The PDF format is used for a multitude of purposes. People send CVs in PDF, download books, store work files in this format, and share files across many platforms. With that in mind, a PDF compression is at times the only way to save storage space (because some large PDF docs may weigh quite a lot) and make the sharing possible.

Thankfully, Mac users have plenty of tools at their disposal. Let’s see which exactly and how to use them to compress a PDF file on a Mac computer.

Compress a PDF in Preview on Mac

Let’s start with the native way your Mac suggests by default. Preview is a pre-installed document viewer and editor. Not many users know, however, that it can also compress a PDF document. Here’s how:

In the Preview app on your Mac, open the PDF you want to compress.
Choose File -> Export.
Click the Quartz Filter pop-up menu, then choose Reduce File Size.

You should keep in mind, however, that when compressed, the PDF may be of lower quality than the original.

Optimize a PDF File Size in 4K Image Compressor

Another way to compress a PDF on a Mac device is to use third-party software. Thankfully, there are plenty. One of those is 4K Image Compressor, a desktop solution that can optimize and convert JPEG, HEIC, WEBP, and PNG files as well as compress PDF files. One keystone perk of this software is that you can compress files in batch, with no need to upload multiple files one by one and waste time waiting.

Follow these steps to compress a PDF on your Mac:

1. Launch 4K Image Compressor. It’s also available for Windows and Ubuntu.

2. In the top menu, find Format -> choose PDF.

3. The compression setting will be Auto by default. You can set it further, though, by pressing the Settings icon and adjusting it.

4. Choose a PDF file you want to optimise and click Compress.

4K Image Compressor will do the job in a few seconds, and you’ll get a compressed file that you can then open by simply clicking on it.

How to Compress a PDF Online

If you’d rather opt for an online solution, there are also plenty of options. One of them is Adobe Acrobat online PDF Compressor. Here’s how to use it to optimize a PDF file online.

Open Adobe Acrobat online PDF compressor in your browser.
Tap Select a file and upload your PDF file or drag and drop it.
Download the file once the compression is complete.

Apart from the Adobe Acrobat online compressor, you can use any other online solution of your choice.

Frequently Asked Questions on PDF Compression on Mac

How do you reduce the size of a PDF on a Mac?

You can do that with the default Preview app by simply clicking the Reduce File Size button when exporting your PDF.

How do I compress a PDF without Adobe?

The Adobe solutions are rather bulky, so it’s not surprising that you might not want to mess with them. If you want to compress a PDF file without Acrobat, you can use 4K Image Compressor. The result is the same but the process is much simpler and user-friendly.