Local processing · no upload

Compress a PDF for Email or a 200 KB Upload Limit

Email gateways and forms often reject large attachments. PDF North shows the original and new size after compression so you can judge the result before you send it. A 200 KB target is possible for a short scan and unlikely for a long photo-heavy report.

Open Compress PDF

Your file stays private. PDF North tools run in this browser tab. Following a guide and opening a tool does not upload the document.

How to do this in PDF North

Count the pages you must send. Extract or split away everything else.
Compress the remaining PDF, starting at Balanced, then inspect size and readability.
If it is still too large, try a stronger setting or send the document as several smaller PDFs.

Why 200 KB is a hard target

A single photographed A4 page can be several megabytes. Rebuilding that page as a compressed image can land well under 1 MB, but 200 KB usually means few pages, lower resolution, or both. PDF North does not promise a specific KB result because the source images control the outcome.

Email versus portal limits

Many personal mailboxes accept 10–25 MB. Gmail’s published attachment ceiling is 25 MB — see compress for Gmail rather than flattening a file that already sends. University and government portals sometimes cap a single file at 2 MB, 1 MB, 500 KB or 200 KB; compress to 2 MB and this 200 KB path are those tighter rules. Match the compressor to the destination: a readable Balanced file is better than an unreadable Maximum file that still overshoots the cap.

Split when one file cannot win

If a 20-page scan cannot reach the limit without becoming illegible, split it into smaller PDFs or extract the signed page the form actually needs. Recipients would rather open two readable files than one ruined file.

Frequently asked questions

Will this tool compress my PDF to 200 KB?

Only if the remaining pages have little image data after compression. The tool reports the new size so you can see whether the target is realistic.

Should I compress before or after merging?

Organise first. Merge, extract or delete pages, then compress the file you will actually attach. Compressing unused pages wastes time and quality.

Are files uploaded when I compress for email?

No. The PDF stays in the browser. You attach the downloaded copy to the email yourself.

Is a 200 KB email cap the same as Gmail?

No. Gmail's published attachment ceiling is 25 MB. This page is for harsh limits around 200 KB on some forms and older gateways. Do not flatten a PDF that ordinary mail already accepts.

What happens to selectable text when I compress for email?

It is removed. Each page is redrawn as an image, so search, copy, links and form fields do not survive in the download. Keep the original and attach the flattened copy only when the mailbox or form rejects the larger file.

What if Maximum compression is still over the email limit?

Stop before the pages turn illegible. Extract the page the form asked for, or split the scan into several smaller PDFs and send those. This compressor will not force a long photo report down to 200 KB.

Related guides

These how-tos use the same local tool. The full list lives on PDF guides.

Related PDF tools

Start with Compress PDF. Also see Split PDF, Extract PDF Pages, JPG to PDF. Browse all PDF guides.