How to Reduce PDF Size on Mac without Losing Quality
Summary :
Learn how to quickly compress PDF size on Mac without losing quality, using built-in tools and free PDF editors both online and offline.
Table of Contents
Smaller PDFs are easier to upload, download, and share. While many tools shrink PDFs at the cost of quality, here are four ways to reduce PDF size on Mac without compromise.
Quick Overview: The Best PDF Compression Tool for You
To help you choose the best method for compressing PDFs on Mac, here’s a quick comparison of different tools, their features, and suitable use cases.
| Tools | Advantages | Disadvantages | Best for Files | Best for Users |
| Preview | Pre-installed
Simple to use Offline use |
Fixed settings
Low reduction Reduced quality |
Text-heavy PDFs, simple documents without many images | Convenience and offline quick compression |
| PDFgear Software | Free to use
Adjustable High-quality Batch support |
Install required | Mixed-content PDFs, high-quality image PDFs, scanned files | Quality preservation, flexible control, batch processing |
| PDFgear Online Compressor | No install
Fast & simple Privacy-safe |
Web-based
No batch |
Small to medium PDFs, general documents for quick sharing | Speed, accessibility, no-install use |
Now that you’ve seen how the tools compare, let’s walk through how to use each one step by step.
Reduce PDF Size on Mac with Free PDF Compressor
PDFgear is a free PDF compressor for macOS devices. It helps you quickly shrink your PDF file size by up to 90% without losing quality.
You can also reduce PDF size by splitting it into multiple files, cropping unnecessary areas, printing in black and white, or deleting unwanted pages.
It is free to download and use, with no email signup required. Install it and enjoy full access to advanced features.
Step 1. Download PDFgear. Open the app and click “Compress PDF” under “Hot Tools”.
Find the Compress PDF Button in PDFgear
Step 2. Click “Add Files”. Select one or more PDFs, choose a compression level, set the output path, and click “Compress”.
Here is how to pick the right compression level for you:
Low: Preserves the original quality and clarity as much as possible. Best for users who prioritize quality over file size.
Medium: Offers the best balance between file size and quality. Works best for most people.
High: Reduces file size by up to 90%. Ideal for users who prioritize a smaller file size over image clarity.
Reduce the Size of PDF Files with PDFgear
Step 3. Once finished, you can find your compressed files in the folder you selected.
Want an even smaller PDF? Try more compression options with PDFgear.
How to Compress PDF on Mac in Preview
Preview is the built-in PDF editor on macOS, offering basic viewing and editing tools without extra software.
It also lets Mac users compress PDFs without an internet connection.
Step 1. Open your PDF in Preview. Go to “File” and select “Export”.
Navigate to the Export Button
Step 2. In the pop-up window, rename your file, set the format to PDF.
Step 3. Click “Quartz Filter”, and choose “Reduce File Size” from the Quartz Filter dropdown.
(Optional) Enable additional settings as needed:
Create PDF/A: makes a version suitable for long-term archiving by embedding fonts and removing interactive features.
Create Linearized PDF: helps PDFs load faster online by showing the first page before the full file is downloaded.
Optimize images for screen (macOS 15+): lowers image quality to reduce size, good for on-screen use but not for printing.
Save images as JPEG (macOS 15+): converts images to JPEG for stronger compression, best for image-heavy files, but may reduce quality.
Tips: The default Reduce File Size works well for basic needs or small PDFs.
For large or image-heavy PDFs, turning on both “Optimize images for screen” and “Save images as JPEG” options with “Reduce File Size” gives better compression but may affect quality, so choose based on how you plan to use the file.
Preview compression may have little effect or even increase file size, especially with scanned PDFs. For better control over both file size and quality, try using PDFgear.
Step 4. Finally, click “Save” to export your compressed PDF.
Reduce PDF Size with Preview
While Preview is convenient, it may not offer the best balance between file size and quality. Try a professional PDF Compressor to reduce PDF size without losing quality.
Compress PDF Files Online for Free on Mac
In addition to its lightweight and friendly software, PDFgear lets you compress PDFs online in seconds — no download and no signup.
Even better, it is completely free, and your files are deleted automatically when you close the page to keep your data safe.
Step 1. Click the “Upload PDF file” button in the above image. Or open the PDFgear online PDF compressor and upload your file.
Step 2. Choose a compression level: Low, Medium, or Strong. And click “Compress”.
Need help choosing? Match the compression to your file type.
Low: Minimal size reduction while preserving full image and text quality. Recommended for high-resolution images, scanned documents, and design files.
Medium: A balanced reduction in size with minimal impact on quality. Ideal for mixed-content PDFs such as reports, brochures, and presentations.
High: Maximum size reduction with some loss of image quality, while keeping text clear and readable. Best for contracts, forms, and text-heavy documents.
Step 3. Download your smaller PDF or share it instantly.
Bonus: Use Built-in Quartz Filter to Customize Compression
If you want more control over how much your PDF gets compressed, there is a hidden trick on Mac: using the built-in Quartz Filter.
It is part of macOS’s graphics system and can help you fine-tune how your PDFs and images are handled.
Step 1. Open “Launchpad”, search for “ColorSync Utility”, and open it.
Search for ColorSync Utility
Step 2. In the “Filters” tab, find “Reduce File Size” under “Builtin Filters”. Click “Duplicate” and rename your new filter.
Duplicate the Reduce File Size Filter
Step 3. Expand your custom filter. You can tweak settings like resolution (for example, 150 DPI or 300 DPI) and adjust JPEG quality to balance file size and image clarity.
Set the Compression Settings in Quartz Filter
Step 4. The next time you export a PDF from Preview, select your custom filter from the “Quartz Filter” menu to apply it.
Select the Custom Filter You Created
By creating your own filter with ColorSync Utility, you can shrink your PDFs while keeping better image quality compared to using the default setting.
FAQs
How do I make a PDF file smaller on a Mac?
There are many ways you can choose from. The 4 methods mentioned above are preferred. Among them, we recommend PDFgear. It is free and easy to use. You can resize and share your PDF quickly without loss in quality.
How to resize PDFs on MacBook without losing quality?
You can utilize PDFgear for macOS. It offers the MRC technology to accurately remove the unnecessary parts of the file content, and compress the file size on your MacBook without losing quality.
Is there any free PDF compressor for Mac?
Yes. PDFgear software and its online PDF compressor are free to use, without any email registration or payment. You can utilize all the advanced features free of charge.
How to compress PDF offline using Microsoft Word?
Open a PDF with Microsoft Word, navigate to File, choose Export, create PDF/XPS Document, then select Save As PDF type, click the Minimum Size button, and hit Save.
Does reducing the PDF file size compromise its quality?
It depends on which compression level you prefer. Low Compression and Medium Compression will not impact the overall quality of the PDF file, while High Compression will compromise PDF quality as it shrinks the PDF size much smaller than the original file.
Conclusion
To sum up, the steps above offer a clear guide on how to compress PDF files on a Mac using built-in features and free PDF compressor tools.
PDFgear is not just a free PDF compressor but also a powerful AI-driven PDF editor that helps you handle PDF tasks with ease.
Whether you need a quick built-in solution or a more powerful PDF editor, you can find the right tool here.
Try PDFgear today to compress and edit your PDFs effortlessly.
