How to compress a PDF on Mac

1 min read·25 July 2026

Making a large PDF smaller on a Mac can be done via Preview (built-in) or via PDFrust in Safari (more control). Here you see how both methods work and when to choose which.

Preview: fast but aggressive

In Preview: choose File > Export as PDF > Quartz filter "Reduce File Size". This compresses strongly but also reduces quality noticeably — images can become blurry. Good for a quick result when quality matters less.

PDFrust: more control

Open pdfrust.com in Safari on your Mac. Upload your PDF to the compress tool. Choose a quality level (low/medium/high). Download the compressed file. At medium level you keep a good quality balance.

Compress PDF

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Compare the results

After compressing: open the PDF and zoom into an image to assess quality. Also check the file size. If the result is too large or too blurry, try a different quality level.

Print to PDF as an alternative

Mac also has "Print to PDF" via the print dialog. There is no direct compression setting there, but you can apply the "Reduce File Size" Quartz filter via the PDF button in the bottom left.