How do I make a PDF smaller for court without making text or images blurry in Adobe Acrobat?

Open the PDF and go to File > Save as Other > Optimized PDF. Set color and grayscale images to about 150 dpi and monochrome to 300 dpi. Choose JPEG Medium/High quality. Remove extra items like comments and forms. Save and check the new PDF for clarity.

If my scan is blurry after optimizing a PDF, what should I check or change?

Check if the dpi for images was set too low (under 150 for color, under 300 for black and white). Try saving again with a higher dpi setting. Avoid using 'Do Not Downsample' only if file size is not a problem.

How does 'Optimize PDF (Advanced)' compare to just using 'Save As Reduced Size PDF' in Acrobat?

Feature Optimize PDF (Advanced) Save As Reduced Size PDF. Control over images/fonts Full control (dpi, quality, fonts, objects) Very basic, little control Best for court-ready files Yes, you can fine-tune for rules No, might lose important data Removes extra data Yes, you pick what to remove Removes some, but not all

Produce Court-Ready PDF in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Assemble the court filing for case [case=08-CR-502]: combine caption, client exhibits, and…+

Assemble the court filing for case [case=08-CR-502]: combine caption, client exhibits, and affidavits into one PDF in required order, resize images for readability, and save a court-ready copy in the outgoing filings folder.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

BImprove — “do it better”Improve the court filing for case [case=08-CR-502] so clerks won't reject it — ensure the…+

Improve the court filing for case [case=08-CR-502] so clerks won't reject it — ensure the caption is first, exhibits follow numbered and tabbed, confirm margins and pagination meet court rules, and produce a flattened, single-file PDF for upload with a cover letter listing attachments.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
2
Go to the File menu and select Save as Other, then choose Optimized PDF.
3
In the PDF Optimizer dialog, click the Settings menu and select Press Quality or High Quality Print preset if available.
CautionAlways use a preset designed for print to maintain maximum image and font quality.
4
Under the Images panel, set Downsampling to Off for both color and grayscale images to preserve original resolution.
Best practiceDisabling downsampling ensures images remain at their highest quality for professional printing.
5
Set Compression to ZIP or None for all image types to avoid lossy compression.
RecommendationZIP or no compression is recommended for press-ready files to prevent image degradation.
6
Go to the Fonts panel and ensure Embed all fonts is checked.
CautionEmbedding fonts guarantees accurate text rendering on press.
7
Review other panels (e.g., Discard Objects, Clean Up) and avoid enabling options that remove content or reduce quality.
Best practiceDo not discard metadata or hidden layers if your print provider requires them.
8
Click OK to apply the optimization settings.
9
Save the optimized PDF with a new file name to preserve your original file.
Best practiceSaving a copy allows you to revert if further adjustments are needed.

In the appWith the API

For best results, always preview your optimized PDF at 100% zoom to check image and font clarity before sending to press.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

Combine client exhibits, affidavits, and the caption into a single court-ready filing package.

FAQ

about this task

Open the PDF and go to File > Save as Other > Optimized PDF.
Set color and grayscale images to about 150 dpi and monochrome to 300 dpi.
Choose JPEG Medium/High quality.
Remove extra items like comments and forms.
Save and check the new PDF for clarity.

Unembedding fonts means removing the actual font files from the PDF to make the file smaller. This is important because embedded fonts can make a PDF much bigger, but removing them can cause text to look wrong if the reader's computer does not have the same fonts. Only unembed fonts if you are sure the court or reader will see the text correctly.

Check if the dpi for images was set too low (under 150 for color, under 300 for black and white).
Try saving again with a higher dpi setting.
Avoid using 'Do Not Downsample' only if file size is not a problem.

RGB is best for screens because it matches how colors show up on computers. CMYK is for printing, and can make files bigger or change colors on a screen.

Feature	Optimize PDF (Advanced)	Save As Reduced Size PDF
Control over images/fonts	Full control (dpi, quality, fonts, objects)	Very basic, little control
Best for court-ready files	Yes, you can fine-tune for rules	No, might lose important data
Removes extra data	Yes, you pick what to remove	Removes some, but not all

Produce Court-Ready PDF

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

Other guides

When it fails