How do I reduce PDF file size on Mac without losing quality?

Want to reduce PDF size on Mac without losing quality? Consider Adobe Acrobat Pro, which offers the “Optimize PDF” option to adjust compression settings. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro, go to File, Save as Other, and choose the Optimized PDF option. In the pop-up window, customize the compression settings as needed.

What is the best free PDF compressor for Mac?

Preview is the best completely free option because it’s built into macOS and requires no downloads. For a more feature‑rich free tool, give SwifDoo PDF Online Converter a try.

Is it safe to use an online PDF compressor?

It depends on the service. Reputable tools like SwifDoo often state they delete files after a short period. However, for confidential documents (contracts, financial records, personal IDs), it’s safer to use a local app like Preview or PDFOptim to avoid uploading sensitive data to a third‑party server.

Guide on How to Make a PDF Smaller on Mac [Step-by-Step]

Introduction:

Large PDFs are a real headache when you’re trying to email a large document, upload a file to a website, or simply free up disk space. Fortunately, if you are a Mac user, there are multiple effective ways to reduce PDF size without losing quality, ranging from a free built-in tool to professional software and convenient online converters. In this SwifDoo PDF article, let’s learn how to make a PDF smaller on Mac.

How to Make a PDF Smaller on Mac with Preview

Preview is the built-in app on every Mac, which offers the “Reduce File Size” feature to compress a PDF on Mac without installing additional software. You can use it to compress text-heavy documents, scanned pages, or mixed-content files. However, Preview is not ideal for compressing PDFs with high-resolution images or graphics. If you care about image quality, consider the alternative methods below.

Here, let’s learn how to compress a PDF on Mac with Preview.

Step 1. Locate the large PDF file and double-click to open it in Preview (If you have set Preview as the default PDF viewer on Mac). Or, right-click on the large PDF, move to Open With, and choose Preview.

Step 2. Click File in the menu bar and select the Export… option from the list.

Step 3. In the Export window, open the Quartz Filter dropdown and select the Reduce File Size option. Finally, click the Save button.

Free Compress PDFs on Windows with SwifDoo PDF

How to Compress PDF on Mac Online with SwifDoo PDF Online Converter

If you prefer not to install any software, an online PDF compressor is a great choice. SwifDoo PDF Online Converter is one of the best free PDF compressors, enabling you to reduce PDF file size without losing quality. Additionally, it enables you to convert PDF to JPG, PNG, Excel, and other formats. If you need to edit PDFs, you can also download and install SwifDoo PDF for Mac. Below is how to compress a PDF on Mac online using SwifDoo PDF Online Converter.

Edit PDFs on Mac with SwifDoo PDF

Step 1. Open any browser on your Mac and visit SwifDoo PDF Online Converter.

Step 2. Click to select the Compress PDF option.

Step 3. Click Choose File to import your large PDF file. Once the PDF is uploaded, the compression process will start automatically. If you need to compress multiple PDFs at once, upload them together for batch PDF compression in SwifDoo PDF Online Converter. Finally, download the compressed PDF document.

How to Reduce PDF Size on Mac with Adobe Acrobat Pro

If you need precise control over compression level, Adobe Acrobat Pro is the best choice. In Adobe Acrobat Pro, there are 2 options to reduce PDF size, including Reduce Size PDF and Optimized PDF. It enables you to balance file size with high-quality output. In short, Adobe Acrobat Pro is a professional PDF compressor for Mac that enables you to reduce PDF file size on Mac without losing quality.

Once you have a sufficient budget, try Adobe Acrobat Pro. Below is how to make a PDF smaller on Mac using Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Option 1. Quick Reduction

Step 1. Open your large PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Step 2. Click File from the top menu, move to Save as Other, and click the Reduced Size PDF option.

Step 3. Select a compatibility option and click OK to save the compressed PDF file with a smaller file size.

Option 2. Advanced Optimization

If you want to make precise control of compression, use the Advanced Optimization feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Below is how:

Step 1. After opening the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro, go to File > Save as Other and select the Optimized PDF option.

Step 2. Then, the PDF Optimizer window will appear. Here, you can customize settings for images, fonts, and Discord objects.

Step 3. Click OK to get the optimized PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Other Recommended PDF Compressors for Mac

In addition to the Mac PDF compressors mentioned above, there are several other reliable options to compress PDF files on Mac. I have tested many PDF compressors and found the following 4 great PDF compressors for Mac. Let’s have a look.

#1. PDF Expert

PDF Expert is my go‑to PDF editor for Mac, and its compression capability is a nice bonus. I often use it when I need to reduce a PDF’s size while still having full editing power at my fingertips. It enables you to make an excellent balance between file reduction and visual clarity. All in all, PDF Expert is a good PDF compressor for Mac.

Pros:

Include compression features and PDF editing tools.
Offer a clean and intuitive interface.
Compress large PDFs at a fast speed.

Cons:

It’s not a free application.

#2. PDF Squeezer

PDF Squeezer is also a good PDF compressor for Mac, which is ideal for beginners. You only need to simply drag a PDF onto its window, and within seconds, you can get a noticeably smaller file without any complicated settings. Meanwhile, it allows you to compress multiple PDFs at once. More conveniently, it offers the preview feature to view the original and compressed file sizes.

Pros:

It offers a drag-and-drop workflow for compression.
It supports batch PDF compression.

Cons:

It only has the PDF compression feature.
It’s not free to use.

#3. PDFOptim

PDFOptim is an excellent Mac PDF compressor that offers more control over compression settings. It has both “Auto” and “Manual” modes for PDF compression. The “Manual” mode enables you to adjust the image DPI, quality, and even remove metadata. Like PDF Squeezer, it offers a side-by-side preview to see the quality difference before saving.

Pro:

It offers manual and automatic compression modes.
Its live preview offers an original vs. compressed comparison.

Cons:

Its free version only has limited features.

#4. Smallpdf

Smallpdf is a full-featured online PDF compressor that enables you to compress PDFs without installing additional software on your Mac. Additionally, Smallpdf also has a Mac desktop app to compress and handle PDFs. Though it is subscription-based, the free web version handles occasional compression well.

Pros:

It has both a desktop app and a web version.
Its interface is clean and user-friendly.
It has other editing and conversion features in addition to compression.

Cons:

Its desktop version requires a subscription to access all features and use it unlimitedly.

Conclusion

It is not a complicated task to compress PDFs on Mac computers. With its built-in Preview, you can reduce PDF size without installing additional software. If you need to batch compress PDFs, SwifDoo PDF Online Converter can give you a hand. If you need a professional-grade PDF compressor, try Adobe Acrobat Pro. In the content above, I introduce you to how to make a PDF smaller on Mac with detailed steps. I hope this article can be helpful to you.