# Compress scanned PDF without losing readability

> Compress a scanned PDF without losing readability. Shrink image-heavy scans for email and portals — free in your browser, no upload.

Canonical: https://mypdf.space/compress-scanned-pdf
Last updated: 23 Oct 2026

## Answer

Scans are photos of pages — that is why they are huge. Use Max shrink or Target size below, then preview small print before downloading. For searchability afterward, run OCR. Everything stays on your device.

## Privacy

Compression runs locally. Files never leave your device. Preview before you upload the result to any portal.

## Who needs this

- Anyone with phone-scanned certificates or multi-page scans that fail uploads
- Email users whose scanned PDF is too large to attach
- Applicants balancing size limits against readable stamps

## Limits

- Heavy compression blurs small print and stamps.
- OCR after compress if you need searchable text.
- Impossible targets stop at a readable floor instead of producing mush.

## How to

1. Drop the scanned PDF into the compressor below.
2. Try Target size if a portal states a KB/MB cap; otherwise start with Max shrink carefully.
3. Zoom the preview on stamps, dates, and ID digits — stop if they blur too much.
4. Download the result; run Make searchable if you still need Ctrl+F.
5. Optional: Remove metadata before sharing.

## FAQ

### Why is my scanned PDF so large?

High-resolution page images. Compression re-encodes those images at a lower DPI.

### Compress then OCR, or OCR then compress?

Either works; if text quality matters, OCR a clearer scan first, then compress carefully.

### Does this upload my scan?

No.

## Related

- [Compress scanned PDF without losing readability](https://mypdf.space/tools/compress)
- [Compress PDF](https://mypdf.space/compress-pdf-online)
- [Make searchable](https://mypdf.space/make-scanned-pdf-searchable)
- [Remove metadata](https://mypdf.space/remove-pdf-metadata)
- [Split PDF](https://mypdf.space/split-pdf)
- [Compress to 1 MB](https://mypdf.space/compress-pdf/1mb)