PDF files play a vital role in helping users share confidential data. Since these documents are secure and don’t allow users to modify the text, they are widely used for sharing business information. You might have noticed that important data such as account statements, business profiles, resumes, and other similar documents are shared as PDFs.
When sending the PDF file via Gmail, you sometimes require to change the file size. When the limit is about 25MB, you need to consider resizing your documents. You may also require resizing PDFs to save storage space on the hard drive.
In this post, we’ll discover a useful step-by-step guide on how to resize a PDF on Mac effectively. But, before we go ahead with that, let’s identify the situation when you must go for resizing your PDFs.
Why Do You Need to Change PDF File Size?
PDF is the most common document all around the world. Storing large-size PDF files on a computer consumes considerable storage space on your Mac hard drive. To save a significant amount of space, you can resize PDF documents.
Resizing the PDF documents also helps in easily sending them as an attachment via email. Sometimes, PDF files become huge due to adding images, multiple pages, and format sizes. After reducing file size, you can cut down the size up to 10-100x. .
Methods to Resize PDF Files
No matter what the reason is, to compress PDF size, to ensure quality while resizing PDF, pick the right way. Using third-party software will somehow compromise the PDF quality. Your final PDF file may be slightly unreadable or blurry.
If you are searching for how to annotate in PDF, there are multiple ways to do that using built-in and professional tools. Annotating a PDF allows you to add notes, highlight text, remove an element, and so on. It’s an effective way to make changes to PDF files that are otherwise difficult to edit.
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Resize a PDF Using Preview
The Preview application on Mac not only allows you to annotate a PDF on Mac but this free and built-in app helps to reduce a PDF file size. To start the resizing process, access your required PDF file.
Next, go to the top menu and tap on the File button. Click on Export and give it a title. If required, add tags. Choose the proper location for saving it accordingly. Now, tap on the bar close to the Quartz Filter option and pick the Reduce File Size option. At last, click on Save.
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Use Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a great PDF tool with excellent features to reduce PDF file size on Mac. You can choose up to 3 different compression sizes. To reduce PDF size, you need to first access a browser on your Mac system.
Next, access the resized PDF page of Adobe Acrobat. Click on the ‘Select a File button and keep proceeding with the instructions given on the screen. Pick and attach the required file. Select the compression level and tap the Compress button. Hit Download to get the resized file.
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Resize PDF Without Affecting Quality
Navigate to System and click Filters or PDF Services within the Library. Find the file ‘Reduce File Size.Filter’. Copy and paste this file on the desktop. Right-click on it and choose ‘Open With’ followed by TextEdit. Locate Compression Quality, where you’ll find the default value as 0.
If needed, you can modify this value. Search for the ‘ImageSizeMax’ section. Now, the default value of the final size is 512. In ‘Name’, change it. Rename the resized file based on the name you enter in the Name field. Copy and paste the file to the PDF Services directory.
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Download Professional Tool
Several modern PDF programs enable you to resize large-volume PDF files when you don’t know how to resize a PDF on Mac using built-in tools. Sometimes, native utilities only allow you to edit files of limited size, while this is not a restriction with professional apps.
When using any of the free tools available online, make sure to follow the instructions carefully to avoid losing data. Moreover, download these tools from official websites only to avoid viruses that may enter your computer by clicking an illegitimate link.
The Conclusion
Working with large PDF files is difficult, especially when you have to process or share some storage space on your computer. Resizing the PDF file or document is the best resort to use your PDF files the way you want. It helps in preventing messing up with PDF files.
Note that some tools compromise the PDF files’ quality while resizing them. So, it depends on you whether you are okay with this or not. If you don’t want quality to get reduced, then you can use the last method. It will help you in speeding up the process in the coming time.