How do I make a PDF smaller for email?

Upload your PDF to PDFJolt's Compress PDF tool, select Medium compression (reduces size by 50-70%), and download the smaller file. Most PDFs drop below the 25 MB email limit in seconds. Processing happens entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded to a server.

Why is my PDF file so large?

PDFs become large when they contain high-resolution images, embedded fonts, scanned pages, or layers from design software. A single scanned page at 300 DPI can exceed 5 MB. PDFJolt's compression re-renders pages at an optimized resolution with JPEG compression to dramatically reduce size.

Can I compress a PDF without losing quality?

PDFJolt's Light compression preset reduces size by 30-50% with minimal visible quality loss — suitable for professional documents. For text-heavy PDFs, even Aggressive compression preserves full readability. Choose the preset that matches your needs.

What is the maximum PDF size for email attachments?

Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail cap attachments at 25 MB. Government portals typically allow 5-10 MB. University submissions often require 2-5 MB. Job application portals vary from 2-10 MB. PDFJolt can compress PDFs to meet any of these limits.

PDF Too Large? Reduce PDF File Size Instantly

Last updated: February 12, 2026

If your PDF is too large to email or upload, you can compress it in seconds using PDFJolt's free browser-based tool. No file upload to any server, no account required. Reduce PDF size by up to 90% while keeping your document readable.

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Common PDF Size Limits by Platform

Different platforms enforce different file size caps. Here are the limits you're most likely hitting:

Platform	Max Size	Typical Fix
Gmail / Outlook / Yahoo	25 MB	Light or Medium compression
Government portals (IRS, CRA, HMRC)	5 – 10 MB	Medium or Aggressive compression
University submissions	2 – 5 MB	Aggressive compression
Job application portals	2 – 10 MB	Medium or Aggressive compression
Court e-filing systems	10 – 25 MB	Light or Medium compression
WhatsApp / Slack / Teams	16 – 100 MB	Light compression

Why Your PDF Is So Large

PDFs balloon in size for a few common reasons. Scanned documents are the biggest culprit — each page is stored as a full-resolution image, so a 10-page scan at 300 DPI can easily reach 30–50 MB. Embedded high-res photos in reports and presentations add megabytes per image. Design software exports (from InDesign, Illustrator, or Canva) often embed fonts and vector layers that inflate file size far beyond what's needed for viewing.

PDFJolt's compression engine works by re-rendering each page at an optimized resolution and applying JPEG compression. This approach reliably reduces any PDF — scans, photos, vector graphics, and mixed layouts — while keeping text fully readable. Everything happens in your browser via WebAssembly. Your file never touches a server.

How to Fix an Oversized PDF

Open PDFJolt's free Compress PDF tool in your browser.

Drop your oversized PDF into the upload area.

Choose a compression level: Light (30-50% smaller), Medium (50-70%), or Aggressive (70-90%).

Click Compress and download your smaller PDF — ready to email or upload.

Your file stays on your device

Unlike iLovePDF, Smallpdf, and Adobe Acrobat — which upload your files to their servers — PDFJolt compresses PDFs entirely in your browser. No upload, no cloud storage, no data collection. Safe for contracts, tax forms, medical records, and any confidential documents.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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