Compress a PDF for email
Get a scan or report under the attachment limit without mailing it to a compression service first.
Drop files here
or click to choose from your deviceAccepted: PDF
One file per runUp to 20 MB per file5 runs per dayFree PDFs end with a small “Made with nouplo.com” lineRemove limits with Pro✓ Works offline
Your files stay on your device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and you can even turn off your internet connection before you start.
Example
Example: a 17 MB scanned tenancy pack for a letting agent’s 10 MB mailbox
A tenancy pack scanned with a phone app: 12 pages, each page a 3024 × 4032 photo, 17 MB in all. The letting agent’s company mailbox refuses anything over 10 MB, and the email bounced. Settings: Strong compression, already selected, and no target size.
- Strong re-saves every photo in the PDF at JPEG quality 0.5 with the long side capped at 1100 px: each 3024 × 4032 page becomes 825 × 1100.
- On an A4 page that is about 94 pixels per inch: typed text reads easily on a screen and on a phone.
- A photo is only replaced when the new one is smaller, and text and vector drawings are not touched.
- The new size is shown next to the result. Mail servers often count the message as sent, about a third larger than the file, so for a 10 MB mailbox aim at about 7 MB, or set Target size to Under 5 MB.
| Setting | JPEG quality | Longest side of each photo | A 3024 × 4032 page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (best quality) | 0.85 | 2400 px | 1800 × 2400 |
| Balanced | 0.7 | 1600 px | 1200 × 1600 |
| Strong (preselected) | 0.5 | 1100 px | 825 × 1100 |
| Under 5 MB, or another target | 0.85 down to 0.3, step by step | 2400 down to 700 px | the first step that fits |
tenancy-pack-compressed.pdf, all 12 pages, text readable, its size shown beside it. If it is still over the limit, choose Under 5 MB, or split the pack with Split PDF and send two emails.
How it works
- Drop the PDF you want to send. Scans, brochures and slide decks with photos benefit most.
- Strong compression is already selected. It re-encodes every photo at a lower quality and caps its resolution at about 1100 pixels, which is still crisp on a phone.
- Press Compress for email and compare the new size shown next to the result with your limit: Gmail 25 MB, Outlook.com 20 MB, most corporate Exchange servers 10 MB.
- Download and attach. If it is still too large, split the document with Split PDF and send it in two mails.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the common attachment limits?
- Gmail and Google Workspace: 25 MB. Outlook.com: 20 MB. Yahoo: 25 MB. iCloud Mail: 20 MB. Company Exchange servers are often set to 10 MB, and the receiving server may be stricter than yours.
- Why choose this over emailing the file to a compression website?
- Compression websites upload your document to their server, which is exactly what you may not want for contracts, medical records or ID scans. Here the work happens on your device and nothing is transmitted.
- Will the recipient notice the compression?
- Text stays vector and razor sharp. Photos are re-encoded at a lower JPEG quality; on screen the difference is small, in print at large sizes it can be visible. Use Balanced if the document will be printed.
- The file barely shrank. Why?
- PDFs that are mostly text or vector drawings have little to compress. In that case the file is probably already small enough; check the limit rather than the percentage.
- My PDF is under the limit, but the email still bounced. Why?
- An attachment travels encoded as text, which makes it about a third larger, and many servers apply the limit to the message as sent. A 9 MB PDF can therefore be refused by a 10 MB company mailbox. Aim at about 7 MB for a 10 MB limit and about 15 MB for 20 MB.
- Does this work on my phone?
- Yes. It is often the quickest way to shrink a scan you just made with the phone camera before replying to an email.
- How big a PDF can I compress for free?
- One PDF of up to 20 MB per run, 5 runs a day; Pro has no size limit. So a 17 MB scan for a 10 MB company mailbox works for free, while a 31 MB scan, too big for Gmail’s 25 MB, needs Pro. Either way the PDF is compressed in your browser and is never uploaded.
Made for a specific use
Related tools
⇲ Compress PDF Make a PDF smaller for email or upload limits without sending it to anyone. ⧉ Merge PDF Combine PDFs into one document, in the order you choose, without sending them anywhere. ⋈ Split PDF Cut one PDF into several files by page ranges, one file per page, or parts under a size limit. ▣ PDF to JPG Export each page as an image you can drop into a slide, a chat or a website.