How Do I Reduce The Size Of A Pdf?

We are oftentimes asked at One Legal how to reduce the size of a PDF filing to ensure that is accepted by a court'southward case management system and therefore successfully eFiled.

There's a whole range of rules out there on file sizes depending on what back-role system the court is using to manage the filings it receives. In most eFiling courts throughout the U.Due south. the file must be below 35 MB., and each California courtroom has its own limits. You tin can check out the maximum file size for your courtroom on our Back up Eye, and discover information on other local court rules, besides.

In full general, though, there's very little reason for PDFs to be hundreds of megabytes large unless they incorporate exhibits that absolutely must be saved as very high-resolution photographs. By following merely a few simple steps, even filings that are hundreds of pages long can be brought downwardly to meet requirements.

How to make up one's mind the size of your PDF document

If you're using Adobe Acrobat, checking the size of your PDF is uncomplicated. Just click on File , then Backdrop. You'll see lots of data about your document, including its size.

Alternatively, you lot can navigate to the folder containing your certificate, correct-click on information technology, and click Properties.

Larger files volition have longer to upload, are cumbersome to share electronically (via email, for example), and will use up your law house'southward file storage more rapidly. And even when the courts take larger file sizes, they adopt to handle smaller, optimized files.

So, how should you set about reducing the size of your PDF documents? Here are five quick tips.

#1 Avert scanning PDFs wherever possible

It's a common misconception that, to create PDFs, or to combine multiple documents and exhibits into a single PDF, y'all demand to impress everything out and scan it together. Electronically converted files are generally much smaller in size than scans.

You lot but ever demand to scan documents that exist in paper form simply — all other documents can be electronically converted from the original file past saving them equally PDFs. Furthermore, individual documents can exist chop-chop combined every bit PDFs using software such every bit Adobe Acrobat, fugitive any need to print out documents to combine them.

Read more: How to correctly redact a PDF

#2 Salve equally "Reduced Size PDF"

If your file is even so very large after you've created it electronically, rather than by scanning, in that location are still some steps you can take. The simplest is to re-save your file as a reduced-size PDF.

In the latest version of Adobe Acrobat, open up the PDF you wish to re-save as a smaller file, choose File , Salve as Other , and so Reduced Size PDF. You lot'll exist prompted to select the version compatibility yous need and so you can click OK to save. We recommend setting your compatibility with at least Acrobat X, every bit that version is nonetheless widely used.

This method is quick and simple but be warned that it volition reduce the quality of images and volition remove digital signatures. If you desire more than control over how your PDF is compressed in Acrobat, use the optimization method described below instead.

Read more: How to convert a fillable form for eFiling

#3 Use Adobe Acrobat'southward PDF Optimizer

Sometimes yous'll want more command over which elements of your document are reduced in quality or removed. In these circumstances, yous should choose the PDF optimizer tool.

Before you lot optimize a file, it's a proficient idea to audit the file's space usage — review which elements, such every bit fonts, images, then on, are using the most data. The results of this may give y'all ideas about where best to reduce file size.

To begin optimization, open up your PDF in Acrobat, click File, Save as Other , and then Optimized PDF. In the dialog box that appears, click on Audit space usage in the peak right-hand corner. Yous'll see a table of information a bit like this:

The optimizer gives you lot complete control over the elements of your PDF that volition be compressed. Select the checkbox side by side to a panel (eastward.g. Images, Fonts), and then select options in that console. There's a lot of choices, so it'due south worth reading through the Adobe help file to sympathize what each option does.

Okay, we know that not everyone uses Adobe Acrobat. What options are available to you if you're using other software or just the basic Adobe Reader? Here are two more options for reducing the size of your PDF file if you're not using Acrobat.

Read more: 7 myths and misconceptions nigh the PDF

#iv Reduce the size as you salvage in Discussion

In Word, to convert a certificate to PDF, you employ the Salve Equally selection. This option mostly produces a fairly small-scale file, depending on the number of images in your document. However, if you notice that your Word-converted PDF is still too large, there is a further option in Word that volition produce a significantly smaller file. Here's how to apply it:

Open the Discussion document you lot are going to convert to PDF. Click on the File push button and then Save Every bit. In the Save as type menu, select PDF and enter your preferred file name. Hither's the extra step: where it says Optimize for at the bottom of the dialog box, select Minimum size (publishing online).

Read more: How to right OCR errors with Adobe Acrobat

#five Use a print-to-PDF tool

Other (non-Adobe) PDF tools more often than not incorporate features that will reduce the size of your PDF. However, if you're looking for a complimentary option, there are some available. Currently, the most downloaded free PDF creator ( according to download.com ) is PrimoPDF.

Once yous've installed PrimoPDF, but open the PDF you wish to compress (in Acrobat Reader, or a spider web browser, for example), press C trl+P to open the print dialog, select PrimoPDF from the listing of available printers, and then click Create PDF.

Note that this method, similar just saving equally a reduced-size PDF in Adobe Acrobat, reduces image quality and resolution.