Across my last [deliverables=20] — statutory reports, consolidations, trustee packets — the common time-sink is manual…
Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
Select the File menu, then choose Save as Other and then Optimized PDF.
In the PDF Optimizer dialog, review the default settings under each panel (such as Images, Fonts, Discard Objects, Discard User Data, and Clean Up).
Adjust any settings as needed, or leave them at their defaults for a basic optimization.
Click OK to apply the optimization and choose a location to save the optimized PDF.
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.
| Feature | What it does | Impact on file size |
|---|---|---|
| Downsampling Images | Reduces the number of pixels in pictures. For example, a 300 dpi photo can become 150 dpi. | Can greatly reduce file size, especially if your PDF has many high-resolution photos. |
| Unembedding Fonts | Removes font information from the PDF. If the font is common, the computer will use its own version. | Can reduce file size, but if a special font is unembedded, the text might look different on other computers. |
Optimizing a PDF for on-screen viewing makes it much smaller and faster to load. You should use RGB color mode instead of CMYK, as RGB is better for screens. This helps people view your PDF quickly without long waits, especially if they have slow internet.
If your scanned document looks blurry, you might have downsampled the images too much. For scanned pages, Acrobat has a special tool called 'Optimize Scanned Pages'. Use this tool instead of the general PDF Optimizer. It is designed to handle scanned text and images better, helping to keep clarity while still reducing file size. You can also try setting monochrome images to 300 dpi in the regular optimizer.