How to reduce a PDF’s size to send it by email

Why is your PDF so large?

A PDF holds text, fonts and images. Text weighs very little: a 50-page report without pictures often fits in under 1 MB. High-resolution photos, pages scanned in color at 600 dpi and PNG screenshots are what make the size explode.

For an email, 150 dpi is plenty for reading on screen and even for a decent printout.

Reduce a PDF online, step by step

1. 1Open Docyvo’s Compress PDF tool, on a computer or a phone.
2. 2Drop your PDF into the upload area (up to 20 files at once).
3. 3Choose the “Recommended” level: the best balance between size and quality. For a very light file, choose “Strong”.
4. 4Click “Compress PDF” and check the before/after size.
5. 5Download the file and attach it to your email.

Which compression level should you choose?

“Light” keeps print quality: ideal for a document you will print. “Recommended” suits most emails. “Strong” gives the smallest file, perfect for a receipt or a document that will only be read on screen.

For a black-and-white scan, also tick “Convert images to grayscale”: the savings are often significant.

What if the PDF is still too large?

If the file is still over the limit, you have two options: split it into several PDFs with Split PDF and send them in separate emails, or share a download link instead of an attachment. Docyvo offers an encrypted share link, valid for 24 hours, right after compression.

Your documents stay private

Compression is done by your browser, on your device: the PDF is not sent to any server. That matters for payslips, contracts or ID documents, which are often sent by email.