PDF compression

Compress PDF

Scanned PDFs get heavy fast — a handful of full-page images easily outgrows an email limit. Paperly shrinks the file where the weight actually is, and shows you the result before anything is sent.

Paperly export sheet with PDF compression size and sharing options

What it is

PDF compression reduces a document's file size, mostly by re-encoding the page images inside it. Paperly compresses PDFs on the device, targeting the point where the file becomes easy to email or upload while the text stays crisp and readable.

When you reach for it

  • A scanned document bounces back for being over the email limit
  • An upload portal rejects files above a fixed size
  • A multi-page scan must be small enough to open quickly on the other end
  • Old scans should take less space in long-term storage

How Paperly does it

  1. 01

    Pick the document

    Open any PDF in the library and check its current size before you decide how far to compress.

  2. 02

    Compress on-device

    Paperly re-encodes the page images locally and reports the new size. No upload bar, no waiting room, no server.

  3. 03

    Check readability, then send

    Zoom in on the compressed pages before exporting — the goal is a smaller file, not a blurrier one.

Questions people ask

Compression trades a little image detail for a much smaller file. Paperly aims for the setting where text stays comfortably readable — you can inspect the result before exporting.

It depends on the pages. Image-heavy scans typically shrink dramatically; documents that are already mostly text have less to give. The app shows the resulting size before you export.

Yes. The output is a standard PDF that opens in any reader — searchable text layers from OCR are preserved.

Related features

Try compress pdf where it runs best.

Paperly for iPhone — private, on-device, and free to download.