📷 Compress Scanned PDF

Compress Scanned PDF — 60–90% Smaller, Still Readable

Scanned PDFs are the largest PDF type — each page is a full image. PDFTash compresses them 60–90% while keeping text fully readable. Free, no signup.

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Drop your scanned PDF here to compress
Large scans accepted · Free · No signup

Files deleted after 2 hours · 100% secure

Why Scanned PDFs Are So Large

📄 Text PDF
Vector data
10 pages = ~100KB
Compresses 20-40%
📷 Scanned PDF
Raster images
10 pages = ~30MB
Compresses 60-90%

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Frequently Asked Questions — Compress Scanned PDF

Why is my scanned PDF 50MB when the original document is 10 pages?

A scanner at 300 DPI captures each A4 page as a ~3-8MB image. 10 pages × 5MB average = 50MB. PDFTash re-encodes these images at optimized quality — typically reaching 3-8MB total for 10 pages.

Will the handwriting or stamps in the scan still be visible?

Yes. PDFTash uses a high-quality compression setting (85-90% image quality) that preserves all visible details including handwriting, stamps, and signatures in scanned documents.

Can I compress a passport or certificate scan?

Yes. Government documents, certificates, passports, and official papers compress well with PDFTash. The output is accepted by all portals that accept PDF uploads.

Should I scan at lower DPI to get a smaller file?

Scanning at 150–200 DPI (instead of 300 DPI) produces smaller files but reduces readability. It's better to scan at 300 DPI for quality and then compress with PDFTash — you get the best of both.