PDF compression re-encodes the images embedded in your document at a lower quality setting, which is where most of the file size lives. Text, fonts, and vector graphics are unaffected — only raster images (photographs, screenshots, scans) change. This is why compression has a large impact on image-heavy PDFs and a modest impact on text-only documents.
All processing happens entirely in your browser — your PDF is never uploaded to any server. You can verify this by turning off your internet connection after the page loads; compression will still work completely because it runs on your own device.
Screen — Best for documents shared digitally. Reduces images to screen resolution (72–96 DPI). Ideal for email attachments, portal uploads, and messaging app sharing. Typical reduction: 60–80%.
Balanced — Good quality with meaningful size reduction. Suitable for reports, proposals, and documents where images need to remain clearly readable. Typical reduction: 40–60%.
Print — Preserves higher resolution for printing. Smaller reduction than Screen but images print cleanly. Use for documents that will be printed rather than just read on screen.
Does compression affect text quality?
No. Text, fonts, and vector graphics are not resampled during compression. Only raster images change. Text remains crisp and fully searchable at all compression settings.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
Never. All processing runs locally in your browser using your device's CPU. No data leaves your machine at any point during compression.
What if the compressed file is still too large?
Try a more aggressive setting (Screen instead of Balanced). If the file is still large after maximum compression, the PDF may contain many pages rather than large images — consider splitting it into sections using the Split PDF tool.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
First remove the password using the Unlock PDF tool, then compress. Re-apply password protection afterwards if needed using the Protect PDF tool.
Yes. Rifix compresses PDFs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your file never leaves your device and is never uploaded to any server. This makes it safe for confidential documents, contracts, and private records.
Typically 50-90% size reduction depending on the content. Scanned documents with colour images compress the most. Text-only PDFs compress less. A 20MB scanned contract typically reduces to 2-4MB at 65% quality.
At 65-75% quality setting, the difference is invisible on screen and acceptable for standard printing. For professional print purposes, use 85-90%. You can always preview the result before downloading.
You'll need to unlock the PDF first using Rifix Unlock PDF, then compress it. Password-protected PDFs cannot be processed directly.