# How to compress a PDF without losing quality

> Lossless vs lossy PDF compression explained, which to use for text, scans and photos, and how to get the smallest file that still looks sharp.


"Without losing quality" can mean two things: a file that is literally identical page for page, or one where you can't see the difference. Knowing which you need tells you which setting to use.



## Lossless compression: identical pages
Lossless compression removes data you never see — unused objects, duplicated resources, inefficient storage — and leaves text, fonts and images untouched. Text stays selectable and the pages are pixel-for-pixel the same. In Compress PDF without losing quality, this is the Light level.

Typical savings are modest, often 5–30%, because most of a PDF's size is usually images, which lossless compression doesn't shrink.



## Visually lossless: smaller, looks the same
For scans and photo-heavy PDFs, the big savings come from re-saving images at a sensible resolution. Our Recommended level renders pages at 150 DPI — sharp on any screen and fine for printing text — which often shrinks scans by 70–90%. The trade-off: pages become images, so text can't be selected.



## Which should you use?

Your PDFUse

Contract, report or resume made in WordLight (lossless)

Scanned documentsRecommended, plus black & white for text scans

Photos, brochures, presentationsRecommended; check the result zoomed in

Must be under a size limitExact size — highest quality that fits



## Tips


- Remove pages you don't need first with Remove pages — the easiest saving of all.

- Don't compress the same file repeatedly; start from the original each time.

- On a Mac, Preview's Reduce File Size filter shrinks images aggressively and can make them blurry, so check the result.