How To Make A Pdf Smaller In Size

We are often asked at I Legal how to reduce the size of a PDF filing to ensure that is accustomed by a courtroom's example management arrangement and therefore successfully eFiled.

There's a whole range of rules out there on file sizes depending on what back-office system the court is using to manage the filings it receives. In most eFiling courts throughout the U.S. the file must be below 35 MB., and each California court has its own limits. You tin check out the maximum file size for your court on our Support Center, and detect information on other local courtroom rules, too.

In general, though, there'southward very little reason for PDFs to be hundreds of megabytes big unless they contain exhibits that absolutely must be saved as very high-resolution photographs. By post-obit only a few unproblematic steps, even filings that are hundreds of pages long can be brought downward to meet requirements.

How to decide the size of your PDF certificate

If you're using Adobe Acrobat, checking the size of your PDF is simple. Simply click on File , then Properties. Y'all'll see lots of information about your certificate, including its size.

Alternatively, yous can navigate to the folder containing your document, right-click on it, and click Properties.

Larger files will take longer to upload, are cumbersome to share electronically (via email, for instance), and will use upward your constabulary firm's file storage more rapidly. And even when the courts have larger file sizes, they prefer to handle smaller, optimized files.

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

#1 Avoid scanning PDFs wherever possible

It's a common misconception that, to create PDFs, or to combine multiple documents and exhibits into a unmarried PDF, you lot 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 only — all other documents tin can be electronically converted from the original file by saving them as PDFs. Furthermore, individual documents can be apace combined as PDFs using software such every bit Adobe Acrobat, avoiding whatever need to impress out documents to combine them.

Read more than: How to correctly redact a PDF

#ii Save as "Reduced Size PDF"

If your file is nevertheless very big after you've created it electronically, rather than past scanning, there are still some steps you lot tin can take. The simplest is to re-save your file equally a reduced-size PDF.

In the latest version of Adobe Acrobat, open the PDF you wish to re-salvage as a smaller file, choose File , Salvage as Other , and then Reduced Size PDF. Yous'll be prompted to select the version compatibility you need and then you can click OK to save. Nosotros recommend setting your compatibility with at to the lowest degree Acrobat Ten, every bit that version is still 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 y'all want more control over how your PDF is compressed in Acrobat, utilise the optimization method described beneath instead.

Read more: How to convert a fillable class for eFiling

#3 Utilize Adobe Acrobat's PDF Optimizer

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

Before you lot optimize a file, information technology'due south a good thought to audit the file's infinite usage — review which elements, such equally fonts, images, and so on, are using the most information. The results of this may give y'all ideas well-nigh where best to reduce file size.

To begin optimization, open up your PDF in Acrobat, click File, Salve as Other , and and then Optimized PDF. In the dialog box that appears, click on Audit space usage in the peak right-hand corner. You'll come across a table of data a chip like this:

The optimizer gives you complete control over the elements of your PDF that will be compressed. Select the checkbox next to a panel (e.thou. Images, Fonts), so select options in that console. At that place's a lot of choices, so it'due south worth reading through the Adobe help file to understand what each pick does.

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

Read more: 7 myths and misconceptions about the PDF

#4 Reduce the size equally you relieve in Discussion

In Word, to convert a document to PDF, yous use the Save Equally option. This choice generally produces a adequately modest file, depending on the number of images in your certificate. Even so, if you find that your Word-converted PDF is still too big, there is a further choice in Word that will produce a significantly smaller file. Here'due south how to use information technology:

Open the Word certificate you are going to convert to PDF. Click on the File button so Save As. In the Save as type menu, select PDF and enter your preferred file proper noun. Hither'southward the extra step: where information technology says Optimize for at the lesser 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 by and large contain features that volition reduce the size of your PDF. Nonetheless, if y'all're looking for a free choice, there are some available. Currently, the about downloaded free PDF creator ( co-ordinate to download.com ) is PrimoPDF.

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

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