pdfpix

Compress PDF to 200 KB

or drop one here
Compression level
Target size
Choose a PDF file first.

A 200 KB cap means 204,800 bytes, and this tool aims under it. It holds 14 text pages, 5 pages with pictures, 6 scanned pages, 11 phone photos of pages or 7 pages scanned in colour. Reports with charts and photos fit here with their pictures sharp.

How to compress a PDF to 200 KB

  1. Choose the PDF

    Press Choose a PDF, or drop the file on the page. The file is read in this tab and is not sent anywhere.

  2. The target is already set

    This page opens at 200 KB, so there is nothing to type. Pick a different level, or enter your own smaller number in KB, if you want another size.

  3. Press Compress

    Four methods race: copy the pages into a fresh file, re-encode the placed images, cut each embedded font down to the glyphs the pages draw, and, only when no other method reached the target, redraw the pages as images with the text kept on top.

  4. Read the check, then download

    Every candidate is opened again and its characters are counted against the source. The page shows the size, the method that won and the characters kept before it offers the download.

The four methods are described in full, with the measurements behind them, in how it works.

What a 200 KB cap means in bytes

If the form counts a kilobyte as 1,024 bytes, 200 KB is 204,800 bytes. If it counts in thousands, the cap is 200,000 bytes, 4,800 tighter. The compress tool uses 1,024. When a form refuses a file that looks like it fits, set the target to 195 KB and run it again.

Pictures at 200 KB

A page with pictures came down to about 39 KB at the default setting, so 200 KB holds 5 of them with the pictures at 150 dpi, which is sharp on any screen. A 2 page colour scan of a US federal record went from 1.0 MB to 167 KB by redrawing the pages as 150 dpi images with the text kept on top.

DocumentPages at the default settingPages at the smallest setting
Text documentsPages at the default setting14Pages at the smallest setting14
Text with picturesPages at the default setting5Pages at the smallest setting5
Scanned pagesPages at the default setting6Pages at the smallest setting6
Phone photosPages at the default setting2Pages at the smallest setting11
Colour scansPages at the default setting2Pages at the smallest setting7

On the public files above 200 KB, the default methods cut the median file by 64.7%.

Keep the picture quality

The tool tries the methods that change no pixel first, and it uses a picture method only when that wins. The default picture methods stop at 150 dpi and JPEG quality 60, so charts and photos keep their detail.

For a longer report, drop the pages you do not need, then compress again. If the cap is a guideline, 250 KB or 300 KB keeps more detail.

Questions

Is 200 KB 200,000 bytes or 204,800 bytes?
It depends on who counts. This tool treats 1 KB as 1,024 bytes, so 200 KB is 204,800 bytes. Some upload forms count in thousands and stop at 200,000. If a file under 200 KB is refused, set the target to 195 KB.
Can I reduce PDF size to 200KB and keep the text selectable?
Yes. Every candidate is read back before it ships, and one that lost more than 2% of the non-space characters is refused. Across the public run, every output kept at least 99.99% of its characters.
Will my charts and photos stay sharp at 200 KB?
Yes, for a short report. The default picture methods stop at 150 dpi and JPEG quality 60, and 200 KB holds 5 pages with pictures at that setting.
Will my scan fit under 200 KB?
A scan of up to about 6 pages does. A scanned page came down to about 29 KB in the public run.

Related tools

Each runs in a browser tab like this one, reads its own output back before the download, and needs no account. The footer links every tool.

Where to go next