on all computers running on OS X. The application is usually used as a color management system – it helps Mac users modify images by adding effects, adjusting brightness or colors, tweaking the color space, etc. You can, however, use ColorSync to reduce the size of a PDF file. To learn how to reduce a PDF size on Mac using ColorSync, follow the steps below:
Step1: Navigate toFinder > Application folder and then launch the ColorSync Utility.
Step 2: Select File > Open. Now locate the file you would like to shrink and open it in ColorSync.
Step3: In the Filtermenu, select Reduce File Size and then hit the Apply button.
Step4: Finally, go toFile > select Save As > Hit Save.
Note: Similar to Preview, the ColorSync feature maynot produce a high quality compressed document. If the quality of the documentsis a major concern, avoid using the ColorSync – in this case, try the computerprograms introduced in the following sections.
Use PDF Compressors Online
It is possible to use a web-based application to reduce the PDF file size. If you decide to use an online program to shrink your PDF document, ensure that the document does not feature private or sensitive information.
While the online programs do claim that they respect the user’s privacy, there is always the possibility that your sensitive information may be accessed by third-parties.
Below, we will show you how to reduce PDF size on Mac without losing quality using various Online Programs:
CleverPDF.com
Step1: Launch yourbrowser and visit cleverpdf.com.
Step 2: Select the Compress PDF option.
Step3: Drag and dropthe PDF files you would like to compress to the file area. Depending on thefile size and internet connection speed, you may need to wait for a couple ofseconds to minutes for the upload to complete.
Note: The online program does allow you to add PDFfiles from Google Drive or Dropbox.
Step4: The compressingwill be initiated automatically after the file upload is completed. You canthen download the compressed document to your Mac.
Pdfcompressor.com
Step 1: Visit https://pdfcompressor.com/ on your computer web browser.
Step 2: Drag and drop the PDF files you would like to compress into theworking area.
Step 3: Wait for the upload to finish. After the upload is complete, theonline program will initiate the conversion automatically.
Step 4: After the conversion, simply tap Download or Download All. Thiswill depend on whether you had uploaded a single file or multiple files.
Using PDF Compressor Software
PDFelement
PDFelement is another ideal computer software that you can use to reduce your PDF file size. On top of allowing you to reduce your PDF file size, the tool has other features, including allowing you to remove annotations, add watermarks, include custom footers and headers, add hyperlinks, etc.
As you have probably guessed, the application is not 100% free. However, you can use the application’s free trial version. The free trial will, however, feature some limitations. To learn how to reduce PDF size on Mac without losing quality using PDFelement, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Install PDFelement on your Mac. Next, open the PDF file you would like to shrink in PDFelement. To do this, simply launch PDFelement and then tap the Open File button available at the bottom of the home screen.
Step2: Navigate to File> Save as Other and then select the Optimize PDF option.
Step3: From thedropdown menu that appears, you should be able to choose the ideal compressionoption. The options that appear include High, Medium, and Low. To get ahigh-quality document after the compression, you should select the Highoption.
Step 4: After selecting your preferred compression option, tap the Save As button. PDFelement will resize the PDF file immediately.
Note: After resizing the PDF file, the tool will display both the original document and the resized one. You can compare the two files before saving the shrunk file.
Step5: To apply thechanges and save your document, simply tap the Save button.
Note: This tool does allow batch compression. If you have numerous PDF files that you wish to reduce their sizes, you can add all the files to PDFelement and compress all of them in one go.
Cisdem PDF Compressor for Mac
Cisdem PDF Compressor is an application that works on macOS computers. The tool is capable of reducing the size of more than 1 PDF file. You can import up to 50 files to the program and reduce all PDF size on Mac at once.
The tool features a 100% success rate. Yourdocuments will be compressed without losing their quality. Below, we have thesteps that you should follow to compress your files using Cisdem PDF Compressorfor Mac:
Step1: Download thetool on your Mac and install it.
Step2: After launchingthe program, drag and drop the PDF files you would like to compress into theprogram.
Step3: From the 4compression modes available, choose the mode that works for your needs.
Step4: Click theCompress button to initiate the compression.
Note: This tool is not 100% free. However, you can use its free trial version to shrink your documents.
Summary
If you are trying to email your thesis which features numerous images, tons of pages, tables, diagrams, and numerous graphics, you may need to shink your document. Also, if you would like to reduce the space occupied by PDF files on your Mac computer, compression is an ideal solution. The options we have outlined above should help you compress your documents quickly and easily.
If quality is a major concern, try to avoid using the default features available on macOS. While the default features can reduce the PDF size on Mac, the output document may not feature the best quality. If you do not want to pay for a computer program, use online programs for your less sensitive documents. For sensitive documents, you can always use a free computer program trial version.
For PDF compression on Windows, click here.
PDF file usually comes with lots of graphics and images, which may make PDF file size quite large. While, large PDFs often bring troubles when we sending PDFs by email but with a size limit, or eat up too much space on our mac. In this case, reducing PDF file size on mac while without losing quality becomes a crucial thing.
Here we offer 6 different ways to reduce PDF file size on mac with good quality. You will find that solution to compress a pdf file on mac without losing quality can be extremely easy.
