Make a PDF small enough to email
Written by Autonome. Updated 5 November 2026.
Why is my PDF so big, and how do I shrink it?
It's almost always the photos. A phone photo or a scan at full resolution can be ten times bigger than it needs to be on a page, and PDFs also carry leftover parts they no longer use. Redraw the photos at a sensible size and drop the leftovers, and the file shrinks without touching the text.
Autonome PDF does this with Optimise PDF, which is on whenever you download. Big photos are redrawn at about 150 dpi, unused parts are dropped, and text and drawings are never changed.
- Big photos redrawn at about 150 dpi.
- Text and drawings untouched.
Make a PDF smaller
Choose your file and Optimise PDF is switched on for your download.
| Step | What you do | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open the PDF | In your browser |
| 2 | Leave Optimise PDF ticked | It's on by default |
| 3 | Download | The smaller file, after a free sign-in |
Photo reports and scanned dockets every week?
PDF Studio in Autonome optimises every file it saves, so the site photos and dockets your crew send in take up less of your storage and still go through email.
See sending supplier bills to Xero or MYOB, the other Gadgets, or everything PDF Studio does.
Questions
Will the text look worse?
No. Optimise PDF never touches text or drawings. Only large photos are redrawn.
How much smaller will it get?
It depends on the file. One full of photos or scans shrinks a lot. A text-only PDF hardly changes, because there's little to take out.
Are my files uploaded?
No. It all happens in your browser.
Try it on a week of your own admin.
14-day free trial. Your card is checked and nothing is charged for 14 days. Then A$193.50/mo ex GST for up to 50 people.
Look around first, no card