How can I reduce the file size of a PDF without making the pictures look bad?

Use the PDF Optimizer and choose 'JPEG quality Medium/High' for images; this is often around 85% and looks good to most people. For color and grayscale images, set the resolution to about 150 dpi (dots per inch). If image quality is very important, choose 'Do Not Downsample' for images, but know that the file will be larger.

What is the difference between downsampling images and unembedding fonts when optimizing a PDF?

Action What it does Why it helps reduce size Potential impact. Downsample images Reduces the number of pixels in pictures. Fewer pixels mean less data for each image. Images might look less sharp or blurry if downsampled too much. Unembed fonts Removes font data from the PDF. The PDF no longer carries the full font files. Text might change its appearance if the viewing computer does not have the original font.

Reduce Draft Reconciliation Time in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

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DBecome — “help me grow”Reconciling brief drafts consumes too much attorney time when versions multiply. Across 25…+

Reconciling brief drafts consumes too much attorney time when versions multiply. Across 25 reconciliations I've done, where do automated comparisons fail us most—inline edits, footnote shifts, or exhibit references—and recommend one change to our draft workflow or versioning convention that would make comparisons reliable without manual line-by-line checking.

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.
2
Select the File menu, then choose Save as Other and then Optimized PDF.
3
In the PDF Optimizer dialog, review the default settings under each panel (such as Images, Fonts, Discard Objects, Discard User Data, and Clean Up).
4
Adjust any settings as needed, or leave them at their defaults for a basic optimization.
5
Click OK to apply the optimization and choose a location to save the optimized PDF.

In the appWith the API

You can preview the estimated file size reduction before saving by clicking the 'Audit space usage' button in the optimizer dialog.

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

Glossary

words on this page

DownsampleTo make an image smaller by removing some of its detail, which reduces the file size.ExampleTo make a large photo fit an email, you might downsample it to reduce its file size.

Unembed fontsTo remove the font information from a PDF, making the file smaller but requiring the font to be on the viewer's computer.ExampleYou unembed fonts from a PDF to reduce its file size before emailing it to a colleague.

OptimizeTo make something work better for a specific use.ExampleYou optimize your website images to load faster for visitors with slower internet connections.

Who does this

3 roles

Graphic DesignerAdministrative AssistantMarketing Coordinator

FAQ

about this task

Use the PDF Optimizer and choose 'JPEG quality Medium/High' for images; this is often around 85% and looks good to most people.
For color and grayscale images, set the resolution to about 150 dpi (dots per inch).
If image quality is very important, choose 'Do Not Downsample' for images, but know that the file will be larger.

Unembedding fonts means removing the font information from your PDF. You would do this to make the file smaller. However, if the person viewing the PDF does not have that font on their computer, the text might look different or be replaced with a basic font.

For PDFs with scanned pages, use the 'Optimize Scanned Pages' option in Acrobat's PDF Optimizer. This tool is made for scans and can effectively reduce their size. Also, make sure to downsample monochrome (black and white) scans to around 300 dpi for a good balance of quality and file size.

You should use RGB colors for on-screen PDFs because computer screens display colors using RGB (Red, Green, Blue). CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is for printing. Using RGB for on-screen viewing often results in smaller file sizes and more accurate color representation on digital displays.

Action	What it does	Why it helps reduce size	Potential impact
Downsample images	Reduces the number of pixels in pictures.	Fewer pixels mean less data for each image.	Images might look less sharp or blurry if downsampled too much.
Unembed fonts	Removes font data from the PDF.	The PDF no longer carries the full font files.	Text might change its appearance if the viewing computer does not have the original font.

Reduce Draft Reconciliation Time

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

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FAQ

Sources

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When it fails