The Best---Reduce PDF Size on Mac without Losing Quality
PDF users who work with PDF on a regular basis, prefer to choose an expert to do the compressing. We are all of the opinion that a professional program always offers the most efficient experience in compressing a single PDF or multiple PDFs, like Cisdem PDF Compressor for Mac. It is a powerful tool for users to compress PDF file size on Mac without losing quality and with 100% success.
Follow the steps to reduce PDF file size on mac without losing quality
- Download Free Trial of Cisdem PDF Compressor(Safe and Only 1.3MB)
Free Download - Drag and drop PDF files into the program
- Choose a compression mode (4 modes available)
- Click “Compress” to start shrinking
Also, you can check the tutorial video of reducing PDF file size on mac:
What You Can Expect from Cisdem PDF Compressor
Tools to compress a pdf file on mac are plentiful enough, and choosing the best is really not easy. While, the reasons why Cisdem PDF Compressor comes as the best choice is not only due to its high quality compression, but also for a set of benefits it offers to users.
- Reduce PDF file size without losing quality---If you have higher requirement on shrinking PDF files on Mac, PDF Compressor Mac allows you to shrink PDF files in 4 modes, Minimal File Size, Small File Size, Medium File Size and Large File Size, even you can customize the quality by manually inputting the parameters. That's to say, if you choose Minimal Size Compression, a PDF file in 4.77MB also can be compressed to 45KB in good quality. And no matter how large your PDF is, this mac program can still offer a way to reduce the PDF file size on mac below 100kb.
- Batch compress PDFs---If you need to deal with many PDF files, this program makes it amazingly simple to reduce the size of one or multiple PDF files, which allow Mac users to import up to 50 PDF files at one time.
- Reduce PDF file fast---The compressor processes compression extremely fast, within seconds, you will get files with reduced size. In my test, I compressed a 500-page PDF within 1 minute
- Compress protected PDF on Mac---Once you have input the correct password within this program, the compressor will continue to reduce your PDF file.
7 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Make a PDF Smaller on Mac
When it comes to making a PDF smaller on Mac, Adobe Acrobat is often mentioned. But there are surprisingly simple solutions to make a PDF smaller on Mac available.
READ MORE >Adobe---Use Adobe to Reduce PDF Size on Mac with Good Quality
We all know, Adobe is leading in offering solutions to manage PDFs, its PDF editor, the Adobe Acrobat series is super powerful to handle all kinds of PDF files, including reducing PDF on mac with good quality.
First, Can Adobe Reader Reduce PDF File Size on mac?
One of my friends once asked me if Adobe Reader can reduce pdf file size on mac, the answer is NO.
Adobe Reader is a free PDF viewer open to everyone from Adobe, it allows users to view, highlight, add notes, print, fill and sign PDF. But if you need advanced features, such as editing, creating, exporting, compressing, etc., you will have to subscribe its Acrobat version.
Now, Use Adobe Acrobat to Reduce PDF File Size on Mac with Good Quality
#1 For Adobe Acrobat X or XI
- Open the PDF that you want to reduce with Adobe Acrobat X or XI.
- Go to “File”-“Save As”-“Reduced Size PDF”-Finish. You will get a reduced PDF file with good quality.
#2 For Adobe Acrobat DC
- Open the PDF you want to reduce with Adobe Acrobat DC
- Go to Tools>Optimize PDF, choose Reduce File Size to shrink PDF on mac.
Cons:
- High price
- Incapability to batch shrink PDFs on mac.
Online---Compress PDF on Mac Online without Losing Quality
Pdf Not Opening On Mac
Most online PDF compressors are free, which makes them the most affordable way to compress PDF on mac. Though there are quite a lot of online PDF compressors designed for this job, if you want to reduce PDF file size on mac without losing quality online, you’d better use following 2 online tools.
#1 PDFCompressor
After testing all the online PDF compressors ranked in the top 2 pages of Google results, PDFCompressor finally comes as my favorite online choice. It can compress a PDF file as small as possible, also reduce the file size without losing original quality. Even, it supports to reduce a single or multiple PDFs in batch.
In my test of compressing a 4.4MB-PDF file, PDFCompressor helps to reduce the file size to 635kb, while the quality is not lost, such as its layout, image resolution are not sacrificed.
Follow the steps to reduce PDF file size on mac online
- Step 1. Go to PDFCompressor.
- Step 2. Drag and drop single or multiple PDF files into the working area. Once the files are uploaded, the compression starts.
- Step 3. Click “Download” or “Download All” to get the reduced PDF file online.
Cons:
- Potential risk of information leakage
- Internet connection and file size will greatly impact the compressing
- The conversion quality will greatly depend on the file itself, it maybe unstable
#2 Smallpdf
When it comes to online PDF compressor, the most popular is Smallpdf.com. It is the platform enjoys large popularity to provide various online PDF services. You can upload single PDF for compression from local, GoogleDrive or Dropbox.
However, Smallpdf also has some shortcomings. For example, you need to bear the advertisements on the screen, and you cannot compress PDF files in batch. Also, a defaulted mode is set for users. For instance, a PDF file in 1.77MB will be compressed to 716.27KB.
