PDF GUIDE
How to Make a PDF Small Enough to Email
Email services often limit attachments to 10 MB, 20 MB or 25 MB. If your PDF is over the limit, you have a few options. The fastest is usually to compress the PDF directly rather than changing the document itself.
Step 1: Check the current file size
Find the PDF on your computer and note its size. Also check your email provider's attachment limit. Common limits include:
- Gmail: 25 MB per email
- Outlook.com: 20 MB per email
- Many corporate servers: 10 MB or less
Step 2: Try a balanced compression preset
In QuakeStar's PDF Compressor, start with the Ebook / balanced preset. This setting is designed to reduce file size noticeably while keeping text and images readable on screen.
For many documents, this single step is enough to bring the file under the limit.
Step 3: Inspect the result
Open the compressed PDF and check the pages that matter most:
- pages with photographs or screenshots;
- pages with fine text, signatures or stamps;
- diagrams, charts and lines;
- scanned pages at full zoom.
If everything looks acceptable and the file is small enough, you are done.
Step 4: Try a stronger preset if needed
If the file is still too large, use the Screen / smallest file preset. This will reduce image resolution further. It is usually fine for reading on a screen but may not look good when printed.
If even the Screen preset does not get the file small enough, the PDF may be too image-heavy for email. In that case, consider the alternatives below.
Step 5: Keep the original
Always keep the uncompressed original for anything important. Compression is an optimization step, not a replacement for your highest-quality source file.
What if compression is not enough?
If the PDF is still too large, you can:
- Split the PDF into multiple smaller files and send them separately.
- Use a file-sharing service and send a link instead of an attachment.
- Reduce the resolution of the source images before creating the PDF.
- For scanned documents, re-scan at a lower DPI if the current scan is higher than necessary.