How big is too big?
| Where | Usual limit |
|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB per email (bigger files are sent as a Google Drive link) |
| Outlook.com | 20 MB per email |
| Yahoo Mail | 25 MB per email |
| Work email | Often 10 to 25 MB, set by your organisation |
| Online forms and portals | Often 1 to 5 MB, sometimes less |
Email also makes attachments about a third bigger on the way, so a file just under the limit can still fail.
Compress the PDF
- Open Compress PDF and drop your file. It's compressed on your device, not uploaded.
- Choose Recommended first: photos inside are re-saved at up to 2000 pixels, which still looks sharp, and the text isn't touched.
- If it's still too big, try Strong. Text stays sharp; photos get smaller.
- Extreme turns each page into a picture: the smallest file, but the text can no longer be selected or searched. Use it only when a readable copy is all that's needed.
Why some PDFs barely shrink
Most of a big PDF's size is usually its photos and scans. A PDF of mostly typed text is already small, and there's little to remove. If a file is large but has no photos, it may hold many pages, embedded fonts or attachments, and splitting it is often the answer.
If it's still too big
- Split it. Send it in parts with Split PDF, for example pages 1 to 20 and 21 to 40.
- Remove pages you don't need with Delete pages: blank pages, duplicates, covers.
- Scan at a lower setting. Scans at 150 to 200 dpi in greyscale are far smaller than 600 dpi colour, and still easy to read.
- Shrink photos before making the PDF. If you're making a PDF from phone photos, compress the photos first, or choose a smaller size in Images to PDF.
- Send a link instead. Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud and Dropbox links work for any size.