How to Reduce PDF Size for Printing

Printing requires higher quality than screen viewing. Here's how to compress PDFs for print.

Print Quality Requirements

• Professional printing: 300 DPI minimum
• Home printing: 150-200 DPI acceptable
• Draft printing: 72-100 DPI

Compression Strategy

Use Low or Medium compression to preserve image quality while reducing file size.

What Gets Compressed

• Metadata and unused objects (safe)
• Font subsetting (safe)
• Image optimization (use caution)

What to Avoid

• Don't use Maximum compression for print
• Don't reduce DPI below 150 for photos
• Don't convert color to grayscale unless intended

Testing

Always print a test page before printing large batches. Check image sharpness and color accuracy.