Compress PDF to 1MB

To compress a PDF to 1MB, add it to PDFWrangle with the target set to 1MB, compress and download. PDFWrangle lowers the quality of the images inside the file until it fits, and text stays untouched. It's free with no limits and no sign-up, you can do several PDFs at once, and your files never leave your device.

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How to compress a PDF to 1MB

  1. Add your PDF. The target is already set to 1MB.
  2. Choose Strong for scans and photos, or Recommended to keep more detail.
  3. Compress, check that the new size is under 1MB, and download.

Why a PDF ends up over 1MB

A CV with a photo, a scanned certificate or a short report often lands well above 1MB, and the images inside are usually why. Text takes very little space. That's why compressing images is enough to get most documents under 1MB without changing how they read.

If it won't go below 1MB

PDFWrangle shows the smallest size it reached and explains why. Then try, in this order:

  1. Switch the level to Strong.
  2. Turn on Convert pages to images. This rebuilds each page as a compressed image and gets scans much smaller, but text can no longer be selected or searched.
  3. Remove pages you don't need with Delete pages, or send only the required pages with Extract pages.
  4. Rescan at a lower resolution, such as 150 dpi, which gives a cleaner small file than squeezing a high-resolution scan.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is my PDF over 1MB with only a few pages?

Usually because of high-resolution photos or scans inside it. Those are exactly what PDFWrangle compresses.

Will the text stay sharp?

Yes, in the standard mode. Only images are recompressed; text and fonts aren't touched. Convert pages to images is the exception, since it turns whole pages into pictures.

Can I compress several PDFs to 1MB at once?

Yes. Add them all and each one is compressed to the same target.

Are my files uploaded?

No. Everything happens in your browser on your own device, so your files are never sent to a server.