A PDF can contain vector text, compressed images, embedded fonts, forms, and other objects. A smaller-looking page is not necessarily a smaller file. Different compression techniques affect different parts of a document.

Text PDFs and scanned PDFs behave differently

A mostly text-based PDF may store each letter as a compact reference to a font. Turning the entire page into a picture replaces those references with many pixels. The result can be larger. A high-resolution scan, on the other hand, may become smaller when rendered at lower resolution.

What FileToast’s compressor does

Compress PDF renders each page and embeds a JPEG image into a new PDF. Resolution controls pixel count; JPEG quality controls image compression. The tool displays both file sizes and tells you when the output has not become smaller.

Choose the right compromise

Try the balanced setting first. Inspect small text, stamps, signatures, and diagrams. Choose a lower resolution only if those remain readable. This method removes selectable text, forms, links, and annotations; preserve the original if those features matter.

There is no guaranteed “100 KB” setting for every PDF. Page count, image detail, and legibility determine what size is practical.