Follow the steps to compress PDF on Mac Online
- Step 1. Go to Smallpdf.com to visit this site.
- Step 2. Drag and drop your PDF file to Smallpdf.
There are 3 ways for you to add PDF file, you can click “Choose File” to add, or just add by drag-n-drop, or you can add from Google Drive, Dropbox. - Step 3. Then click “Download File Now” to download your compressed PDF file, or you can choose to save in your Google Drive or Dropbox.
Cons:
- Batch compressing is not free
- Potential risk of information leakage since your file is uploaded to the server for processing
- Internet connection and file size will greatly impact the compressing
As there are lots of online, free PDF compressors available, you may want to try others for a wiser decision. No need to do this yourself, we have done a review of several top online pdf compressor for your consideration.
Free---Reduce PDF File Size on Mac Free
A Mac is designed to boost productivity both in life and work, so it is quite reasonable that some powerful applications comes with MacOS for totally free. Among these apps, there are 2 mac tools can reduce PDF file size on mac for free. One is Preview, while the other one is Colorsync.
#1 Reduce PDF File Size on Mac Free with Preview
Preview is the free mac program developed to view and manage PDFs or images. With 3 steps, Preview can get your PDF file size reduced.
- Step 1. Open PDF with Preview
- Step 2. Go to File>Export>Quartz, choose “Reduce File Size”
- Step 3. Click “Save”.
In my tests, I opened a 4.7-MB PDF in Preview and it finally compressed the file to be 121KB, and this file is filled with all images. It seemed that Preview could work perfect on reducing pdf file size in this case. But when I tried another file with a size of 4.3MB, which is mainly composed of text contents and several images, Preview finally brought me a file with 29.1MB, it even increased the file size!
Disadvantages:
- File quality is lost to some extent
- Doesn't work on PDFs with complicate elements (images, texts, tables, etc.)
- Cannot batch reduce pdf file size on mac
#2 Compress PDF on Mac Free with ColorSync
Another mac tool to compress PDF is ColorSync, it is a color management system, helping users to modify an image by adding effect, tweaking color space, adjusting colors or brightness, etc.
- Step 1. Go to Finder>Application folder, and open ColorSync Utility
- Step 2. Go to File>Open, you will navigated top open PDF with ColorSync.
- Step 3. In the Filter menu, choose “Reduce File Size”, then click “Apply”.
- Step 4. Go to File>Save as>Save.
In my tests, I successfully reduced a PDF file from 30.28MB to 128KB. However, ColorSync has the same issue as Preview. ColorSync manages to reduce pdf file size by compressing image files within the file, so it works when a PDF file mainly consist of images, but not work when you work on a quite normal PDF, let’s say, a PDF file consisting of different elements.
Disadvantages:
- File quality can be easily sacrificed
- Doesn't work on PDFs with complicate elements(images, texts, tables, etc.)
- Doesn't support batch compressing
If these 2 solutions don't help, have a try on the best PDF Compressor for Mac.
Small Tips to Compress PDF on Mac
If you are not intended to reduce pdf file size with a software or online service, here are some small tips to compress pdf for you.
- Keep the image smaller: Very often, it is the images taking too much space. So, when you are working on PDFs, try to include an image in JPG format, which is in relatively smaller size.
- Delete unnecessary pages or images: Directly remove some pages or images (even multimedia objects) that are not necessary in your file.
- Convert PDF to other formats: This really works when you are working on PDF image files or scanned PDF. I did this for several times, when I exported PDF in editable Word, or other formats, I did get a smaller PDF file.
Extended: How to Reduce PDF File Size on iPhone or iPad with Good Quality
As our mobile phones become more and more smart, we are now allowed to do different tasks and jobs with only a telephone, including managing PDF files on iPhone or iPad.
To reduce PDF file size on iPhone or iPad directly, there is no shortcut or free tricks to achieve this, a third party PDF Compressor for iOS is required. Here we recommend Cometdocs PDF Compressor app for iPhone or iPad with good compression quality. If you want to compress PDF files on iOS device for free, you can refer to the solutions offered for Mac users, then send or sync to your iOS device.
Cometdocs PDF Compressor is an iOS application designed to reduce PDF files on iPhone or iPad, it will make your PDFs smaller with significant or light compression, but with good quality. You can upload PDF files from your iPhone, iPad, Gmail, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and OneDrive for compressing.
Steps to Reduce PDF File Size on iPhone or iPad
Open Pdf Files On Mac
- Go to AppStore and download Cometdocs PDF Compressor on your iPhone or iPad;
- Add PDF files from your phone or other apps for compression;
Then wait for the compression to finish and manage as needed.
Final Words
Free Pdf Shrinker
For Adobe Acrobat, if you are working on PDF files frequently, or you don't care about the high cost, it is a good choice. But, if you want a more efficient solution to shrink PDF on mac without quality scarified, without too much time and efforts consumed, a specialized software- Cisdem PDF Compressor won't let you down, give it a try now to shrink pdf file size on mac without losing quality!
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