You scanned four pages of a contract and the result is 180 MB. Email refuses it, your phone groans, your boss complains. The page count says small; the file size disagrees. Here's why.
High-resolution scans
Phone scanner apps often default to 600 DPI full-colour. That's photo quality for a document that doesn't need it. A typical signed contract reads fine at 200 DPI black-and-white, which can cut size by 90%. Compress PDF in Flint applies sensible defaults — typically a 50–80% reduction with no visible quality loss for everyday documents.
Embedded images and screenshots
Reports stuffed with screenshots, photos, or charts swell quickly. Each image stays at its original resolution unless the export specifically downsamples. If you assembled a PDF by dragging pictures in, the file probably contains every pixel of every original. Run compress PDF and choose a screen-friendly preset; print-quality is overkill for sharing.
Embedded fonts and hidden bloat
Embedded fonts add 100–500 KB each. Combined with metadata, thumbnails, and old revisions, this can quietly bulk a file. Saving a fresh copy in Flint usually strips the dead weight. If you're chaining tools — scan, edit, sign, re-export — each step can leave leftovers. A final compress pass tidies everything.
FAQ
What's a reasonable size for a PDF?
Text-only: under 1 MB per 10 pages. Mixed text and images: 1–3 MB per 10 pages. Anything heavier and you can probably shrink it without anyone noticing.
Will compression ruin the quality?
Default compression in Flint targets a balance — sharp text, slightly softer images, still print-acceptable. If you need archive quality, choose a lighter compression setting. For email-sized PDFs, default is perfect.
Can I compress a signed PDF?
Compressing a signed PDF usually invalidates the signature. Compress before signing, not after. If you must shrink a signed file, ask the signer to re-sign the compressed version.
Most giant PDFs are 90% air. Drop yours into compress PDF and watch it diet down in seconds.