The regional director is on a plane at 19:30 and needs something she can forward to local partners with limited email …
Open the PDF you want to archive in Adobe Acrobat.
Select File > Save As Other > Archivable PDF (PDF/A).
CautionPDF/A conversion may remove features like audio, video, and JavaScript that are not permitted in archival PDFs.
In the PDF/A conversion dialog, choose the desired PDF/A standard (such as PDF/A-1b for basic long-term preservation).
Best practicePDF/A-1b is widely accepted for basic archival needs, but check your organization's requirements.
Click OK to convert and save the PDF as a PDF/A file.
Open the newly saved PDF/A file.
Select File > Save As Other > Reduced Size PDF.
In the Reduce File Size dialog, select the desired compatibility level (choose the lowest version that meets your needs for maximum compression).
Best practiceFor archival, using the lowest compatible version maximizes compression but may reduce compatibility with very old PDF viewers.
Click OK and save the reduced-size PDF/A file.
Best practiceBefore archiving, use File > Properties to remove unnecessary metadata and hidden data for further size reduction.
After converting to PDF/A, always review the document to ensure all essential content remains accessible and readable.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
To reduce your PDF size for printing, use the 'Low (High Quality)' compression setting. This setting avoids re-compressing images, so they stay clear enough for print. High compression is usually only good for viewing on a screen or sending by email.
The 'Reduced size PDF' option is a quick and simple way to make your file smaller using default settings. It's good for general use. 'Optimized PDF' (not covered here but related) gives you more control. It lets you choose exactly what to remove or compress, like specific fonts, images, or unused elements. This allows for more precise file size reduction if you know what you are doing.
Each time you compress a PDF, especially with high compression, the images inside are re-processed and some of their original data is thrown away to save space. This loss of data adds up, making the images look worse with each compression cycle. Always start with the original PDF to avoid this problem.
No, compressing a PDF only affects images, not text. Text in a PDF is usually stored in a way that doesn't lose quality when the file is made smaller. So, your text will always remain clear, even after compression.