Why some PDFs are so big
Almost always, it's the pictures. Scanned pages, phone photos and high-resolution product images are often stored at far more detail than anyone needs to read them on a screen. Text itself takes up very little room. That means image-heavy PDFs can often shrink by 80% or more, while a PDF that's mostly text may only get a little smaller, because there isn't much to remove.
How to compress a PDF, step by step
- Open RevinHi PDF and go to Tools, then Compress (it's also on the Home screen).
- Click Choose PDF and select the file.
- Pick a Strength:
- Low keeps images at 150 dpi, high quality and good for printing.
- Medium uses 110 dpi, which looks good on screens and is a sensible default.
- High uses 72 dpi for the smallest file, best for email and upload limits.
- Click Compress and choose where to save. By default the new file is named with _compressed on the end, so your original is never overwritten.
- RevinHi shows the size before and after, and how much smaller the file got.
Compression shrinks oversized images and repacks the file. Text stays sharp at every strength because it isn't turned into pictures. If the result looks too soft, run it again from the original on a lower strength.
Why compress offline?
The files people need to shrink are often the sensitive ones: scanned IDs, bank statements, medical records and signed contracts that are too big for an email or a portal. Online compressors need the whole document uploaded to their servers. RevinHi PDF does the work locally on Windows, with no account and no internet connection required, so the file never leaves your PC. It's also quicker for big files, since nothing has to be uploaded and downloaded again.
Tips for the smallest file
- Remove pages you don't need first. Deleting and extracting pages is free in the Editor and Tools.
- Splitting a long scan into a few smaller files can get you under an upload limit without lowering quality.
- Compress last, after you've finished editing, signing and merging.
Free or Pro?
Compress is a Pro feature. Pro is a one-time $9.99 with no subscription, and it also removes the export watermark and unlocks text editing, PDF to images, password protect/unlock and unlimited merging. The free version covers viewing, page tools, annotating, signing, form filling and merging two files at a time, so you can try the app before you buy.
Related: merge PDF files, edit PDF text and sign a PDF. See all features on the RevinHi PDF page.