Compress PDF to Target Size
Auto-tune image quality until the PDF fits your size limit. Runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
Drop a PDF here, or click to browse
Files never leave your device
Output
The result appears here as you type.
How to use Compress PDF to Target Size
- 1. Load the PDF. Drop your document into the workspace. Its current size becomes the starting point for the automatic compression search.
- 2. Enter the target size. Type the size limit you need into Target size (KB), such as the maximum an email attachment or upload form accepts.
- 3. Set the render DPI. Choose Render DPI as the resolution ceiling the search works within. The tool then tunes JPEG quality automatically to land at or under your target.
- 4. Download the fitted PDF. Generate and save the file. It comes out at or under the size you specified, with quality adjusted as little as necessary to get there.
When to use Compress PDF to Target Size
Compress PDF to Target Size automatically tunes image quality until the file fits a size limit you specify, instead of you guessing at a JPEG quality value by trial and error. It is for situations with a hard cap on file size.
- Meeting a strict upload portal limit. A job application portal rejects any PDF over a specific number of megabytes. Setting that exact limit as the target avoids repeated trial-and-error compression attempts.
- Fitting an attachment under an email provider's cap. An email provider silently truncates attachments over its size limit. Targeting a size safely under that cap guarantees the recipient actually gets the whole file.
- Hitting a specific size for a bulk archive. A batch of scanned documents needs to fit consistently under a per-file size budget for a storage system with per-item limits. Targeting that size keeps every file compliant.
About the Compress PDF to Target Size tool
Compress PDF to Target Size runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab, with no server behind it. Auto-tune image quality until the PDF fits your size limit. Whatever you put in stays on your device from start to finish.
The tool is part of EditSafely's PDF Tools section, 92 single-purpose utilities built around the same idea: open the page, get the result, keep your data to yourself.
You can shape the output with 2 settings, including Target size (KB) and Render DPI, and the result refreshes the moment you change one. The finished file is put together in browser memory and saved with the Download button, so it never touches a server on the way to your disk.
That local-first design has practical benefits beyond privacy. The tool keeps working on a flaky connection once the page has loaded, results are instant because nothing round-trips to a server, and it is safe to use with confidential material.
Frequently asked questions
Does Compress PDF to Target Size cost anything?
Yes, it is completely free. All 2,658 tools on EditSafely work without an account, a subscription or usage limits.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No data leaves your device. The whole tool is JavaScript that runs inside your browser tab, so there is no upload, no server-side processing and no log of what you did. If you disconnect from the internet after the page loads, it keeps working.
Which files does Compress PDF to Target Size accept?
It accepts PDF documents. There is no file size cap imposed by a server; very large files are limited only by your device's memory.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
Nothing to install and no account needed. Open the page in any up-to-date browser, including on a phone or tablet, and the tool is ready.
How do I save the output?
Click the Download button once the result is ready. The file is built in your browser's memory and handed straight to your downloads folder, without passing through a server.