How Do You Make A Pdf File Smaller

Nosotros are oft asked at I Legal how to reduce the size of a PDF filing to ensure that is accustomed by a court's case management system and therefore successfully eFiled.

At that place'due south a whole range of rules out at that place on file sizes depending on what back-office organisation the court is using to manage the filings information technology receives. In most eFiling courts throughout the U.S. the file must be below 35 MB., and each California courtroom has its own limits. Yous tin check out the maximum file size for your courtroom on our Support Center, and notice information on other local court rules, too.

In general, though, there'southward very trivial reason for PDFs to be hundreds of megabytes large unless they contain exhibits that absolutely must be saved as very high-resolution photographs. By following just a few elementary steps, fifty-fifty filings that are hundreds of pages long tin can be brought downward to come across requirements.

How to determine the size of your PDF document

If you're using Adobe Acrobat, checking the size of your PDF is uncomplicated. Just click on File , then Properties. You lot'll see lots of information about your document, including its size.

Alternatively, you can navigate to the folder containing your document, right-click on information technology, and click Backdrop.

Larger files will have longer to upload, are cumbersome to share electronically (via e-mail, for example), and will use upwards your police force business firm'southward file storage more than rapidly. And even when the courts take larger file sizes, they prefer to handle smaller, optimized files.

So, how should you set about reducing the size of your PDF documents? Hither are five quick tips.

#1 Avoid scanning PDFs wherever possible

It'south a common misconception that, to create PDFs, or to combine multiple documents and exhibits into a unmarried PDF, you need to print everything out and scan it together. Electronically converted files are generally much smaller in size than scans.

Yous only ever need to browse documents that exist in paper form simply — all other documents tin exist electronically converted from the original file past saving them as PDFs. Furthermore, individual documents can be quickly combined as PDFs using software such equally Adobe Acrobat, avoiding any need to print out documents to combine them.

Read more than: How to correctly redact a PDF

#2 Save equally "Reduced Size PDF"

If your file is however very large afterwards you've created information technology electronically, rather than by scanning, there are still some steps you can take. The simplest is to re-salve your file as a reduced-size PDF.

In the latest version of Adobe Acrobat, open the PDF you lot wish to re-save equally a smaller file, choose File , Save as Other , and then Reduced Size PDF. You'll be prompted to select the version compatibility you lot need and then you can click OK to salve. We recommend setting your compatibility with at least Acrobat X, as that version is yet widely used.

This method is quick and simple but be warned that it will reduce the quality of images and will remove digital signatures. If you want more than control over how your PDF is compressed in Acrobat, utilize the optimization method described below instead.

Read more: How to catechumen a fillable form for eFiling

#3 Use Adobe Acrobat's PDF Optimizer

Sometimes you'll want more command over which elements of your document are reduced in quality or removed. In these circumstances, you should choose the PDF optimizer tool.

Before you optimize a file, it'due south a good idea to audit the file'southward space usage — review which elements, such as fonts, images, and so on, are using the most data. The results of this may give you lot ideas well-nigh where best to reduce file size.

To brainstorm optimization, open your PDF in Acrobat, click File, Save every bit Other , and so Optimized PDF. In the dialog box that appears, click on Inspect space usage in the meridian correct-mitt corner. You'll see a tabular array of information a flake like this:

The optimizer gives y'all complete control over the elements of your PDF that will exist compressed. Select the checkbox side by side to a console (e.g. Images, Fonts), and so select options in that panel. There'due south a lot of choices, so it'due south worth reading through the Adobe assist file to understand what each pick does.

Okay, we know that non anybody uses Adobe Acrobat. What options are bachelor to you if yous're using other software or only the basic Adobe Reader? Here are two more options for reducing the size of your PDF file if you're not using Acrobat.

Read more than: vii myths and misconceptions well-nigh the PDF

#4 Reduce the size equally you save in Word

In Word, to convert a document to PDF, you utilize the Save As option. This option generally produces a fairly small file, depending on the number of images in your certificate. However, if you notice that your Word-converted PDF is still too large, there is a further option in Word that will produce a significantly smaller file. Here's how to employ it:

Open the Word document you are going to convert to PDF. Click on the File push so Salve Equally. In the Save as type carte du jour, select PDF and enter your preferred file proper name. Hither's the extra step: where information technology says Optimize for at the bottom of the dialog box, select Minimum size (publishing online).

Read more: How to correct OCR errors with Adobe Acrobat

#5 Use a print-to-PDF tool

Other (non-Adobe) PDF tools generally contain features that will reduce the size of your PDF. Yet, if y'all're looking for a gratis option, there are some bachelor. Currently, the almost downloaded costless PDF creator ( according to download.com ) is PrimoPDF.

Once y'all've installed PrimoPDF, but open up the PDF you wish to compress (in Acrobat Reader, or a web browser, for instance), press C trl+P to open up the print dialog, select PrimoPDF from the listing of bachelor printers, then click Create PDF.

Note that this method, like but saving as a reduced-size PDF in Adobe Acrobat, reduces paradigm quality and resolution.