How To Reduce File Size Of A Pdf

We are oft asked at One Legal how to reduce the size of a PDF filing to ensure that is accepted by a court'southward instance management organization and therefore successfully eFiled.

In that location's a whole range of rules out there on file sizes depending on what dorsum-office system the courtroom is using to manage the filings it receives. In most eFiling courts throughout the U.S. the file must be below 35 MB., and each California court has its ain limits. You can check out the maximum file size for your court on our Back up Eye, and find information on other local court rules, too.

In general, though, in that location'south very lilliputian reason for PDFs to be hundreds of megabytes big unless they comprise exhibits that absolutely must be saved as very high-resolution photographs. Past following simply a few simple steps, fifty-fifty filings that are hundreds of pages long can exist brought down to meet requirements.

How to determine the size of your PDF document

If you're using Adobe Acrobat, checking the size of your PDF is simple. Just click on File , then Properties. You'll see lots of information nigh your document, including its size.

Alternatively, you can navigate to the binder containing your certificate, right-click on information technology, and click Properties.

Larger files volition take longer to upload, are cumbersome to share electronically (via electronic mail, for case), and volition use up your law firm's file storage more rapidly. And fifty-fifty when the courts accept larger file sizes, they adopt to handle smaller, optimized files.

So, how should you set nigh reducing the size of your PDF documents? Here are five quick tips.

#1 Avert scanning PDFs wherever possible

It's a mutual misconception that, to create PDFs, or to combine multiple documents and exhibits into a single PDF, you lot need to print everything out and scan it together. Electronically converted files are generally much smaller in size than scans.

You but e'er need to scan documents that exist in newspaper form simply — all other documents can be electronically converted from the original file by saving them equally PDFs. Furthermore, individual documents can exist quickly combined every bit PDFs using software such as Adobe Acrobat, avoiding whatsoever need to impress out documents to combine them.

Read more: How to correctly redact a PDF

#2 Save as "Reduced Size PDF"

If your file is still very big later on yous've created it electronically, rather than past scanning, there are still some steps you lot can take. The simplest is to re-salve your file every bit a reduced-size PDF.

In the latest version of Adobe Acrobat, open up the PDF y'all wish to re-salvage every bit a smaller file, choose File , Salvage every bit Other , so Reduced Size PDF. Yous'll be prompted to select the version compatibility you need and then you can click OK to salve. We recommend setting your compatibility with at least Acrobat X, as that version is nevertheless widely used.

This method is quick and uncomplicated simply be warned that it will reduce the quality of images and will remove digital signatures. If y'all desire more than control over how your PDF is compressed in Acrobat, use the optimization method described beneath instead.

Read more than: How to convert a fillable form for eFiling

#3 Apply Adobe Acrobat's PDF Optimizer

Sometimes you'll want more than control over which elements of your certificate are reduced in quality or removed. In these circumstances, you should choose the PDF optimizer tool.

Before you optimize a file, it'southward a proficient idea to audit the file's space usage — review which elements, such as fonts, images, and and then on, are using the well-nigh data. The results of this may give you ideas almost where best to reduce file size.

To begin optimization, open up your PDF in Acrobat, click File, Salve as Other , and so Optimized PDF. In the dialog box that appears, click on Audit infinite usage in the top right-mitt corner. You'll see a table of information a chip like this:

The optimizer gives you complete control over the elements of your PDF that will be compressed. Select the checkbox next to a panel (due east.chiliad. Images, Fonts), and so select options in that console. At that place'south a lot of choices, so it's worth reading through the Adobe help file to sympathise what each option does.

Okay, nosotros know that not everyone uses Adobe Acrobat. What options are bachelor to you lot if you're using other software or only the basic Adobe Reader? Hither are two more options for reducing the size of your PDF file if you lot're non using Acrobat.

Read more: 7 myths and misconceptions almost the PDF

#4 Reduce the size as you lot save in Word

In Word, to convert a document to PDF, you use the Save Every bit option. This option generally produces a adequately small-scale file, depending on the number of images in your document. Nevertheless, if y'all find that your Word-converted PDF is however too large, there is a farther option in Word that will produce a significantly smaller file. Hither'southward how to utilise it:

Open the Word document you are going to convert to PDF. Click on the File push and then Save As. In the Salve as type menu, select PDF and enter your preferred file name. Here'south the extra step: where information technology says Optimize for at the bottom of the dialog box, select Minimum size (publishing online).

Read more than: How to correct OCR errors with Adobe Acrobat

#five Use a impress-to-PDF tool

Other (non-Adobe) PDF tools by and large contain features that will reduce the size of your PDF. Even so, if you're looking for a gratis option, there are some bachelor. Currently, the nigh downloaded free PDF creator ( according to download.com ) is PrimoPDF.

Once you've installed PrimoPDF, only open the PDF yous wish to compress (in Acrobat Reader, or a web browser, for example), printing C trl+P to open up the print dialog, select PrimoPDF from the list of bachelor printers, then click Create PDF.

Note that this method, like simply saving every bit a reduced-size PDF in Adobe Acrobat, reduces image quality and resolution.