Mac: Compress PDFs with on-board resources
You don't need to use additional tools to compress PDF files on your Mac. Apple's operating system has the necessary tools on board.
Compress PDF files with the "Preview" program
If you want to send large PDF files by email, make them available for download or archive them, you should compress them beforehand. On Mac, this is easy with the "Preview" application, which you can find in your "Applications" folder.
- Open the PDF file you want to compress with the "Preview" program.
- Click on "Export ..." in the "File" menu.
- In the dialog box, select "Reduce File Size" from the "Quartz Filter" drop-down menu.
- After you have given your PDF file a name and specified a storage location for it, click on "Save". The compressed PDF document is now saved as a new file on your drive.
With just a few clicks, you can also convert Pages document to PDF files. In this practical tip we will show you how.