Shrink your PDF
- 1Add files
- 2Set the upload rules
- 3Fine-tune pages
- 4Check & download
1Add files
Your files, in order
They're merged top to bottom into one PDF. Use the arrows to reorder.
2Set the upload rules
Fill in only what the portal, court or inbox asks for. PreparePDF applies it and checks the final file.
Files from PreparePDF are never password-protected and contain no scripts. Limits checked October 2026 from IRCC, the Australian Embassy, the W.D. Louisiana court and Gmail help. Portals change their rules and courts differ, so always check the instructions you were given.
3Fine-tune pages optional
Pages you don't shrink stay exactly as they are.
Click any page in the list to preview it with these settings.
Advanced settings
PreparePDF never goes below these limits, so pages never turn blurry. Lower them to shrink further.
Checked against your rules
Built for upload limits.
Visa applications, court filings, insurance claims: the portal decides the maximum size, not you. A 129-page file is rarely heavy everywhere. A few photos or colour scans carry most of it, and those are the only pages PreparePDF touches.
Fit any upload limit
Choose 2, 5, 10, 25 MB or your own number. PreparePDF shrinks the heaviest pages just enough, then checks the real file size before you download.
Check before you commit
Slide between before and after at up to 300% zoom. Nothing changes until you click Shrink.
See where the weight is
Every page is listed with its size, heaviest first. Shrink the ones you choose, leave the signed pages exactly as they are.
Text stays sharp
PreparePDF recompresses the photos inside a page and leaves text and lines alone. Scans become crisp black and white.
Your files stay with you
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or seen by anyone, including us. Safe for passports, contracts and court exhibits.
Every rule, checked
A4 or Letter, portrait, grayscale, page limits, Bates numbers, no fillable fields, safe file names. PreparePDF applies the portal's rules and ticks each one off before you download.
One flat price. No credits, no per-file fees.
Try everything on smaller files for free. Go Pro when your files get serious.
Free
- Every feature: merge, fit any limit, portal rules
- Page-by-page shrinking with preview
- 1 document per week
- No account needed
Pro
- Unlimited documents
- Everything in Free
- Sign in on any computer with your email
- Priority email support
Billed monthly. Cancel anytime.
Good to know
Do you upload my files?
No. PreparePDF runs entirely in your browser. Your documents never leave your computer, which makes it safe for passports, contracts, tax returns and medical records.
How does "Fit under a size limit" work?
Pick the limit the portal or court gives you. PreparePDF shrinks the heaviest pages first, a little at a time, and stops as soon as the whole file fits. It then builds the real PDF and checks its exact size, so what you download is guaranteed to be under the limit.
What kinds of portal rules can PreparePDF follow?
Maximum size per file, splitting into several files, one PDF per document, JPG images under a size in KB, maximum pages per file, one page size (A4, Letter or Legal), portrait orientation, grayscale or black and white, a minimum resolution for scans, page numbers or Bates numbers, removing blank pages, flattening forms and signatures, removing hidden information, and portal-safe file names. After building, PreparePDF checks the result against each rule you set.
Can it open password-protected PDFs?
Yes. Type the password next to the file and PreparePDF unlocks it on your computer. PDFs that only block editing or printing are opened automatically. Unlocked pages are rebuilt as sharp images, so their text can't be selected.
Can it prepare exhibits for a court?
Yes: a cover page before each file (Exhibit A, B, C or 1, 2, 3), a clickable bookmark for each file, Bates numbers, a case-number header, Letter size in portrait, flattened forms and signatures, and splitting under the court's size limit. Limits differ between courts, so check your local rules.
Is there anything it can't do yet?
PreparePDF doesn't create certified PDF/A archive files and doesn't make scanned text searchable (OCR) yet. If a portal requires one of these, tell us: they're on the list.
Will my document still be readable?
Yes. You see every page before and after at up to 300% zoom before downloading. PreparePDF also never goes below a minimum quality and resolution, which you can change in Advanced settings.
What does "−80%" mean?
Each selected page will weigh about 80% less. PreparePDF finds the best quality that reaches that size, page by page. If a page can't get that small without becoming blurry, it stops at the smallest sharp result and tells you.
Why didn't a page get smaller?
Some pages are already compact, like plain typed text. PreparePDF never makes a page heavier, so those stay as they are. Heavy pages are almost always photos or colour scans.
What counts as a document?
Each click on "Check & download" counts as one document, even when it's split into several files or saved as a ZIP. Adding files, previews and adjustments are always unlimited. Free gives you one document every 7 days; Pro is unlimited.
Can I cancel Pro?
Yes, anytime, from Account › Manage billing. You keep Pro until the end of the period you paid for.