pdfpix

Compress PDF to 50 KB

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

50 KB is 51,200 bytes. It holds 3 text pages, 1 page with pictures, 1 scanned page, 2 phone photos of pages or 1 page scanned in colour at the smallest setting. Set the target and the tool races four methods, then hands back the smallest file that passes its check.

How to compress a PDF to 50 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 50 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 fits in 50 KB

A compressed text page weighed about 14 KB in the public run, a scanned page about 29 KB, and a page with pictures about 37 KB. A 1 page phone photo scan from a public CC BY dataset went from 1.6 MB to 43 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 setting3Pages at the smallest setting3
Text with picturesPages at the default setting1Pages at the smallest setting1
Scanned pagesPages at the default setting1Pages at the smallest setting1
Phone photosPages at the default settingSmallest settingPages at the smallest setting2
Colour scansPages at the default settingSmallest settingPages at the smallest setting1

On the public files above 50 KB, the default methods cut the median file by 35.8%.

The smallest setting

When the default methods stop above the target, the tool offers a stronger pass. It redraws each page at 120, then 96, then 72 dpi, and stops at the first one that fits. Small print and signatures soften a little, and the page stays readable on screen.

The words stay sharp. The text layer is written on top of the picture, so you can still select, search and copy it, and the tool counts its characters against the source before it offers the file.

Get the most out of 50 KB

Budget by the page. Delete the pages the form does not need, then compress what is left, and each remaining page gets a larger share.

If the form allows more, 100 KB holds 7 text pages, 2 pages with pictures, 3 scanned pages, 5 phone photos of pages or 3 pages scanned in colour.

Questions

How do I reduce PDF size to 50 KB?
Set the target to 50 KB and press Compress. If the default methods stop above it, the tool offers the stronger pass, which redraws the pages at a lower resolution. Accept it when the form needs the exact size.
How many scanned pages fit in a 50 KB PDF?
One. A scanned page came down to about 29 KB in the public run. A text page is lighter, about 14 KB, so 50 KB holds 3 of those.
Will my text still be selectable at 50 KB?
Yes. Every output, including the stronger pass, is opened again and its characters are counted against the source. A candidate that keeps less than 98% of them is refused.
How many phone photos fit in 50 KB?
2 at the smallest setting. A phone photo of a page came down to about 18 KB there, from about 2.7 MB as it left the camera.

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